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Discover your future at CareersFest 2024; four weeks of employer connections, insights and careers skills workshops, Tuesday to Thursday every week throughout November.

Click on the links below to book your place on each of the sessions you're interested in.

You can also view on demand the recordings from CareersFest 2024 Week 1: Confidence zone and Careersfest Week 2: Skills zone, with listings for the sessions found at the bottom of this page.

Job search week

Skills: commercial/sector awareness, initiative, digital and information literacy.

Before week 3: Understand your local Labour Market Information, learn how to find Jobs and work experience, and read our guidance on CVs, applications, and interviews.

Tuesday 19 Nov
Wednesday 20 Nov
Thursday 21 Nov

Career change week

Skills/strengths: commercial/sector awareness, self-awareness, problem solving, initiative, global citizenship, digital and information literacy and communication.

Before week 4: Listen to our career change webinar and podcast, or learn how to Choose a career that suits you and Plan your career.

Tuesday 26 Nov
Wednesday 27 Nov
Thursday 28 Nov


Session listings from previous weeks:

Week 1 - Confidence zone

Skills: self-awareness, initiative, self-management and resilience.

Before week 1: Build your career confidence with our Confidence webpages and podcast and our webinar on Mental health and your career.

Tuesday 5 Nov
    Department of Work and Pensions Scotland (DWP) and Civil Service showcase
    Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) showcase
    Shout (mental health) showcase
Wednesday 6 Nov
    National Highways showcase
    Cabinet Office Fast Stream showcase
    Panel: Career transitions: success stories and lessons learnt with OU alumni
    Moore Kingston Smith (accountants) showcase
    Workshop: Navigating roadblocks skills session
Thursday 7 Nov
    Hymans Robertson (financial services) showcase
    Panel: Organisations for change showcase 1  (Action Tutoring, Borders Community Action, Depaul, English Heritage, Marine Conservation Society)
    Frontline (children social work) showcase
    FinTrU (financial services/ technology) showcase


Week 2 - Skills zone

Skills: self-awareness, communication, digital and information literacy.

Before week 2: Discover the valuable skills you already have with our Skills Audit activity, check What's inside your transferable skills suitcase, and read how other students have applied skills developed through OU study.

Tuesday 12 Nov
    Panel: Organisations for change showcase 2 10:00-11:00 (Bright Futures UK, English Heritage, Final Straw Foundation, Skills & Volunteering Cymru, Spinal Injuries Association, Whizz-Kidz)
    Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme showcase
    DS Smith (sustainable manufacturing) showcase
Wednesday 13 Nov
    Computacenter (technology and services provider) showcase
    Womble Bond Dickinson (law firm) showcase
    Panel: AI and Recruitment, Friend or Foe?
    Danone UKIRL (food and drink, health, nutrition) showcase
    Workshop: Make the most of your experience skills session
Thursday 14 Nov
    Scottish Government showcase
    First Derivative (data and technology for finance) showcase
    Energus (nuclear industry graduate training) showcase
    Clifford Chance (law firm) showcase


Before CareersFest

Get the best from CareersFest by thinking about which events you want to attend and what questions you want answers to. First, work out where you are in your career with our 3-minute check-in and get on the right track with our 'Navigate Your Future' employability activity pathway, which can help you work out your next steps.

Track the skills you've developed through your OU study using the FutureYOU personal development planner on your Study Home site (or use the Open qualification version if you can't find it for your subject).

Finally, join our two live skills sessions the week before CareersFest:

After CareersFest

Take a look at some of the other resources from your OU Careers and Employability Services: