As a result of enormous recent technological advances, we are now living in what’s known as the fourth industrial revolution – a period of digital transformation that’s affecting the way we live and radically disrupting the business sector.
Technology such as the Internet of Things (IOT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are becoming the norm across most modern organisations and influencing everything from manufacturing to communications and job roles. One area where these changes are prevalent is the marketing industry.
The field of marketing is highly varied and covers areas such as creativity and design, data analysis and interpretation, content creation and an understanding of human behaviour and psychology. The first areas impacted by AI were based on fundamental or repetitive tasks, such as data reporting. As AI evolved, so did its abilities to tackle complex challenges, especially those within the fields of creativity, predictive analysis and behaviour recognition.
AI has helped to automate many functions within marketing, freeing up valuable time and resources for creativity and strategy. AI’s ability to rapidly process large volumes of data, generate reports and provide insights into future trends and behaviours has enabled marketers to make better informed decisions and personalise content towards customers preferences.
Automated content and image creation are now becoming mainstream in marketing, social media, email and advertising campaigns. Websites and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are also benefiting from AI insights to help determine what content and search terms resonate best with potential customers.
The advancement of AI is rapid. Government laws and policies are rapidly changing to keep up to date with this pace of change. While it is clear AI provides enormous benefits to marketers, it is also clear that its higher end capabilities remain quite limited.
AI is based on machine learning and relies on historic data in its decision making. It is highly intelligent at making rapidly informed decisions but cannot take a holistic approach to its work or provide real-time insights. In essence, it cannot currently be truly creative.
Google, which ranks websites in search engines based on their ‘helpfulness’ to users, will eventually catch-up to AI-written content and then demand content be more unique, informative and personable to be ranked highly. Additionally, it is worth considering that sudden changes such as the disruption from COVID-19 could not have been predicted by AI and required the creative and objective decision making of humans to navigate.
AI has streamlined working practices, created new job opportunities and enhanced job capabilities. It is unlikely to replace roles but complement and evolve them. As technology advances, so must the skills and capabilities of marketers to meet this evolving landscape.
You can find out more about marketing, business activity and the changing environment with Oxford Open Learning’s flexible Business IGCSE or A-Level accredited distance learning courses. Get in touch to find out more.
No matter the person or the job, facing an interview can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. However, with the right preparation and mindset, you can excel and leave a lasting impression on the interviewers. In this blog post, we will provide you with valuable tips and strategies to help you ace your interviews. From researching the company to practicing your responses, these insights will empower you to confidently navigate the interview process and effectively communicate your qualifications and potential.
When applying, your cover letter and CV should have been heavily influenced by the research you’ve done on the company. That research is still useful. Before stepping into an interview, it’s crucial to understand the company and its values, mission, and culture. They’ll come up throughout. Consider the following:
• Company background: Familiarise yourself with the organisation’s history, major achievements, and recent news or developments. This knowledge will help you engage in meaningful conversations during the interview.
• Job description: Review the job description carefully to gain a clear understanding of the role’s requirements and responsibilities. Identify the key skills and qualifications the company is seeking in an ideal candidate.
• Company culture: Research the company’s culture and work environment. This will enable you to align your answers and demonstrate your compatibility with their values and ways of working.
Nothing screams ‘don’t employ me’ more than being unprepared. And employers will spot those that aren’t. Preparing for common interview questions and practicing your responses can significantly boost your confidence. Consider the following tips:
• Research common interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Prepare concise and well-structured responses that highlight your strengths, experiences, and achievements.
• Mock interviews: Practice with a friend or family member by conducting mock interviews. This will help you simulate the interview environment, improve your articulation, and receive constructive feedback.
Many interviews include behavioural questions that assess your past experiences and behaviours. A great way to stop yourself from rambling is to have some answers prepared. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and provide specific examples while also keeping your answers concise. It’s a very effective, tried and true method that’s been around for years by many other names.
• Situation: Where were you? Prepare specific examples from your academic, extracurricular, or work experiences that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments. Use these examples to support your answers and showcase your abilities.
• Task: What was the problem or the objective you were given and what was the success criteria?
• Action: What steps did you take to achieve the objective or solve the problem? Emphasise your transferable skills that are relevant to the position. Highlight your ability to adapt, problem-solve, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively.
• Result: What was the outcome? Did it succeed? If so quantify that success with numbers or percentages. This adds credibility and conveys the impact of your contributions. If it didn’t, discuss what you would do differently next time (sometimes a failure can work as an example too).
You don’t need to have an entire story, just answer those questions as clearly as you can and you’ll go some way to impressing your employer.
A positive attitude and genuine enthusiasm can leave a lasting impression on interviewers. And that can come across in the smallest of ways. Understand that it can be daunting and that you may well be nervous, but do your best to do the following and by the end of the interview you’ll be feeling great about your chances:
• Non-verbal cues: Maintain eye contact, use appropriate body language, and demonstrate active listening throughout the interview. These non-verbal cues reflect your engagement and interest.
• Ask thoughtful questions: Often one of the last things you’ll be asked is if you have any questions. It helps to prepare a few beforehand, such as what expectations will be put on you, what kind of progression is there. This demonstrates your interest, critical thinking and commitment about the company and the role.
Acing an interview requires thorough preparation and effective communication. By researching the company, practicing your responses, showcasing your skills and experiences, and demonstrating enthusiasm, you can leave a positive impression on interviewers and increase your chances of success. Remember to be yourself, stay confident, and actively listen during the interview. With all this in mind, you’ll be a top candidate for the job. And bear in mind that while it can be daunting sitting across from strangers, don’t be put off if they’re writing things down while you’re talking. They’re just taking notes!
Happy hunting and good luck!
There have been lots of lessons learned as the result of living through a global pandemic but, for many of us, the importance of being a lifelong learner has never been more apparent. Whether we have needed to get to grips with new technology in order to stay in touch with loved ones, embraced a new hobby in an attempt to battle the boredom or been forced to gain the expertise allowing us to make a shift in our career in order to survive, most of us have had to make a change and adapt to the situation we have found ourselves in. With this in mind, there has never been a better time to reflect upon what an effective learner looks like today and the ways we might be able to modify some of our beliefs or behaviours in order to become a better one.
Ultimately, what we are looking to achieve in our own lives is always going to be personal and unique. There is no one-size-fits-all route to a chosen career or towards a certain lifestyle. Therefore, any learning we need to do in order to achieve our goals must also be personal. By becoming more reflective we are able to identify what it is we need to learn in order to meet our aims and the steps we might have to take in order to do so. As the world opens up once more, take a moment to consider what you really want to achieve.
Many people believe that learning is all about finding out the answers in order to gain expertise. However, you can only ensure that you have all the answers if you are the person who has all the questions. By continually questioning the world around us – particularly as it shifts and changes – we can be certain that our knowledge and understanding is never out of date.
We are what we repeatedly do, and therefore our habits are key to our success. By identifying and putting into place routines that focus on the results we are looking to achieve, we can make progress.
Additionally, whether setting a schedule that clearly defines breaks from learning, or ensuring there is a balance of screen time and that spent outdoors, recognising ways to ensure that our hard work can be maintained over time will make sure our progress will be too.
It is useful to think of any learning as a process of change – of moving from one state to another -and any change requires us to step outside our comfort zones and take some risks. With this obviously comes the potential to fail. However, if we are able to accept these failures as part of the learning experience, rather than the end result, then the risks we are prepared to take can be greater and, in turn, so can the results. In a world of uncertainty, we must believe anything is possible.
Times are changing, and formal education is becoming just one part of helping you forge a great career and enhance professional development. Although in 2019/20, 2.46 million students were in higher education institutions, more options have opened, offering school-leavers alternatives to the traditional path. Technology giants such as Google now offer competitive apprenticeships, whilst Tesla offers year-long internships that allow students the opportunity to get ahead in the workplace whilst learning valuable skills. With these changes and the emphasis on emerging technologies, there are many more options for students to progress outside of academia now than ten years ago.
Whether you wish to stay in academia your entire life or see yourself pursuing an alternative path, it’s a good idea to start investing in yourself by learning digital skills that will future-proof your career at the same time whilst building your confidence and knowledge.
In 2020, the most in-demand job was that of a software engineer. Coding is quickly becoming one of the most valued skills in the workplace, yet there is a significant shortage of programmers. The truth is that knowing how to code can help you to do more than just become a programmer – coding is helpful in every career, from technical copywriting to marketing and game-development.
There’s also no shortage of ways to learn to code. For children, a free resource like Blockly uses a gamified approach to teach it. Older teenagers and adult learners might prefer to use an open online course provider such as Coursera to begin their coding journey. The programming language Python has quickly become one of the most essential programming languages to learn. In addition to being accessible, Python is responsible for powering everything from Netflix to Spotify!
No matter where you are in your life, learning to code is one of the fastest ways to future-proof your career.
For many of us, Zoom, Google Meets and Loom are no longer just for hanging out with friends, but are now the primary way we work and connect with others. Virtual-Instructor Led Training refers to education and business that takes place in a virtual environment. Whilst setting up a Zoom account and starting a meeting is relatively straightforward, if you want to future-proof your skills, it’s worth looking at other alternatives, including WebX and GoToMeeting. WebX has a powerful interface, with fantastic team-building features such as a virtual white-board, whilst GoToMeeting’s multi-national, toll-free services make it perfect for connecting globally with colleagues and clients.
Regardless of which form of VILT you go for, learning how to utilise all the features will be advantageous in the work-force. You might even go on to use VILT to run your own global business!
Soft skills don’t necessarily require academic expertise or technical knowledge – but you can use digital platforms to cultivate them. Soft skills are anything from project management to critical thinking and team-work. In addition to improving your career prospects, soft skills can also form a considerable part of your professional development. On platforms such as edX, you can learn soft skills ranging from leadership to conflict resolution – skills that will be invaluable for you in the workplace and beyond!
Want to make your learning even more collaborative? You could set up your own “Soft Skills” study group on one of the Virtual-Instructor Led Training platforms mentioned.
In this data-driven world, there are so many opportunities to grow your digital skillset. With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to change the way we study, work and play, now is the ideal time to ensure that you are future-ready.
At no time in history has the world focused more on striving for equality, of race, education, gender and class. With this in mind, we might think that social class would not be an issue when it comes to education and academic success.
While the lines of social class have become a little more blurred than they might have been 50 years ago, where now some upper working class people might become lawyers, pilots, doctors and accountants, there is still evidence that those from lower income, lower working class families may not have the opportunities to consider or pursue careers in traditionally middle class professions.
As we might expect, there is no evidence to suggest that people from working class backgrounds are any less likely to have the mental capacity to achieve the same grades and gain the same professional outcomes as those from higher classes. So if the capacity to achieve is the same, could it be the inclination to aspire is different?
If children from lower class backgrounds feel that they are destined to become builders, factory workers, other trade and blue collar professions, then perhaps that drive to do well at school, pass exams and achieve high grades might seem a waste of time if they are going to enter the professions in which they feel they might be destined?
I grew up on a Liverpool council estate in the 70’s and early 80’s, and at no time while at secondary school did a teacher or careers advisor tell me there was any option to go on to study at university. Instead there were very limited choices presented to me, and their expectations of me were quite mediocre. University just wasn’t something that was on the table for me or most of my peers, and we didn’t question it.
I looked upon those who went to university as ‘other’ people who had nothing to do with my life or surroundings. I saw most women working in part time jobs and bringing up children, while men went out to work as builders, labourers, factory workers and other manual jobs. Not that there was anything at all wrong with these jobs of course, but there seemed to be little scope to take a different route if desired. Looking back, it was strange that I didn’t question it, especially considering I was always extremely ambitious, and wanted more out of life than just to settle.
I was constantly given the same alternatives when I visited my careers advisor at school; it was either office work, hairdressing, shop work or something similar. And if I really pushed myself to achieve, I could work in a bank or even become a secretary. None of those options were appealing to me in any way. It was only years later that I opened my eyes to the possible opportunities that were out there, and discovered that even a girl who grew up on a Liverpool council estate could achieve them if she really wanted them and worked hard enough.
That was many years ago, so we might expect that today would be a different story. Of course, there are many more students going on to university now, and it does appear to be a valid option for many young people from different backgrounds. Yet statistically the north / south divide still shows that students from the south are more likely to achieve a grade higher than their northern peers.
GOV.UK released the Social Mobility Commission’s Annual Report 2020, which found that children from middle class backgrounds had an 80 percent better chance of achieving higher results in education and going on to work in a professional role than that of working class children.
So I would suggest this indicates that the class divide still has an impact on how children will achieve academically and therefore professionally, whether it be through educational resources and opportunities or through mindset. Perhaps with these things considered, then, there is still some way to go until we reach full class equality in education.
Legal topics, legal developments, case law… you name it, you’ve probably seen them around. But why would legal issues be useful and relevant to non-lawyers? Why is the law relevant to you?
Laws create a system where people can bring their disputes before an unbiased fact-finder, such as a judge or jury. There are also legal solutions where individuals work together to find a way to resolve problems, such as by using alternative methods of settlement. Courts at every level helps decide who should win in a dispute.
New legislation helps revolutionise how we go about our lives and our workplace. Take the example of employees working for a large factory. What could protect them if something goes wrong? Laws help protect the rights of employees and enforces the need for employers to undertake risk assessments within the workplace environment in order to mitigate potential risks. The important case of Edwards v National Coal Board (1949) introduced the idea of ‘reasonable practicability’. This means that employers must balance the time and expense necessary to implement safety measures against the possible effect of taking such measures. These types of laws and cases create meaningful change to the structures of society.
Laws help societies to function in an orderly manner. What would society be like without the rule of law? You would need to provide your own protection, as there would be no police force or military to protect your safety or other interests. People would fight against each other for basic necessities and rights without any way of keeping the peace. With the introduction of democratic law comes order and reliability. People can feel safe, leading to stronger social structure and enhanced productivity.
Laws contain moral guidelines on what actions are acceptable in society. For example, Aristotle argued that people needed the discipline of law to make sure they do the right thing, that they can appreciate what is right and wrong. Criminal law in particular helps make sure certain conducts are prohibited in society.
In sum, the law plays an essential role in society by enabling dispute resolution, creating a safer workplace for all, maintaining order and encouraging people to do the right thing. It will always always useful to increase your understanding of the subject!
“The times they are a changin,” said Bob Dylan, and if that was true in the 60s, then his head must be spinning now. The skills needed for the new world are hard to pin down, and quite frankly, no one truly knows what they are. We’ve got the old favourites that never change such as people skills, negotiation, organisation, but what new skills will you need to thrive in tomorrow’s economy?
So this might sound a little niche, but hear me out. There is a lot of noise in the world of economy, and it’s just getting louder. By noise, I mean the amount of people trying to shout about their goods, services, or ideas.
If you ever want to put goods, services or ideas of your own out there you will have to ask yourself how you can make your voice stand out in a busy market. My recommendation: learn how to do the basics of digital marketing. Want to be a small business person? Google My Business will be indispensable. Want to blog about your services? You’ll want to optimise those words for search engines. And then there’s your professional presence to “market” yourself on Linkedin, as well as other social networks. Don’t know what any of that means? Well, the good news is you can learn nearly all of it online – for free.
We’ve mentioned noise: it’s LOUD out there. We can think about each decibel of this noise as a bit of information competing for your attention and time; Is that website giving you the complete picture of the situation? Which ones are to be trusted? How can we filter out the nuggets of gold? Well, it comes through digital education, critical reading and evaluating the things you pay attention to.
Part of this process is the enormous and technical task of taking all the data available and organising it so that it can be understood. We need people who can handle these vast torrents of information and help us understand them. This could be data visualisation or other forms of simplification.
So that’s evaluation of data, but if we want to take it a step further we’ll need to do something with the golden information we have filtered. Synthesis means putting those ideas together in new and interesting ways. Perhaps this is the hardest information skill of them all, as it takes a true big-picture thinker to not get lost in the noise.
Because times are a changin’ at unprecedented speed, no one really knows what all the new and marvellous goods and services should look like, or how we should navigate them. This is the job of designers, be they digital, educational, commercial, or any of the many sub-skills in this area.
People don’t want to linger when making exchanges. They simply don’t have time. A customer experience is a good example. These are designed by User Experience Designers. Think about how seamlessly a purchase can be when done right and how painful when it’s not – it’s not down to chance. The best companies are investing huge amounts of money in people who walk a mile (or two) in your shoes and tell them how to make things easier for you. Next time you use a really great mobile app, think about the kind of logic that makes it so great.
So there you have it. Yes, they are all digitally orientated skills, but that’s because whatever you want to do, you’ll need to manage it through the internet at some point. The economy demands digital flexibility of businesses now, and hence employers demand it of you. Most jobs now need websites of some sort, and everyone needs to get reliable information about the world online. These skills don’t have to be jobs in themselves though; they are the way you can survive and prosper in an increasingly chaotic world of information.
Are you over 21 and thinking of studying a new subject at university? As a mature student or adult learner, you’ll be in good company; according to this briefing paper over one in three (36%) of all undergraduate entrants were mature students in 2018/19, a total of 237,000 people.
Figures from UCAS show that just over a half of mature students are aged between 21 and 24, 38 percent between 25 and 39, and 10 percent over 40 when they commence their courses. Yet numbers of mature students entering higher education are on a downward trajectory, according to the Office for Students. From 2010-11 to 2018-19 there was 52, 545 fewer students, a 22 per cent drop. This has been driven by a decrease in part-time study, where entrant numbers decreased by 52 percent over the same period.
It is clear that the UK needs more mature students, but why should you choose to study later in life? Here are 7 good reasons:
As a mature student, you will bring work experience and learning to your studies that your younger and lesser experienced college leavers will not have. This experience enriches your learning and enables you to relate academic theory and concepts to the real world.
With the extra life experience and wisdom, you are likely to approach and overcome problems more easily, and this can help contribute to greater academic success. Ultimately this means the chances are higher that you will come out with a better degree, according to the Office for Students’ website. In 2018-19, 61.3 percent of mature part-time students achieved a 1st or a 2.1 compared to only 44.4 percent of young part-time students.
Your rich and unique life experiences can offer up interesting perspectives to younger students. And in return they will bring you fresh new perspectives too.
Chances are, if you have had to juggle numerous responsibilities with family and work, you’re equipped with skills in planning and organisation, meaning you’re ready to plan and make time for your studies.
If you are tired of the job or profession you have been slogging away in for the last decade or four, then studying could offer a bridge to an exciting new career. And one that is more aligned with your passions.
Compared to your younger peers, you are likely to have considerable work experience, meaning you are job ready, and more likely to secure the perfect role, or promotion, when you graduate.
Many institutions have dedicated support teams available for mature students, such as Leeds University’s Lifelong Learning centre. To find out more read UCAS’ Mature Students’ Guide.
Whatever your motivation for choosing to study, the choice to learn a new subject is a great one. Check out the distance learning IGCSE and A level courses we have available here at Oxford Open Learning.
Almost 4 in 5 teachers (79%) are now using technology in almost every lesson, according UK RS survey findings. This has more than tripled compared to 10 years ago, when only 1 in 5 teachers were regularly using tech to teach. We’ve entered the era of Ed-Tech.
Ed-Tech or Edu-Tech is the use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. Ed-Tech is growing at pace in the UK and globally; the sector is on track to reach a worth of £3.4bn by 2021, according to The Telegraph. Here are the three most prominent trends to watch…
Over 65 per cent of people are visual learners, according to the Social Science Research Network, This is where mobile offers huge advantages, in that it allows you to engage with video, audio and other forms of multimedia.
Mobile provides instant gratification and also allows for personalisation. With mobile apps such as Memrise, you, the student, are in control and can learn at a pace you comfortable with and when you feel inclined. It also focuses on areas you know you need to improve or have a harder time with. Learning is at your pace.
Gamification can be used in many different ways and puts the fun into learning. Whether you need a better set of flashcards (try StudyBlue), hands-on experience, or a more memorable experience, gamification engages you on a personal level and keeps you coming back.
Achievement badges, personalised animations and unlockable content boost and reward progress. They are just a few of the gamification features that can encourage you to engage and make learning more enjoyable.
Innovations in Virtual Reality (AR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are keeping students engaged and interested too, as well as providing new types of lesson content. Virtual trips can be made with Google Expeditions, and science comes to life in a virtual reality classroom where with a tour of the solar system, through Titans of Space.
Augmented Reality helps you achieve better results through visualisation and by providing a fully immersive experience of the subject matter. This means instead of reading theory about something, you can experience it first-hand with your own eyes, in action. For example, with holographic surgical headsets, Touch Surgery is augmenting training in surgery.
The future of Ed-Tech is certainly exciting. If you’re interested in finding out more, here’s a list of European Ed-Tech start-ups to watch .
What is a multi-hyphen life?
It is a book written by Emma Gannon about the future of careers in the coming age. A key idea in the book is that we are moving into a multi-disciplinary age. This means that in their lifetimes, young people will constantly have to learn new skills and adapt at an increasingly rapid pace. This may sound like hell to some and paradise to others, depending on your attitude to discovery and learning.
In the UK, we have one of the most expensive higher education systems in the world and that doesn’t seem set to change in the near future. Worse still, with an increasing world population, a shift to automation, as well as the outsourcing of skills, the market is tough to say the least. Students can put themselves into considerable debt, and in many subjects receive an outdated education as universities struggle to keep pace with the growth of information.
In response to this, many private institutions such as Google, as well as top-tier universities, have created Massive Open Online Courses. These are sometimes free and normally cheap. They cover the most industry-relevant and up-to-date materials. The problem is that someone who studied a MOOC by Google will normally be second choice when compared to someone who studied at Oxford or Harvard.
This situation needs to change, however. If young professionals are to be expected to requalify on a regular basis in order to keep pace with the economy, learning must be democratised. As with every revolution, the status quo does not cede power easily, and universities are working hard to justify their high fees with blended learning and adaptable courses. The disruptive effects of tech are everywhere, however, from AirBnB, to Zoom conferences. The general rule of thumb is: if there is a quicker, cheaper and easier way to structure an old practise, it’s just a matter of time.
So it is very likely that if you are nearer to the beginning than the end of your career, you will be required to massively upskill or even learn a new discipline.
In order to keep up, people are going to have to become increasingly gritty. To learn more about grit, check out this article on Angela Duckworth’s groundbreaking research.
My recommendation would be to continuously play with ideas and keep up the side-hustles! These small things are like seeds and can grow over time, presenting you with new options and ideas.