Recognise your skills and demonstrate what you have to offer Build your future with career confidence
It can be difficult to recognise and identify your own skills and qualities. Most people are not used to singing their own praises and you may be unfairly hard on yourself. But going through this process will boost your confidence, as you may find skills you take for granted, or don’t even think of as skills, are highly valued.
Try an employability skills audit to identify your skills and how these transfer into the workplace. There are further activities in the Career Planning Guide's Section 1: Know yourself (PDF 28KB) to help you recognise your skills and reflect on your strengths and achievements. Also try asking others what they see are your strengths and what you do well at, and look back at the mind map in Find support for your career and make connections.
OU students have told us how their study has helped them feel more confident in recognising their skills, from the time-management and organisation skills they’ve developed and realising how motivated they are, to the personal or study-related challenges they've overcome. What would you say about your development since starting your studies?
If you would like further support with these activities, we can help you to look at your skills and qualities in a one to one consultation by email, phone or video.
Deciding on a path that’s right for you
Working out what’s right for you might not feel straightforward and you may find it challenging to listen to your own voice. Understanding yourself, your motivations, interests and strengths are important first steps in the career planning process.
Set some time aside to work through the activities on our Choosing a career that suits you page, which provides information and activities to help you consider what you want from a career and respect what matters to you.
If you’re not thinking about a career but still want to build on your OU study or develop yourself, then further study or finding voluntary opportunities might be right for you.
My OU studies have hugely enhanced my chances of getting the kind of job I want. The Open University has opened many doors for me and made me believe that anything is possible. It makes you realise your potential and allows you to step out of your comfort zone and grow as a person. You are your only limit!
Amy, OU Health Sciences graduate
Confidence when applying for opportunities
OU students are highly regarded by employers for a unique combination of work and life experiences, and the motivation and determination of balancing studies with other responsibilities. Despite this, many students find the thought of applying for work, study, or volunteering opportunities a bit daunting. Here are three steps to feeling more confident when approaching applications.
The Open University built my confidence a lot and essentially gave me the skills that I need now. It also gave me a boost when I was previously applying for jobs. Open University degrees are world recognised. So any employment I’ve been in, the employers think it’s amazing.
Lea, OU graduate
Getting in the right mindset
How you feel about applying for an opportunity will affect how you approach writing a CV or application form, or how you come across in an interview. It’s normal to feel nervous, but there are some common feelings and thoughts that can negatively affect how you present yourself.
Here are some examples of what students have mentioned when applying for opportunities. Do you recognise any of these? Are there any others that come to mind for you?
- “I’ve never worked/had a ‘proper’ job, so I’m not sure an employer would be interested in me”
- “I think I might be too old”
- “Will an employer want someone with a disability/health condition?”
- “It’s been a long time since I applied for a job, so I feel a bit overwhelmed”
- “I have too many gaps in my CV”
- “I’ve applied for lots of things and not had any success”
Below is a list of ways to tackle, or “reframe” these thoughts and feelings. Give each one a score out of 10, for how likely you are to use the technique. Make a note of any other reframing techniques that you know work for you.
| Questions to help you reframe these views | Score out of 10 |
|---|---|
| What is this based on: Is it a feeling, a fact, personal experience, someone else's opinion? | |
| Even if it’s a fact or your own experience, it is always true 100% of the time? | |
| How could you turn it into a positive statement? For example, rather than saying you’ve never had a “proper” job, list all the experiences and skills you have gained up to this point, from casual or part-time work, study, volunteering, community activities and life experiences. | |
| What would you say to a friend who expressed this thought? | |
| If you’ve done any of the activities in the previous sections, what have you learned about yourself from doing this that is positive and motivating? | |
| Would more information help? Or would it be beneficial to ask for some advice? Make a list of what would help you in the recruitment process. Look at the ‘Getting the help you need section’ further down the page. |
Getting organised
The planning and organisational skills you’ve gained from OU study will also come in useful when applying for opportunities. The below points show how the same approach you take to do a TMA can be applied to doing an application for a job, course or voluntary opportunity:
Understand the question
What is the application form or interview question asking you to do? Why do you need a CV and who will be reading it?
Gather your materials
This could involve researching the job role and the organisation or doing some of the activities from the Career Planning Guide's Section 4: Getting the job (PDF 28KB) to identify the relevant skills and experience that you have.
Draft, edit and check your answer
Check that there are no spelling or grammar errors and make sure you have covered all of the content you need to. Ensure you provide enough examples and details on an application form or in an interview. Further down the page, we have listed some of our resources that will help you with this.
Learn from feedback
It’s a good idea to ask for feedback from employers, admissions or course tutors and volunteering organisations. Careers and Employability Services can also provide feedback via our online CV and interview tools, and as part of a one-to-one appointment.
Getting the help you need
There are lots of online tools, resources and personalised support on offer from Careers and Employability Services to help you feel confident in the recruitment process. Attend live CV and interview workshops and use the interactive CV and interview tools to help you prepare and succeed. Look at the Career Planning Guide's Section 5: Equality and diversity issues (PDF 28KB) for advice related to factors such as age, disability or a criminal record. Or book a careers consultation to get individual support via email, telephone or video.
