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CAREERS EXPRESS
Your one-stop shop for careers news,
opportunities and events.
February 2021
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Careers Express,
especially to all the new students who started
studying this February. This issue contains our
Careers Essentials guide to help you take the
first steps to achieving your goals and we’ll give
you updates each month in Careers Express.
We aim to help your potential, whatever your
background, culture, abilities or disabilities,
through a wide range of services.
With the UK nations in lockdown, we’re all
pulling together to control the virus. Whether you are staying home or working in essential services,
we send our thanks. We are also aware that unemployment is the reality for some of you and want
you to know that we can support you in finding work. Read our page Redundancy – your next steps
and get in touch with us for personalised support.
To help you prepare to maximise your prospects in this changing employment landscape, read our
new article Navigate your future with Labour Market Intelligence (LMI). You’ll also find LMI in our
Employer Opportunities section, along with current vacancies. And as we celebrate LGBT+ History
Month, why not take a look at our careers webinars with Stonewall and The Ally Network.
We hope you find this edition useful. Remember that we’re here to help you; whether you are
planning your future, related study choices or job hunting. You are entitled to our support throughout
your studies and three years afterwards.
Ellen
Head of Careers and Employability Services at The Open University
CONTENTS
Welcome .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Contents........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Top 3 Careers essentials for freshers ................................................................................................................ 2
Upcoming events .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Tell us about your interview experiences ........................................................................................................... 3
Navigate your future with Labour Market Intelligence (LMI)................................................................................. 4
Employment opportunities ................................................................................................................................. 4
£1000 freelancer grants – apply by 31 March..................................................................................................... 8
AllAboutLaw - diversity ...................................................................................................................................... 8
External events ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Careers and Employability Services .................................................................................................................. 8
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 1 of 9
TOP 3 CAREERS ESSENTIALS FOR FRESHERS
Welcome to all new and existing students. Getting ready to start or return to university study can be
daunting but extremely exciting. Careers and Employability Services is here to help you become
confident about your career goals and ambitions – right from the start of your studies through to three
years after you qualify. For new students there’s a lot of information to take in, but it’s never too early
to start thinking about your future. Here are 3 essential ways to help you find your feet and get better
acquainted with the OU careers team.
Find us on the Help Centre
The best place to start in finding out how we can help you plan and build your future is the Help Centre
on StudentHome. Get to know more about yourself and where you’d like to go with Your Career
Planning Guide, find online interactive tools to help with the job recruitment process with Abintegro,
and find out more about how we’re currently supporting you through the pandemic.
Explore OpportunityHub
OpportunityHub is your OU-exclusive platform to search hundreds of opportunities, follow employers,
book your place on OU events and one-to-one careers appointments. Sign in using your OU Microsoft
Office365 account, which you can also use to get student discounts and free access to the Microsoft
Office suite. Instructions are provided if you haven’t signed in before.
Join the conversation
Come and say hello to fellow OU students, share your stories and find out what others are doing to
achieve their goals in the Careers Café. You might be feeling unsure about your plans or anxious
about expressing them but it’s likely others feel the same. Talking through your goals could really help
shape up your plans and turn them into reality. Start by introducing yourself in the What do you want
to talk about? thread. We’ve also got tips to kick start your career development in 2021. Grab a cup of
coffee and your favourite snack and join that casual conversation that could change your life.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Using OpportunityHub events
Book on to our live online workshops, find links to
all our recorded resources and keep track of
upcoming employer events on the OpportunityHub
events page. When you book on an event, you’ll
get a confirmation email straight away and a
reminder email two days before. You’ll also get
logged as attended after the event. Find out more about booking an event on OpportunityHub. If
you’ve not used OpportunityHub before, check how to sign in. You’ll need to confirm your preferences
the first time you sign in then you’re all set.
Covering letters and emails: Perfecting
your one-page pitch – 18 February 14:00-
15:00
There are still a few places left on our ‘Perfecting your one-page
pitch’ workshop. Join OU Careers Consultants Jackie and Marie
to discover how to you make yourself stand out from the crowd
and get employers to shortlist you. Whether you’re unfamiliar
with covering letters, or you want to brush up your approach, then join us for this session. You’ve got
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 2 of 9
this covered. Numbers are limited to give you the best experience but there will be other workshops
throughout the year. Keep an eye on the OpportunityHub events page.
Education, society and people - careers
that make a difference – 10-18 March
*Save the date*
Do you want a career that makes a difference to peoples’
lives? Are you interested in education and teaching or working
with individuals, families and communities? If people are at the
heart of your career motivation and you want to make a
difference in society but you’re not sure how to make this a
reality, then join our forum event 10-18 March to explore the
possibilities and take a step closer towards your goals. Look out for further details on OpportunityHub
events and in your March Careers Express.
Wales PGCE open days – 8 and 23
February
Based in Wales and thinking of becoming a teacher?
The OU in Wales now offers flexible, new routes into
teaching in Wales. You can choose either a part-time or
salaried route – both combine expert distance learning
with practical experience in schools. On either path,
you can study your PGCE at Primary school level, or
Secondary level in Science, Maths, Welsh, or English. On the part-time route, you can now also study
Secondary level English with Drama or Media Studies. Want to find out more? Join one of our online
open days this month to hear from our team and ask your questions in a live Q&A:
Monday 8 February, 7pm-8:30pm: OU in Wales PGCE Online Open Day
Tuesday 23 February: 6pm-8pm: Changing your Career to Teaching
Carving a career in law in Northern
Ireland – 24 February 18:00-19:30
The Open University is inviting OU Law students and
graduates in Northern Ireland to an exclusive online panel
event featuring the Institute of Professional Legal Studies,
OU alumni, career consultants and more. Don’t miss out
on this exclusive and unique opportunity - book your place
‘Carving a career in law in Northern Ireland’ now.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEW EXPERIENCES
Have you recently been through an interview/assessment process for
a new job?
We want to hear your experience so we can get a deeper
understanding of current recruitment practices to support you more
effectively. What format did your interview/assessment take? Were
there any surprises? What have been the main differences with
remote recruitment?
Please fill in this quick questionnaire to tell us about your experiences.
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 3 of 9
NAVIGATE YOUR FUTURE WITH LABOUR MARKET
INTELLIGENCE (LMI)
Many of you have been telling us that you’re feeling uncertain about
the jobs market and recruitment, between Brexit and Covid-19. It’s
easy to see why. By understanding how and why the jobs market is
changing and where the opportunities are, you can increase your
confidence and even build an understanding that may help you
impress employers during the recruitment process.
That’s why we’ve written Navigate your future with LMI to introduce
you to LMI (Labour Market Information); what it means, where you can
find it, and how you can use it. A good place to start is Emma’s update
below.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Emma’s update from employers
Hi, I’m Emma. I manage the Employer Engagement team in Careers and
Employability Services. Every month, I’ll be letting you know the latest
news and trends from the labour market.
Our economy is continuing to recover very slowly. However, the strict
lockdowns across the UK will undoubtedly mean more hardships,
especially for the self-employed, small businesses and the hospitality and
arts sectors. If your career is affected by the pandemic, you may want to
read our Coronavirus statement, which contains useful links for job
seeking, redundancy, career planning and more.
It is worth remembering that many graduate roles have not been affected as significantly. The
pandemic has also resulted in the growth of remote-working positions, which are a great match for the
OU students and the skills you gain through distance learning.
In this issue of Careers Express you’ll find our new article on how to find your own LMI and you can
take part in our own survey about interview practices.
Below you’ll find a range of current vacancies which will give you an idea of what’s available in the job
market. Reviewing these is a good opportunity to think about your transferable skills and perhaps
consider things you might not have done before.
I’ll see you in next month’s edition.
Emma
Senior Employer Engagement Manager
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 4 of 9
Internships and placements
One-Year Internship Opportunities, Oracle
Location: Reading, Cambridge, London | Deadline: Not specified | Start date: July 2021
With opportunities available in Operations, Software Engineering, Business Analysis, Women’s
Leadership and more, Oracle is searching for candidates with a genuine passion for business and
technology to join the one-year internship programme.
Change and Business Solutions - Internship Programme, NatWest Group
Location: Edinburgh, Manchester | Deadline: 28 February 2021 | Start date: Summer 2021
To be eligible for NatWest’s Change and Business Solutions internship, you’ll need to be
in your penultimate year of university and be on course to achieving a 2:1 in your degree.
Over the course of this eight-week summer internship, you’ll get a taste of what it’s like to
work at NatWest, along with valuable experience to help guide your career choices.
NHS Finance Undergraduate Work Placements, NHS Health Education England
Location: East of England | Deadline: Thursday 11 February | Start Date: Summer 2021
Have you ever wondered how much an operation costs, how the NHS finds the money to build a new
hospital, why there are waiting lists or how much it costs to keep an ambulance on the road? If your
answer is yes, then an undergraduate work placement within the NHS Finance Function may be a
great opportunity for you.
Technology Professional 11-Month Placement, BT
Location: Belfast, Birmingham or Ipswich | Deadline: 28 February 2021 | Start Date: September 2021
You must be in the penultimate year of your degree course, on track to achieve a
2.1 degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths subject. BT will help
you build a broad skill set, meaning you’ll get to experience lots of different
aspects of BT’s technology lifecycle. This could include designing, developing,
testing and operating our systems, used to deliver vital services to our customers – which could be
anyone from FTSE 100 giants to individuals at home.
IT 1-Year Placement, Etain
Location: Belfast | Deadline: 12 February 2021 | Start Date: June 2021
Etain Limited is a privately-owned software development house based in Belfast. Etain is offering a
number of Student Placement opportunities to work in its Software Development Teams. Many Etain
placement students have contributed so valuably to its work and have developed their skills so rapidly
that they have been offered and have accepted offers of employment after graduation.
Virtual Experience Programme, Linklaters
Location: Home Based | Deadline: 28 February 2021 | Start Date: Immediate
This is not a job opportunity, but a free, 5-6-hour self-paced programme designed to
share an insight on what it's like to work at Linklaters. You will gain practical skills
and experience by working through tasks. The programme is open to all students,
from a law or non-law background.
Graduate schemes
Covid Scientists - Calling Science Graduates, Randox, Multiple Roles Available
Location: Antrim | Deadline: 11 February 2021 | Start Date: As soon as possible
Randox Laboratories is seeking applications from candidates to join its testing labs.
These positions would be trained in one of the key areas of Randox’s COVID Labs.
These include Extraction and PCR. Full training is provided so it is not essential to have
previous experience in any of these areas. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands
on lab experience while contributing to the fight against COVID-19.
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 5 of 9
Featured roles
Software Engineer (Web Application Developer), Diamond Light Source
Location: Didcot | Deadline: 21 February 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
Diamond is looking for someone to join its Information Management Team as part of an international
research collaboration. This role offers a 3-year fixed term contract, providing an ideal opportunity for
you to grow and develop with a world leading science facility, or utilise the skills and experience you
already have in this rewarding role.
Laboratory Support Technician, NHS Test and Trace
Location: Royal Leamington Spa | Deadline: 18 February 2021 | Start Date: March 2021
NHS Test and Trace is currently searching for a team of Laboratory Support
Technicians to support the processing of testing samples, from receipt through to
sample processing and storage. No previous experience is required, and full training
is provided.
Maintenance Operative, Aggregate
Location: Selby | Deadline: 22 February 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
This is a varied role which requires a high level of efficiency, accuracy and flexibility. As a
Maintenance Operative, you will commit fully to delivering safety excellence and high engineering
standards. To find out more about roles at Aggregate, go to OpportunityHub.
Sessional Youth Workers, Groundwork
Location: East of England | Deadline: 31 March 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
Groundwork East seeks enthusiastic youth workers and those interested in pursuing a
career in youth work for flexible evening work.
Employment and Discrimination Project Lead, Citizens Advice Network
Location: Flintshire, Wales | Deadline: 23 February 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
This role will include day-to-day line management of project trainees or caseworkers, regular
reporting, management of outreach locations, achieving project targets and quality assurance.
Fundraising & Communications Manager, British Horseracing Authority
Location: Home based, UK | Deadline: 18 February 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
Racing to School is a registered charity responsible for the development and delivery
of racing-related education programmes. They are seeking candidates with previous
experience ideally in a similar role and with an interest in horseracing, preferably
with some exposure to the industry and charitable sector.
Support Manager, Enterprise Supervisor, The Shaw Trust
Location: Various, UK | Deadline: Various | Start Date: Not specified
Shaw Trust is a charity in the UK which helps disabled and disadvantaged people into employment
and independent living.
Penguin Random House - Freelance Opportunit y: Audiobook Proof Listeners
Location: Home based, UK | Deadline: 28 February 2021 | Start Date: Not specified
Penguin Studios is expanding its self-employed Freelance Proofing Pool and looking for
avid listeners to assist in audiobook production. As a proofer, you would be working with
sound editors and producers to fully assess audiobooks.
Graduate Investment Operations Administrator, AJ Bell
Location: Manchester | Deadline: 26 February 2021 | Start Date: ASAP/Ongoing
AJ Bell is recruiting several staff to join its investment operations teams, where you will play a key role
in providing AJ Bell’s award-winning service to its customers. For hard working individuals, there are
excellent career development and progression opportunities available.
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 6 of 9
The Scientist Training Programme (STP), NHS Health Education England
Location: Various Locations | Deadline: 22 February 2021| Start Date: Summer - Autumn 2021
The Scientist Training Programme (STP) is a three-year programme of work-based learning,
supported by a University accredited master’s degree.
Room Leader, Kids Play Childcare
Location: Wolverton | Deadline: Not specified | Start Date: Not specified
You will support the room in providing an attractive stimulating range of
equipment, activities and displays relevant to the age and needs of the
children in the setting, which encourage independence, self-motivation and
eagerness to learn.
STEM Associate, PwC, Multiple Roles Available
Location: Belfast | Deadline: 28 February 2021 | Start Date: Ongoing not specified
PwC is looking for a number of candidates from a diverse range of
backgrounds to strengthen its existing team of client associates. PwC
welcomes graduates with a 2:2 or above from STEM degree subjects, keen to
build a career in financial services. This is a challenging but rewarding role,
directly influencing team members to achieve PwC strategic growth ambitions.
PwC will provide the necessary skills, experience and training to help you
develop both personally and professionally.
Data Management Consultant, Datactics
Location: Belfast | Deadline: Ongoing not specified | Start Date: Ongoing not specified
Gain experience alongside OU studies or as a graduate. Datactics provides data quality and matching
software to a growing number of international banks and to Government departments. If you’ve got
the passion and strong mathematical and analytical skills, Datactics will teach you all you need to
become a data scientist. If you have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a discipline such as
Computing & IT, Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Science, Economics, you will find this helps
strengthen your application.
Volunteering roles
Childline Volunteer, NSPCC
Location: Various, UK | Deadline: Various | Start Date: Not specified
As a Childline Volunteer you’ll be there for young people. You are asked to commit to a
regular shift of up to 4 hours each week at one of their 12 Childline bases across the
UK.
Volunteer, Alzheimer's Research UK
Location: Home Based, UK | Deadline: Various | Start Date: Not specified
As a Community Speaker, you’ll be playing a huge part in helping increase public understanding,
breaking down the stigma of dementia.
Volunteer, GlamSci
Location: Home Based, UK | Deadline: Various | Start Date: Not specified
Helping to take STEM out of the classroom scenario, GlamSci can offer a range of
roles to suit all skill sets.
Discover EY 3 Day Insight Programme, EY
Location: Belfast | Deadline: 26 February 2021 | Start Date: 8 June 2021
Open to level 1 or 2 students studying any degree discipline. Over the course of the programme you
will take part in seminars that will help you understand EY’s service lines and client work, interactive
employability workshops with its Talent Team and networking sessions with EY staff and recent
graduates. If you make a positive impact, we'll fast-track you to the final assessment stages of one of
our Belfast undergraduate programmes.
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 7 of 9
Office for National Statistics opportunity
Census officer, Office for National Statistics
Location: Various Locations | Deadline: Friday 19 February 2021| Start Date:
March 2021
As the friendly face of the census, it’s important that you’re able to approach
people from all walks of life. You will enjoy being part of a close-knit and
supportive team, plus you will be smartphone savvy and flexible about your
working hours. You’re also comfortable with working by yourself, resilient, and
have reliable access to transport.
Under 25 and based in Wales? Go Wales could
give you the experience to make you stand out
Employers put work experience at the top of their wish list when they recruit
graduates. If you’re under 25, based in Wales and studying 60 credits or more,
Go Wales may be able help you find work experience that will help you stand
out from the crowd. See how Go Wales helped OU student Candace in this
YouTube video.
Check if you’re eligible by registering your interest on the Go Wales website or by emailing The Open
University’s Go Wales team at gowales@open.ac.uk.
£1000 FREELANCER GRANTS – APPLY BY 31 MARCH
Are you a UK-based freelancer registered as self-employed with HMRC and an
OU student or recent graduate (no more than 3 years ago)? If you can provide
services and content to a small or medium-sized enterprise and you meet the
eligibility criteria, you can find out more and apply here for one of 250
Santander Survive and Revive £1,000 grants to fund the project (Terms and
Conditions apply). Applications open 5 February and close 31 March.
ALLABOUTLAW - DIVERSITY
AllAboutLaw Diversity is a diversity programme for students from underrepresented
communities interested in Law. The course is free and starts in February 2021, lasting 5 weeks.
These are the programmes on offer are:
• Black Heritage
• Asian and Minority Ethnic Heritage
• LGBTQ+
• Social mobility indicators
• Disabled
Each programme has different speakers from a range of legal backgrounds. Apply or find out more
about each programme on the AllAboutLaw website.
EXTERNAL EVENTS
Employers host online and in-person events all year long that contain useful insights into the
recruitment processes as well as their individual sectors and companies. Check out our regularly
updated list of external careers events on OpportunityHub. Events in February include:
• Pinsent Masons Belfast Training Contract Law Insight Event | Online | 10 February 2021
• Indeed - how to grow your role at your current company | Online | 10 February 2021
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 8 of 9
• Teach First: the importance of LGBT-inclusive education | Online | 11 February 2021
• Now Teach webinar | Online | 11 February 2021
• Explore Sky: What is DevOps? Digital Insight Day | Online | 11 February 2021
• Decode a Tech Career - FDM | Online | 11 February 2021
• Discover Thames Water - TargetJobs | Online | 11 February 2021
• NatWest 2021 Virtual Female Festival | Online | 12 February 2021
• Day in the Life of an Internal Audit Intern at NatWest Group in Belfast | Online | 17 February
2021
• Skills that employers seek in 2021 - TargetJobs | Online | 18 February 2021
• Teach First and Bloomberg: Why STEM matters | Online | 18 February 2021
• ICAS: Become a Chartered Accountant Careers Fair | Online | 23 February 2021
• Live careers Q&A with JMC Legal - Law Society | Online | 23 February 2021
• Introduction to Teach First for professionals and career changers | Online | 24 February 2021
• Teach First: Male representation in the classroom | Online | 25 February 2021
• IT's not just for the boys - TargetJobs | Online | 26 February 2021
• All Wales Virtual Fair – TargetJobs | Online | 1 March 2021
CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY SERVICES
Wherever you are in your OU student journey and whatever your background, the OU Careers and
Employability Services can help you to realise your unique potential – even while the team is working
from home. During your study and for three years after, you have access to a wide range of useful
online tools and resources on our website; downloadable publications including Your Career Planning
Guide; live and recorded webinars and forums; one-to-one guidance from experienced careers
professionals; exclusive employer events and your online careers platform OpportunityHub for the
latest jobs, graduate schemes, internships and other opportunities. Don’t miss a thing by following us
on Facebook and Twitter.
Careers and Employability Services at our conference in 2019
Careers Express | Careers and Employability Services | February 2021 | Page 9 of 9
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