Step 2 - Know What's Out There

You need to know what occupations and opportunities are out there and what employment trends may affect your career planning.

Occupational Research and Labour Market Information – Why is it important?

Once you have a list of occupations that interest you, you will need to find out more about them:
• What is the work actually like?
• What are the working conditions, hours, and wages for this job?
• What are the opportunities for getting a job in your area?
• Is the work seasonal, casual, full-time?
• What skills and experience are required for this job?

These questions need to be answered to help you make an informed decision. Without this information, you may find yourself in an occupation that doesn’t suit your interests, values, or lifestyle. Exploring occupations and researching industries may help you discover other interest areas and opportunities you hadn’t even considered.

You can see detailed information on a variety of careers in our Job Profiles section.
It is very important to research the labour market where you want to work, so that you are aware of the opportunities, outlooks, and employment trends in that area. Jobs that may be readily available in one part of the province, such as Halifax, may not exist in other regions, such as Cape Breton.

Our Labour Market Information section can help provide you with the information you need.
Research the employers in the area to find out who is hiring employees in the occupations you are interested in and what skills and abilities they are seeking. If you know what employers are looking for, you can better prepare your “marketing tools” for your job search – your résumé, cover letter, interview, and so forth.

Once you have a better understanding of the labour market environment, and ‘what’s out there’, you will be ready to make a more informed career decision by moving on to Step 3: Assess your Idea.