{"id":24641,"date":"2024-02-05T12:05:17","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T12:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=24641"},"modified":"2024-02-05T12:05:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T12:05:17","slug":"my-career-progression-has-been-amazing-thanks-to-my-ou-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/my-career-progression-has-been-amazing-thanks-to-my-ou-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018My career progression has been amazing, thanks to my OU degree\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

After deciding to hang up his boots and leave professional football behind James, 28, found himself chasing new goals off the pitch. Now Financial Controller for a hospitality chain, James shares how Open University (OU) study fast-tracked his career and helped him develop the skills he needed to get-ahead in business.<\/p>\n

At 21 years old and struggling with a lack of fulfilment from the sport he\u2019d grown up playing, James had a tough choice to make.<\/p>\n

\"James

James when he played for Enfield Town F.C.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI just wasn\u2019t enjoying football like I used to, and I wanted more freedom to enjoy other things,\u201d James remembers. \u201cProfessional sport is intense, and it overlaps into every area of your life. I had to come to terms with the fact that I didn\u2019t want that anymore, but at the same time, I had huge fear of the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the pitch to the office<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With future career prospects on his mind, James followed up on advice he\u2019d received at his football club and contacted the OU.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started to think I\u2019d done things the hard way,\u201d says James. \u201cI had three modest A-levels and no real work experience – I was feeling pretty unemployable until I discovered the OU.\u201d<\/p>\n

James enrolled on his first Business Management (Accounting<\/a>) module and never looked back. That year, he retired from professional football and bagged his first office job. Working full-time as an accounts clerk, James progressed through his degree and chalked up a few promotions at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOU study has been pivotal to my career development, I would never be where I am without it,\u201d James reflects. \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, there were tough times. Working full-time while studying is never going to be easy and you\u2019ve got to make a few sacrifices. But if you\u2019re willing to put in the work, the OU will support you to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing out from the crowd<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"James

James celebrating his graduation.<\/p><\/div>\n

Since graduating, James has qualified as a chartered accountant and become Financial Controller for a chain of cocktail bars across multiple locations. James shares how his OU experience gave him the edge over other candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you work in finance, it\u2019s all well and good knowing the numbers, but as you move up the ranks you need to understand the intricacies of the organisation as a whole,\u201d James explains. \u201cThe business element of my course elevated my skills beyond just finance. I\u2019m able to see the bigger picture and understand different business models, leadership styles and so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regardless of the subject matter, James believes that OU students have an advantage when it comes to competing in the job market.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a CV came across my desk from someone with an OU degree, it would stand out straight away,\u201d James says. \u201cGraduating from the OU is a sign of self-motivation, which for me, is a trait that demonstrates ambition and dedication. You know immediately that they\u2019re serious about what they want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice to others<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Passionate about encouraging others to reach their potential, James shares why he thinks OU study is a smart choice for employability.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a big commitment and a real leap of faith, but the payback is incredible<\/strong> \u2013 I can\u2019t speak highly enough of the OU and what I\u2019ve got back from my studies.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI honed skills that help me in business to this day<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019ve always been self-motivated, but OU study took me to the next level. I learned how to adapt the way I communicate for different audiences and get my message across clearly.”<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though it\u2019s distance learning, I formed great relationships<\/strong> \u2013 the tutors were fantastic, and their feedback helped me improve. I met fellow students from all walks of life, and we learned from each other\u2019s experiences.”<\/p>\n

\u201cMy career progression in just a few years has been amazing<\/strong> \u2013 OU study equipped me for a successful career, I\u2019d recommend it to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After deciding to hang up his boots and leave professional football behind James, 28, found himself chasing new goals off the pitch. Now Financial Controller for a hospitality chain, James shares how Open University (OU) study fast-tracked his career and helped him develop the skills he needed to get-ahead in business. At 21 years old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":24650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1525,1643,2142],"class_list":["post-24641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-news","tag-student-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}