Thursday, January 19, 2017

Is My 'Dream Career' In Demand?

One important aspect of ANY job search is to consider demand. Demand is often times overlooked, leading to frustration when it comes time to job search! For example, you may be very passionate about History and, because of this, have decided to major in History. You may also have a very clear career goal of becoming a Museum Curator once your degree is completed. All of this is great - BUT, I would urge any student to consider the demand for your 'dream career' or 'dream job.

Investigating career demand is an important aspect of any career exploration process because it is beneficial to know the outlook for specific sectors. It can also assist with making choices about the next steps you might need to take to land your dream job, like graduate school or additional professional development. For example, if being a Museum Curator requires graduate school but the demand for Museum Curators has dropped in recent years, it might not be a worthwhile investment in the end if you can not find employment in your desired field. However, it might be worthwhile if the demand has increased for Museum Curators and many jobs are available within this sector. As you can see from this example, doing some research regarding the sector you wish to work in can help you make informed career decisions, all the while helping you determine your next steps!

If you are looking to determine whether or not the job or career you wish to get into is in demand, career exploration is a must! Check out the Government of Canada - Labour Market Information website.This site utilizes NOC codes (codes associated with specific job titles within specific sectors) to organize the projected career outlooks for a wide array of areas of interest! If you are looking for work within Canada specifically, this would be the site to consult in terms of finding out the demand! Click HERE to find out the projected outlook for your dream job!

In addition, Career Cruising, available FREE to Brock students via CareerZone, allows students to easily look up the NOC code associated with the occupation of interest!

Thanks for reading!

Scarlet Stark
Lead Career Assistant
Psychology Major