Conduct Occupational Research
Researching occupations isn’t that different from doing academic research—something you already know how to do! Here are a variety of resources that can help you find information about industries, companies, occupations, and specific positions. You can't figure out what might be a good fit for you if you don't know what's out there!
The Learning About Myself section of your career plan should have given you some ideas regarding directions for research...so take some inspired action and start looking for specific occupations or fields that could provide you with a great career based on the information you gathered about yourself.
Resources to assist you with conducting occupational research
Browse through descriptions of different occupations and industries to see what types of positions best fit who you are.
What Can I Do with My Degree?: While your academic program doesn't determine your future career, this resource may give you some ideas of occupations to explore that are linked to your program of study. This resource was created especially for York students by the Career Centre.
Career Cruising: Research and explore detailed information about careers and educational programs using this multimedia online resource. Professional organizations and associations are an excellent way to learn more about a career of interest, professional designations, and networking opportunities (e.g. memberships, conferences). For additional professional associations visit the Career Cruising website; login information and the link to the site can be found on the Career Centre home page of Experience York, under CAREER DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
Ontario Job Futures: Labour market information from the Government of Ontario that can help you determine which occupations suit your interests and abilities.
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005: In this inspirational video, the late Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, talks about the importance of choosing a career you love.
The Importance of Doing What You Love: Stephanie Lewis writes about her experience choosing between a career in chemistry and a career in art.
Follow Your Passion is Bad Advice: In this video, Cal Newport talks about why he believes "follow your passion" is terrible career advice and discusses the ways in which we discover and develop our passions as opposed to following them.
RSA Animate: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: This lively RSAnimate, adapted from a talk by Dan Pink, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us in the workplace.
Choosing a Career: In this brief video, Jack Canfield talks about one of the most important factors in choosing a career: your heart.
Scott Library's Career Research Resources guide provides a variety of great resources (both online and print) to help you find more information about occupations you're interested in exploring.
The National Occupation Classification (NOC): This Canadian resource provides detailed information about 520 Canadian occupations.
Eluta: This Canadian website contains profiles of Canada's Top Employers as well as job postings.
ONET: Although American, this site contains valuable occupational information sorted by such useful categories as industry, outlook, green jobs, etc.
Company websites can also be a great source of information so if there's a particular company you're interested in, spend some time reviewing their website to get an idea of what they do and how they do it. The “careers” or human resources sections of many company websites also provide job descriptions along with job postings so you can get a sense of some of the specific tasks and responsibilities (and often salaries) associated with a particular position.
Journals or professional publications are usually written for people already working in a particular field or occupation and contain a wealth of information regarding the latest trends and developments in that area.
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