Engineering graduate Alastair, 41, was in a stable career, but yearned to shake things up professionally. Alastair shares how Open University study opened the door to an exciting new career with amazing prospects for the future.
Making it happen
After several years in the police force, Alastair found himself struggling to find fulfilment in his role.
“I loved my time in the police force, but progression led to positions that were heavy on management duties,” Alastair says. “I realised that I was doing less of the stuff I enjoyed and mainly dealing with people issues.”
With career change on his mind, Alastair was searching for inspiration to discover a new path, whilst needing to maintain his income.
“I was conscious of not jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. I wanted to make sure that if I took this massive step, I’d find a career I would enjoy in the long term,” Alastair remembers. “I read a book called What Colour Is Your Parachute, which I’d recommend to anyone thinking about changing their job – it really helped me understand what I wanted and importantly, what I didn’t want!.”
Learning while earning
Following lots of research and deliberation, Alastair settled on Engineering as his chosen path.
“I realised that I wanted a specialist technical role and when I looked more into Engineering, it excited me,” Alastair explains. “I still had to pay the bills of course, so I looked for part-time courses and that’s when I found the OU. I loved that you could study in your own time from home, it wouldn’t have been manageable for me to carry on working and then travel to lectures.”
Deciding to take the plunge and enrol for his first Engineering module, Alastair remained in the police service while he studied.
“It was a leap of faith, but it didn’t feel too risky because with the OU, you can sign up for one module at a time,” says Alastair. “If I didn’t like it, I could have reconsidered my options and chosen another subject. Luckily that wasn’t the case – I loved every module and completed my degree at the end of 2022.”
Looking back on the challenge of making a career change while holding down a full-time job, Alastair shares what worked for him.
“I went to a campus university after I left school and I found the OU way of learning absolutely brilliant in comparison,” says Alastair. “The course materials are top quality and ratified by several experts. When I did my previous degree, I was relying on the perspective of one lecturer and then my own scribbled lecture notes. With the OU, you can go back and review the content at your own pace.”
Alastair adds, “I would say to anyone thinking about OU study – go for it, as long as you’re disciplined. You’ll have loads of support from the OU and more flexibility than you’ll find anywhere else, but you need to be self-motivated and know what you’re trying to achieve.”
Reaching the goal
In the final year of his degree, Alastair landed a graduate opportunity with BAE as a Submarine Systems Engineer.
“Getting into Engineering was definitely the right thing for me. I love the technical nature of the work, I get to travel and there are opportunities for career progression,” Alastair reflects. “I’m working with communications systems for submarines, so it’s been a steep learning curve, but I’m taking on more and more with each stage of my development. Changing my profession has been like a breath of fresh air – OU study made it possible.”
Keen to share his experience, Alastair has this advice for anyone looking to switch their career path:
“Take the time to find out what you want to do – look at what you’re good at, transferable skills and the reasons you want to move away from what you’re doing now.”
“Commit to the plan – once you’ve decided what you’re going to study, put in the effort you need to succeed. Others can help, but only you can make it happen.”
“Use support networks – I used forums, went to tutorials and spoke to fellow students who understood what I was going through.”
“Be professional – update your CV and LinkedIn profile, make the most of any voluntary development opportunities that come your way.”
