Work skills
Enhance your work skills without committing to full-time study.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
My career goal: Legal, finance and accounting
If you want to utilise your ability to handle complex situations with moving parts - whether that's balancing the books or assessing the letter of the law - you can hear from professionals in the field and determine your next steps on this page.
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
My career goal: Engineering
In this multi-disciplinary industry, you'll need a diverse range of technical and critical thinking skills to take on complex tasks. Here's some advice to help you get started with building tomorrow's world.
article icon
Money & Business
My career goal: Business and administrative
Do you have business acumen just waiting to be tapped? Find resources below to develop your communication and strategic skills, maybe even an apprenticeship to begin your career in business.
article icon
Nature & Environment
My career goal: Environment
Interested in veterinary or agricultural work, or more industrial work like food farming and sustainable energy? Find out how you can gather skills and carry out work that will have a real impact on our relationship with the environment.
article icon
Money & Business
My career goal: Marketing
Can your insight and influencing skills be used to build brand expertise and effectively engage consumers? This page's resources will help you to plan your own career strategy.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Capacity and demand management
This free course, Capacity and demand management, is part of the series focusing on leadership, decision-making and communication in the context of policing within the community. This course focuses on the use of data to make decisions, using actions taken in managing capacity and demand as the applied example. The course uses examples not ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Succeed with maths: part 1
If you feel that maths is a mystery that you want to unravel then this free course is for you. It will guide you through how numbers are put together, give you confidence with using percentages, fractions and negative numbers and provide you with problem solving skills for your everyday life and the wider world.
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Applying to study for a PhD in psychology
This free OpenLearn course is for psychology students and graduates who are interested in PhD study at some future point. Even if you have met PhD students and heard about their projects, it is likely that you have only a vague idea of what PhD study entails. This course is intended to give you more information.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Education & Development
Succeed in the workplace
Do you want to change jobs, are you just starting in the job market or may be returning after a break? If so, then this free course, Succeed in the workplace, is for you. It will help you explore career opportunities. You will also gain the skills to write strong CVs and application forms, and to handle different types of interviews. By the end ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Astronomy with an online telescope
This free course shows you how to navigate the night sky, and introduces the wide variety of objects it contains. You will develop a hands-on understanding of telescopic observations using the Open University’s own robotic telescope facility COAST sited on the island of Tenerife. Supported by your own measurements we illustrate how stars...
article icon
Education & Development
How to write a CV
A CV (curriculum vitae) is a brief account of your education, qualifications, skills and work-based experience, used mainly when applying for a job. Your CV is your first opportunity to tell an employer what you can do. A well written CV can make the difference between getting an interview and not being considered for the role.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Money & Business
Using data to aid organisational change
This free course explores how to use data to inform a change you would like to make within your business or organisational context. It looks at the type of evidence you can gather to inform your proposed change, and how to evaluate data with a view to using it as part of this transformation. Specifically, you will learn about internal and ...
Find the right course for you
At The Open University, we're pioneers of flexible learning that's respected by employers and affordable for you. That's why more than 170,000 students are studying with us right now.
Whatever subject you want to study, and whatever qualification you want, we've got the right course for you.
Create your free OpenLearn profile
Anyone can learn for free on OpenLearn, but signing-up will give you access to your personal learning profile and record of achievements that you earn while you study.