RESEARCH

Researching Careers is the second step of a five part career planning process.

Try to avoid career decisions based solely around wages, job security, family tradition or someone else’s opinion of your potential success.  They are certainly factors to consider, but should not replace or overshadow your own ambitions.

Remember, you need to be objective in collecting research and weighing the pros and cons

of the information you gather.

After all, this is your life so choose wisely! 

Researching the job market to match your interests with potential career options is an important part of the career planning process.

Where do I start?

Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life, however many people spend more time researching what phone to buy.  Here are a couple of options for where you can get some great career information:

The Internet

The internet can provide a wealth of career information. The trick is to find what you need without getting bogged down with too much information.

 

A good strategy is to establish an information template which includes a few key pieces of information that you need to properly analyze possible career options.

Career Resource Centres

The Department of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour and the Anglophone South School District have partnered to create 8 career resource centres in the Southwest Region of New Brunswick. The centres offer career planning and job search services to everyone in the community, FREE of charge:

Career Practitioners

Many post-secondary institutions offer academic and career guidance to students (and prospective students).  Be aware that you may have to sort out the useful information from the "sales pitch".

Post-secondary Training Institutions

Your family and friends can help you make career decisions.  After all, they are familiar with many of your interests and talents. Just be careful that the final decision remains yours.

Friends and Family

Seeking out contacts and speaking with people working in areas of interest for you can be a great way to research careers. You may gain valuable knowledge of how companies work, the corporate culture, and insider knowledge of how to break into the industry. Conversely, you may discover a job is not a good fit for you before you spend a lot of time, money and energy pursuing a career goal you may not want. 

Networking

Career Development Practitioners (CDPs) work with people of all ages to help them to manage their learning, work, leisure and transitions.  The goal of career services is to help people to pursue learning and to find work which is personally meaningful and to learn how to manage transitions in today’s ever-evolving labour market.

(Canadian Council for Career Development)

Return to Step 2 index