Open University graduate talks about how a degree helped him double his salary

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Sean Butler spent years working a minimum wage call centre job, but studying with The Open University in his spare time has paid huge dividends

In our modern world of remote working, global communications and fast-moving technology, upskilling and retraining are becoming more and more important if you want to take your career to the next level.

“ working maximum hours for a minimum wage,” he says, reflecting on his call centre days. “Even when I got promoted to trainer, teaching all the new staff and stuff like that, I was still getting paid the same. This realisation was the motivation he needed to start looking for ways to improve his – and his family’s – situation. With three children at home, Sean and his partner were able to avail of social welfare supports to keep them afloat, but it didn’t sit well with him that he was working 40-plus hours per week and still wasn’t able to make ends meet.

“Whereas for me, I don't finish work till six and I can't give up the full-time job. I need to pay rent, I need to put food on the table, so that’s not an option. Open University felt like the best way for me to get what I wanted, which was the degree.” Sean was ready for the challenge. “I was like, okay, I can do it. I don't have to leave full time work, I just have to give up a few hours of sleep and no TV for a few years and I’ll get something out of it!”

“They arranged for me to go into loads of tech companies in town, and every time you're in, you're meeting some of the same faces who are on your course. You're also meeting people in the real world who you can network with as well, just to ask general questions about what courses to look into next.

 

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