3.3 What Does the Job Involve?
There are a lot of ways you can find out about what's involved in a job:
Once you decide what kind of position you are looking for you need to find this job.
The Where are the Jobs? section recommends:
Networking
Networking means talking to someone who does the job. This can be as informal
as talking to a friend, or as formal as phoning someone you've heard of in the field you're interested
in and making an appointment to speak to them.
Labour Market Information
Another way is to use Labour Market Information
(LMI). It can help you find out:
- What a person in a certain job does (occupational profiles)
- The range of pay rates for different occupations
- The levels and kinds of education needed for different jobs
- What areas of the economy are expanding
- Which companies are hiring in the industry that interests you
National Occupational Classification
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is a system used to describe jobs found
in the Canadian labour market. There are over 500 general descriptions. Main duties,
education and training requirements, and potential employers are described in each of
these descriptions.
The NOC is a great resource for anyone looking for assistance on writing their résumé,
in understanding the requirements for a job, or planning their career path.
Other places to get job information
- Use the occupational profiles and other resources available at your local library, school, Service Canada Centre, band office, or friendship centre.
- Talk to a librarian. Job information can be found in business directories, annual reports, articles and other information available at the public library.
- Some companies have reports, brochures, or promotional material available to the general public.
- Surf the company's Web site. If you don't have access to the Internet, your local school, library, or band office might be able to help.
So, What's Out There?
Now you're ready to take the next step in your job search. It's time to see what kinds of jobs are out there.
Labour Market Information has the facts, figures and trends about the world of work in
Canada. It is produced both by governments and by private sector organizations. LMI can give
you information on different occupations, wages, standards and qualifications.
Labour Market Information and the Internet
The Internet is a good source of up-to-date labour market information in your area, and
across the country. There are a number of good places to start including the
Job Futures Web site.
Job Futures provides employment facts and information about trends in today's labour
market - where people find work, educational requirements, earnings, self-employment,
part-time employment, and much more. Job Futures lets you look ahead to see how labour
market conditions and job prospects will change over the coming years.
Note: If you don't have access to the Internet, or find labour market information a bit
of a mystery, talk to career counsellors at your local
Service Canada Centre (SCC),
or your Service Canada Centre for Youth. If you are still in school, your guidance counsellor or your academic advisor can help.
Here are some other sites that you can look at for information on the labour market:
Quick Tips:
If you have a career goal in mind, look for jobs that will help you develop the skills,
knowledge and experience you will need in that career. If you can't find a paying job that
relates to your career goal, try volunteering in your spare time. Volunteering can help you
get the skills and experience you need to find paid employment that suits you, or get a career edge.
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Where are the Jobs?
Networking
One of your most important job search tools is your personal job search network. To find
out about a job, or get an idea where to look, talk to the people around you such as your friends, family members, neighbours, and teachers. Let them know that you are looking for a job.
 Networking
can be anything from an informal chat with a neighbour or friend, to a more formal
meeting with a person who does a job that you are interested in. These contacts can help you get a start
in researching the training, skills and education you'll need for the job or career you want!
Remember! Networking is not you asking for a job. It's a fact-finding mission. Talk about
your interest in the field, ask how the person got started, what advice they would give, and
if they know any companies that are hiring. If your contact wants to interview you, or offers
you a job, then of course you may accept!
Quick Tips:
Here are six steps to effective networking, whether it is a quick chat, or a planned meeting:
- Be on time - your contact has set aside some of their time to talk to you and help you out.
- Be tidy and organized, and make a good impression.
- Keep your visits short and to the point. Be prepared with questions.
- Appear enthusiastic about the information your contact is sharing.
- Never ask your contact to do your job search for you.
- Look at the meeting as an opportunity to gather information rather than as a job interview.
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Here are some questions you might want to ask your contact:
- How did you get this job?
- What kind of schooling and experience did you have?
- Do you have any advice for someone trying to get into this field?
- Do you know of any companies that are hiring people?
- Can you suggest any volunteer organizations where I could develop my skills and gain work experience?
- Can I contact you again?
Job Postings
You can find job postings in a wide variety of places such as the Internet, local student offices, bulletin boards at your local high school, college or university, Job Fairs arranged by local businesses, or even in classified ads in community newspapers. The most important thing is to have a solid sense of what's out there in terms of jobs, locations, and people that can help you.
On-Line
Job Bank is the Government of Canada's electronic listing of jobs provided by employers from
everywhere across Canada. It contains thousands of job opportunities that you can sift through by title, availability, and time of posting.
Jobs Open to the Public
is located on the Public
Service Commission's Web site. It provides listings of federal public service jobs across Canada
in a wide range of categories. You can search the inventory by field, or by region. This site also
offers links to information on Post-Secondary Recruitment,
the Federal Student Work Experience Program and the Co-op/Internship Program.
Workopolis.com features a listing
of jobs organized by sector, including IT, engineering, education, finance, sales and many more.
You can also browse through the job postings by region, date or through an employer directory.
Monster.ca allows you to search over
25,000 Canadian jobs by province, region, sector or key words. You
can create your own account that will allow you to apply on-line, post your résumé and receive
notification when relevant jobs appear on the site.
Jobboom.com, Quebec's largest recruiting
site, now offers services in Quebec and Ontario, in both official languages. Job opportunities are
listed by sector, including multimedia, IT, engineering, accounting, administrative support and
customer service. Check out the Get Advice! section for information on managing your career.
Off-Line
- Visit the Events Calendar section to find out more about events in your community, such as Job fairs.
- Go to a job search workshop. Not only will you gain useful information, you may develop useful contacts for your personal network. To find out if there are any in your area, ask at your local Service Canada Centre , or student employment centre.
- Check job boards located on college or university campuses.
- Check out the bulletin boards in community centres, grocery stores, and libraries.
- Sign up with an employment agency. While some only find placements for professionals, others may have an "odd-job squad" or casual labour network.
- Check out the classified ads in your local newspaper. Follow up by phone, letter, or e-mail.
Other Avenues
Consider Volunteering
 There are
plenty of organizations who need young, enthusiastic volunteers to help them achieve
their objectives. Although most of these jobs are unpaid, you will benefit from the valuable experience you will gain. The work you do as a volunteer is real work, and can go on your résumé. For information on
volunteering initiatives across Canada check out the Volunteer Canada Web site at
www.volunteer.ca.
Educational Networks
If you're a student, consider courses that offer co-op, apprenticeship or field placement opportunities. You can gain work experience, get a feel for the career, and make valuable contacts.
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