Online Employment Resources

Career Planning
Did you know that you can access career counselling at OC? Make an appointment to meet with a counsellor at your campus or visit the career library available through counselling services. Useful websites are available on public access computers, as well as calendars of other training institutions. (Please note that not all resources are available on all campuses. Call the centre nearest you to check availability.) Career planning workshops are also frequently offered through Counselling Services - watch for upcoming postings.

To find out more or to book an appointment please call:

OC Counselling Services

Career Direction Resources

In our fast-paced world, making informed decisions about your career can be a difficult task. The fact that you are reading this shows you are someone who wants to take initiative in your career decision-making process. Though no test or counsellor can tell you exactly what you should do with your life, we hope that the following resources are helpful in giving you some guidance.

As the diagram below suggests, there are many factors that may influence your career goals and decisions.

We believe that it is important to look not only at the questions, “Where are the jobs?” but also, “Which careers are best-suited to my interests, values, aptitudes,experiences, etc.?”

The OC Counselling Services website provides a list of internet resources we have found helpful. You can access these recommended sites at:

http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/administration/students/counselling/Career_Planning.html

We suggest starting with the first site on this list –www.careercruising.com This is an interactive, Canadian career guidance resource that provides in-depth profiles on hundreds of different careers including interviews with real people and a career interest inventory caled MatchMaker . CareerCruising requires the following login information:

Username: Okanagan

Password: Careers

Click on the Career Matchmaker icon and complete the interest inventory to find out what careers are best suited to your interests. Do the “long form” – all 93 questions – for the most personalized results. Typically the best matches are at the top of the list. Click on any of these suggestions to find out more about these careers. Also check out the interviews with people actually doing these jobs to hear their practical advice.

You can also click on Explore Careers to search for specific careers by alphabetical index, school subject (i.e. math), or general field (i.e. health).

Another important part of the career decision-making prcess is looking at your personality and how it relates to finding a meaningful career. Two sites we recommend are:

Type Focus

http://www.careers.typefocus.com/

site password: ct7700

and

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/register.aspx

Next, take a look at your aptitudes – your natural talents and things you are good at. We sometimes assume that something that comes easy to us comes easy for everyone, but this is usually not the case. Ask friends, family, and others who know you to suggest some areas they see you succeeding at or having natural abilities in.

Also, ask yourself such questions as:

• What school subjects came easy for me?
• Am I mechanically minded? Creative?
• Do I have organizational skills? Computer skils?
• Am I good with people? Working on a team?

Look back at the list of careers you are compiling. Which ones fit with your aptitudes?

The final part of the self-exploration process is looking at your values. The last place you want to be is in a career that does not line up with your personal beliefs and priorities.

Some questions you may want to consider:

• Do you value security and consistency or variety and risk-taking in your work environment?
• Is social interaction and being part of a group or independence and autonomy important to you?
• Do you value achievement and recognition or being “behind the scenes?”
• Is your work environment, pace, and/or location important to yuou?
• Do you value financial independence? Status? Creative expression? Contribution to society?

(Career Key – http://www.ncsu.edu/careerkey/ - provides an assessment tool that looks into your aptitudes and values and provides advice on occupations that best fit your “type”.)

Again, refer to your list of careers. Which ones fit or conflict with your values?

Recommended books for career self-exploration:

• What color is your Parachute? Richard Nelson Boles (2001)
• Zen and the Art of Making a Living. Laurence G. Boldt (1999)
• Do What you Love and the Money will Follow. Marsha Sinetar (1987)
• How to Find the Work you Love. Laurence G. Boldt (1996)

Now that you’ve done some self-exploration, the next step is to research careers that you feel are a “good-fit”. Along with CareerCruising, the ollowing sites provide information on occupational outlooks and career profiles. (You may want to search out potiential work locations because a specific career may have a positive outlook in one part of the country or porvince and a negative outlook in another.)

• Job Profiles – http://www.jobprofiles.org/index.htm
• Work Futures: BC Occupational Outlooks – http://www.workfutures.bc.ca/
• What’s Key: Career Resource Directory – http://www.whatskey.org
• Job Futures: Federal Occupational Outlooks – http://www.jobfutures.ca
• Career Paths – http://www.careerpathsonline.com --- DNE--- REMV
• BC WorkInfoNet – http://www.workinfonet.bc.ca
• BC Economy and Labour Market Guide – http://www.guidetobceconomy.org/
• Human Resource and Skill Development Canada – http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml
• Community Futures Development Corportation (C. Okanagan) – http://cfdcco.bc.ca
• Job Boom – http://www.jobboom.com/  
• Ignition – Guide to Canada’s Industy Sectors -- http://www.ccdf.ca/ccdf2/cms/documents/Ignition_e.pdf
• Careers in Technology – http://www.cthrb.ca

In addition to these web-based resources, we would suggest also to research by interviewing people who are in the field, to volunteer or job shadow, etc. to better understand what is involved in different careers. As the Career Decision “Wheel” diagram we started with suggests, look also at how your past work and life experiences and the influence of significant others may impact your career choices.

Career Planning

Career Planning provides students and parents with a comprehensive stop overview of options for post-secondary education, training and careers in British Columbia.

BC WorkInfoNet

Provides youth with easy access to online job and career planning information. Includes job links, educational resources, labour market info, and much more!

Career Exchange

Career Exchange is an Internet career site providing employment and resume information services to job candidates, employers and recruitment firms. With this site you need to know what type of job you are interested in. There is a key word search, but you can also specify which province is of interest to you. This site will also give you access to job banks in the US.

The 10 Step Career Planning Guide

A wonderful site for those who are not sure about where they want to take their lives. This site steps you through a series of questions designed to pinpoint your interests and strengths. It provides helpful hints for improving areas that you may be lacking in. Check it out!

Work Futures

This site is for those interested in changing careers or re-entering the labour market.

LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION

WorkInfoNETs Across Canada

Canada Work info NET is an internet directory (like a phone book) that provides useful information on different aspects of the labour market.

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada is the country's national statistical agency, with programs organized into three broad subject matter areas: demographic and social, socio-economic and economic. Under the Statistics Act, Statistics Canada is required to collect, compile, analyze, abstract and publish statistical information on virtually every aspect of the nation's society and economy.

Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers

Employment and Labour Information in Canada.

Resume, Cover Letter & Interview Help

Resumes, Cover Letters & Interviews

Explore this site to find such features as: tips on resume writing, sample resumes, cover letter hints and a 'virtual' interview.