HOW TO CHOOSE A FUTURE CAREER
Choose a Career Quiz
Check your answers below.
1. Easy Question:
In Canada, teachers and doctors are
a) regulated professions b) unregulated professions
2. Easy Question:
Having Canadian education (college or university) guarantees you can find a job.
a) True b) False
3. More Difficult:
What is more valued by Canadian employers: university degree or work experience?
a) university degree b) work experience
4. More Difficult:
Which of these people are successful entrepreneurs without a college degree?
a) Mark Zuckerberg b) Steve Jobs c) Richard Branson d) a and c e) a, b and c
5. Difficult:
What is the current rate of unemployment/underemployment among recent Canadian university and college graduates?
a) 7% b) 17% c) 27%
6. Difficult:
Which of these jobs are likely to continue to exist in the future?
a) nurses b) teachers c) accountants d) drivers e) bank tellers f) video game developers
Check your answers below.
HOW TO CHOOSE A FUTURE CAREER
Not all immigrants who come to Canada are able to continue working in the same profession as in their first country. As a result, some may consider going back to college or university to get ‘Canadian education’. While for certain professions it is a necessary step, for others it is not the best option.
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Regulated vs. Unregulated Professions
Do you have to go through a licensing process in your chosen career? If it is a regulated profession (for example accountants, heath care professionals, engineers, lawyers, teachers, etc.), then you will need to follow all the necessary steps that lead to getting a license. This usually involves attending a certified institution (college or university).
On the other hand, if your chosen future profession is not regulated (computer programmers, financial professionals, sales and customer service representatives, etc. ), you might want to think twice before handing your hard-earned money to an educational institution. It’s important to know that colleges and universities in Canada, unlike in many other countries, are NOT government institutions – they are businesses whose goal is to make money. They advertise their services and compete with each other. Getting a college or university degree in Canada is not a guarantee that you will get a job. The current unemployment/underemployment rate among recent graduates is close to 27%.
Work Experience
Most new immigrants are unaware of the fact that in Canada, your work experience counts more than your education. Your ability to do the job, as well as your ability to prove you can do the job, is what ultimately gets you the job. Because of that, a smarter decision might be to look for an entry level position in your chosen industry and focus on gaining work experience. You will need to upgrade your skills and take some courses along the way but do this at the same time as you’re working.
The second big reason why you don’t really need to go to college or university is that the best information is currently available online (websites, downloads, YouTube, etc.) as well as at the libraries and book stores.
Your Personality
Who will benefit from NOT going to college/university?
- Passionate, Motivated, Business-oriented Self-Starters who have the discipline to study by themselves using resources from the library and online while working at a company and gaining valuable work experience.
Who will benefit from going to college/university?
- People who require the support of instructors and the external motivation of having to study for the upcoming tests and exams.
- People entering regulated professions.
If you still have doubts, consider this: Steve Jobs (Apple founder), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder), Travis Kalanick (Uber founder) as well as many other successful entrepreneurs were all college dropouts. Walt Disney, Richard Branson, Henry Ford were high school dropouts but that didn’t prevent them from becoming ultra-successful businessmen.
15 Years from Now
“How will this job change ten-fifteen years from now?” is another important question you should ask before making a career decision.
The world is changing very fast and the reason number one for it is TECHNOLOGY. Technology will eliminate certain jobs in the future. It is already happening – machines are replacing humans. AI (Artificial Intelligence) has the potential to eliminate any jobs that don’t require creativity or compassion.
When you (or your child) have an idea of a job you want to go back to school for, start by thinking: Are there any parts of this job that can be automated? Any assembly/conveyor type of jobs can be automated. Most physical jobs involving repetitive tasks can be automated.
According to the article in ‘Toronto Star’ (by Sunny Freeman, April 25, 2016) these jobs have 95% – 99% chance of getting automated:
- tax accountants
- bank tellers
- real estate brokers
- restaurant cooks
- manicurists / pedicurists
- farm workers
One easy example to keep in mind would be a cashier’s job – those are being replaced now by self-check out machines. Another example of a job that might not exist in the future is delivery. Deliveries will most likely be done by drones or driverless cars.
Have you heard of 3D Printers? These are machines that will revolutionize manufacturing industry. If this technology develops successfully, any job in manufacturing will not be a smart career choice.
Do you know that there are driverless cars already built and being tested on the roads right now? Choosing to become a driver (taxi, bus, truck, etc.) may not be a smart choice if you want to keep doing this job ten or twenty years from now.
Before deciding to go back to school, ask yourself: “How could technology change this job ten years from now?”
Safe Jobs: Creativity and Compassion
Jobs that involve any element of creativity and design (often done with the help of a computer) are a safer choice. Examples of such jobs would be graphic designer, media (including social media), video game designer/developer, multimedia artist and animator, interior designer, architect, film director, sound engineer, etc.
Also, jobs that require providing emotional care are a safer choice since machines cannot provide that. Becoming a nurse or a PSW (Personal Support Worker), a daycare worker, a teacher (which involves both creativity and care) is a smart decision if it appeals to you. Healthcare sector is growing and a big part of it is care for the elderly since Canadian population is aging.
Market Research
There are many websites and articles online about which jobs have good projected growth in the future. It is absolutely necessary to do some market research before deciding on a future career. If you are not sure how to do it, it’s a good idea to talk to an employment counselor – you can make an appointment for free at one of the many centers in Canada.
Reading technology and science news to keep up to date with the newest developments will help you make the right career choice for yourself and understand the career choices of your children. There are various magazines and online magazines available – if you prefer to read. There are also videos on YouTube (you could search for technology TED Talks for example).
Computer Skills
Having computer skills is not an option – it’s something you MUST have. If you feel that you don’t have enough computer skills, there are two ways to go about it: a) you can teach yourself by using YouTube videos and other online resources; b) you can register for computer courses – you can find less expensive ones provided by libraries and community centers.
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