Jobs | Employers | Industries

 


A Look at the Labour Market

Many students start planning for the future by trying to identify the specific career options they can pursue with their degree. In a world that is so rapidly changing, this can be an almost impossible (and unrealistic!) feat. When planning and researching possibilities for your future, it's important to arm yourself with up-to-date information and to be able to distinguish fact from fiction.







  • There are more than 2 million job titles in Canada, and unfortunately, they are not nicely organized according to degree requirements.
  • Only 20% of jobs are regulated; which typically means a defined pathway to entry (e.g. doctor, lawyer, engineer and teacher). 
  • By the end of this decade, the majority of jobs that will exist are considered to be "unknown" at this time.
  • Most employers value work-integrated learning, co-curricular involvements, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world settings, above academic performance.
  • Employers today are also placing a greater emphasis on skills such as critical thinking, communication, complex problem solving, creativity, digital literacy, and more; over an individuals' specific undergraduate major.

Beliefs You May Hold That Are Not Actually True

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My major determines my career options

FACT: More than 80% of employers hire for skills and experience over a specific major.

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My dream job is waiting

FACT: You design your dream job through a process of actively seeking and co-creating it.

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I should know by now

FACT: It’s never too late to create a life you love. You may not always know where you're going, but you can know what you're going to do next.

 

To prepare for an ever-changing world of work we have to stop asking "What can I do with my degree?" and start working on finding answers to questions with more meaningful and actionable solutions.

The Most Important Questions to Tackle

  1. How can I use my degree to work on interesting challenges, problems, and opportunities?
  2. Where can I use the skills and expertise I have developed through my degree and other experiences?

When you reframe how you plan for the future, starting with the challenges that interest you most, you are better positioned to see the broader value of your degree and discover how many possibilities actually exist! 

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Identify the Challenges That Interest You

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STEP 1

Go to SparkPath , click  SIGN UP, and create a STUDENT account.

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STEP 2

Insert Western's unique code WesternU and sort the cards.

STEP 3

Post your top three challenges to social media, or ask people in your network "who is working on this challenge?"

STEP 4

Conduct informational discussions/coffee chats to learn more about the people and organizations working on these challenges.



Book a Career Appointment for Help

Better understand yourself and identify what meaningful work means to you.

See Options

Review the Design Your Western Digital Career Workbook

Learn about different tools, activities, and methods by which you can design your life to better fit the kind of future and life that you WANT to live..

Explore Career Options on CareerCruising

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Some of Our Favourite Career Exploration Resources 

LinkedIn Alumni Search Tool

Use the keyword search to find Alumni working on the challenges that interest you and see all of the amazing careers they have pursued.

National Occupational Classification

The national reference on occupations, it organizes over 40,000 job titles into 500 occupational group descriptions.

Workforce Planning & Development Board

Information on the labour market, jobs, training & education in St. Thomas, London, Woodstock and surrounding counties.

London Economic Development Corporation

Learn about the biggest industries in London and all of the great employers in the city.

80,000 Hours

A nonprofit that does research to answer the question "You have 80,000 hours in your career. How can you best use them to help solve the world’s most pressing problems?"

Innocentive Project

Leveraging the power of the crowd to help organizations of all sizes solve critical business, scientific, and technical problems.

The Healthline

Explore local health and community services, by topic or demographic, and learn about different organizations who support individuals health and wellness needs.

Go Abroad

Expert advice and essential resources for anyone considering going abroad to study, volunteer, intern or research!