Step 2: Career Awareness

5 Steps in Successful Career Planning

Self-Awareness Know yourself, your preferences, needs, desires

Career Awareness Know what careers are available and what they involve

Career Immersion Engage in specific career-related learning and activities

Evaluation and Decision Making Review your options and make informed decisions

Planning Know yourself, your preferences, needs, desires

The next step in the process involves increasing your awareness of potential careers. Most people can only describe and only understand a handful of career options, yet there are thousands of available careers. The point of this step is not to limit yourself to the one option you may have been considering or heard about, but to open your options to include careers (jobs, environments, industries, education) you were not aware of or had not considered.

There are a variety of ways to begin to identify potential careers. One of the best places to begin this process is to conduct your own research using resources available in the Career Centre, at the Library, on the Internet and more. Then talk to people and ask about the jobs with which they are familiar.

Key Sources of Career Research

What do you want to learn about Potential Careers?

• The day-to-day activities and tasks of a potential career
• The education and training (current and ongoing) required for the career
• The skills and experiences required to begin the career
• The type of work environment, conditions, values and lifestyle options
• The type of personality components required for the job
• The work values and lifestyle options related to the career
• The financial rewards of the career
• Where potential jobs are located?
• The pros and cons of a potential career
• What industries and sectors support this type of work?
• The future trends (including labour market trends) relevant to the career

Career Trends and the Labour Market

Part of your career decision process should involve understanding career trends and the changing labour market. We are not suggesting that your career decision should be based solely on the outlook of the labour market. However, understanding the labour market and identifying trends should enable you to select and plan for a viable career. Learn more about the labour market in Canada and Sector Councils. 

Key Labour Market Components

• Social Dynamics - Demographics and Lifestyle Factors
• Economic Dynamics - Occupation and Work Change, Industry Change, Economic Changes and Technological Changes
• Political Dynamics - National and Global Factors

Knowing how these factors have the potential to impact on a career field can provide you with valuable information to plan and manage your career. Changes to demographics (age, ethnicity of a population) can create opportunities. Changes in the technology can reduce careers in one area, but increase them in another. The key is to be aware and stay on top of these key components.