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information should you try to find out? |
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Day to day activities |
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Duties and responsibilities |
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Variety of tasks
and assignments |
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Skills, knowledge,
and training required |
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Working conditions
(e.g. number of hours, level of social interaction, physical
demands, type of work space, degree of stress, etc.) |
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Starting salary
and frequency and probability of wage increases |
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Advancement opportunities |
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Organizations that
employ people in this field |
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Future job outlook
(i.e. Is there/will there be a demand for this type of work?) |
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Related occupations |
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| Where
can you find this type of information? |
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Contact
your campus career centre.
They will have a library
of resource materials with comprehensive information on
a range of careers. They will also
be able to tell you where else you should look or who you
should contact for more information.
Click
here
to find out where your campus career centre is.
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Interview
individuals with the occupation you are interested in.
It is also
a good idea to interview individuals who once worked in
that field but have now left it. This will help you develop
an overall image of both the positive and negative aspects
of a career. Make sure to interview more than one
person and consider their potential biases. For instance,
if you are talking with recruiters, part of their job is
to attract candidates for the position, so they will likely
paint a positive picture.
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Attend
career fairs.
Career Fairs
will give you the opportunity to talk to recruiters from
various organizations and thus, enable you to compare them.
Contact your campus career center or your COA to find out
when the next career fair is.
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| Gaining
exposure to fields of interest |
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Once you have conducted your preliminary research to find
out exactly what the different careers you are interested
in involve, you should then narrow your focus by choosing
the career or field that most interests you. Chances are that
one career choice appeals to you more than any other.
What you need to do next is get some practical experience
working in that field. Hands-on experience is the best
way to determine if you are in fact suited for such a career.
The following are several methods that you may use to get
hands-on experience:
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Job Shadowing
Job Shadowing will allow
you to witness one or two days of work. This will
give you at least some idea of what the job would be like
on a daily basis.
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Volunteer
Positions
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Volunteering is a great way to gain experience in the field.
In addition, the fact that you volunteer shows a commitment
to the field and looks great on a resume. You may not be able
to get a volunteer position which allows you to do exactly
the same things as those in the career that you wish to pursue,
but if possible try getting positions that allow you to work
with individuals who do what it is that you eventually want
to.
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Part-Time
or Casual Positions
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You could also try to get part-time
positions with a company that you would like to work for in
the future. Although you likely will not be able to work in
the position that matches your career objective, casual work
may expose you to your ideal career. Furthermore, having held
a part -time position can give you an edge with an organization
that you wish to work with in the future.
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Co-operative
Education/Internships
Many schools offer co-op
programs or internships. This is an excellent way to determine
if a particular career is right for you. A work experience
option is advisable once you are in a program that supports
your career objectives. Take this into consideration when
choosing educational institutions. Click here
for a list of Universities.
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Step
4: Taking Action
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