{"id":25914,"date":"2024-10-22T16:40:07","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T15:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=25914"},"modified":"2024-10-22T16:40:07","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T15:40:07","slug":"ou-study-unlocked-the-career-id-always-wanted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/ou-study-unlocked-the-career-id-always-wanted\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018OU study unlocked the career I’d always wanted\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many years Emilie, 47, put her professional aspirations aside, working hard to pay the bills and be present as a mum. It wasn\u2019t until her son completed his degree that Emilie decided it was her turn to shine, embarking on an Open University (OU) degree that would unlock the career she dreamed of.<\/p>\n

Now working as a laboratory scientist, BSc Chemistry student<\/a> Emilie shares how, with the support of the OU, it\u2019s never too late to switch career path.<\/p>\n

A varied career<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With plenty of work experience under her belt, Emilie was always confident adapting to new work environments, but not completing a degree when she was younger played on her mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had several different jobs over the years, from customer experience to training delivery and even being self-employed, but not sticking with university the first time around still sat with me,\u201d Emilie explains. \u201cI always felt something was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many parents, Emilie\u2019s work decisions were driven by the needs of her son and household finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I wouldn\u2019t change any of that. I\u2019ve got an amazing son and I\u2019m so proud of everything he\u2019s achieved,\u201d says Emilie. \u201cBut when he graduated, I started to think – If he can do that, so can I!\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding your passion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Emilie discovered that, with the OU, she could study alongside work, she knew finding the right subject would keep her motivated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated by science and quickly realised that it was Chemistry that captivated me most,\u201d Emilie remembers. \u201cI love the practical side and found that carrying out experiments at home really brought the chemistry theory to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emilie found that over time, her love for learning helped supress initial feelings of self-doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that I\u2019d dropped out of university years ago niggled me, I didn\u2019t want it to happen again,\u201d Emilie reflects.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I progressed through modules, I was enjoying the learning so much that I started to believe in myself – studying became habitual and part of my daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support every step of the way<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite having been out of education for some time, Emilie found she was able to hit the ground running.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe OU helps you get up to speed with what it takes to succeed in higher education, it\u2019s a gradual process and the course materials are designed to build your knowledge in a manageable way,\u201d Emilie says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can break your learning down into short sessions of reading, then take a quiz and watch a video \u2013 it\u2019s very interactive and everything is really well explained.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always looking to get the most out of her studies, Emilie has leaned into the support on offer from her dedicated tutor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy tutor is fantastic, he goes to such lengths to support and encourage us, I feel so lucky to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlocking a new career path<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Setting out on her OU journey, Emilie\u2019s end goal was to use her degree to switch career.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it turns out, I didn\u2019t have to wait until the end of my degree,\u201d Emilie reveals. \u201cI spotted an opportunity, which I never would have been qualified for without four years of OU study behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working for a company that uses Cell and Gene Therapy to help find cures for specific conditions, Emilie is already working towards her exciting plans for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy long-term ambition is to use the knowledge and experience I\u2019m building in biotechnology to investigate environmental solutions. It\u2019s very exciting,\u201d Emilie shares.<\/p>\n

Keen to encourage others to reach their potential, Emilie has this advice:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be put off by the preconception that only younger people can switch career. Yes, OU study is a big commitment, but you\u2019ll have the support of your tutor and it\u2019s so easy to make friends with other students. I\u2019ve never felt lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emilie adds, \u201cI\u2019ve managed to start my new career already \u2013 why not see how far OU study can take you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by Emilie’s story?<\/h2>\n

Reach your career goals with the OU, without having to give up your day job. Register before 9 January<\/strong><\/a> for courses starting in February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many years Emilie, 47, put her professional aspirations aside, working hard to pay the bills and be present as a mum. It wasn\u2019t until her son completed his degree that Emilie decided it was her turn to shine, embarking on an Open University (OU) degree that would unlock the career she dreamed of. Now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,18],"tags":[861,1525,1640,2142],"class_list":["post-25914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-environment","category-student-stories","tag-faculty-of-stem","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home","tag-student-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25914","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=25914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}