Career Options Magazine

By Erin Jackson

Few students make it to their high-school graduation having escaped a lecture that begins with “When I was your age…”

The statement, usually offered by parents or mentors, is followed by a rundown of conveniences that didn’t exist 20 years ago. Yes, there was a time when people were “smarter” than their phones, a small “i” before any word was clearly a grammatical error, and “apple” was merely a fruit.

The reality is that the world has changed at a fast pace, and the job market is no exception. Job seekers and graduates are faced with the daunting task of finding a new way up the career ladder. It seems the advice from the old days may no longer apply to succeeding in today’s job market.

According to Lee-Anne McAlear, program director of Schulich’s Centre of Excellence at York University, we are living in a “completely changed world.” With global communication, financial uncertainty, the ability to fill demands immediately and the growth of technology, it’s not hard to spot the changes. What might not be so obvious is how they have affected the job market. Companies have changed and they are looking for people with a wide range of skills, says McAlear.

“Corporations want people who can balance the willingness to learn existing systems and the capacity to innovate changes when needed,” she says. Like it or not, businesses are looking for people who are not only qualified but also able to think creatively.

At the National CACEE conference in June, McAlear quoted the saying “It is easier to move a graveyard than a curriculum.” In other words, it’s difficult to ensure that classroom lessons keep up with the rapid pace of change. Nowadays, students have instant access to infinitely more information online than they can get sitting in any lecture. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time to seek higher education. In fact, “academics are your entry into the game,” says McAlear.

What it does mean is that you can’t rely solely on academics to get by in today’s competitive job market.

“Companies need people who can think in new ways,” she says. “If you come in looking to be told what to do, you can get a job. But is it the interesting kind of job that you want?”

Rising to the Occasion: How to Put Yourself in the Best Position

With the largest population demographic—the baby boomers—nearing retirement, there should be plenty of vacant job positions over the next decade. Sure, it sounds like great news, but there’s a catch.

Andrew Cardozo, executive director of the Alliance of Sector Councils, says it is especially tough for graduates to get entry-level positions because employers need experienced workers to fill the gaps.

As well, there is a “credential creep” in the job market, he says. Since more people are getting a degree or diploma, employers can easily demand more credentials for a position because they have a large pool of candidates to choose from.

According to Cardozo, there are a few simple ways you can put yourself in the best possible position for employment.

• Always have a summer job: Find jobs in different fields so you can learn more skills
• Volunteer: Employers will be impressed by your initiative and community involvement
• Do an internship: Make the most out of your experience by offering to do more than asked
• Show commitment: Even in low-skill jobs, long-term commitment looks good on a résumé
• Take extra courses: Broaden your education by taking an extra college course after graduation
• Keep an eye on your résumé: This piece of paper will describe you for years to come

On the Internet: The Dos and Don’ts of Social Networking

You know how it works: you go out for a night on the town with your friends and by the next morning the party pictures are up on Facebook, with your name tagged in every one. The trouble with social media sites is that although you might want to share every detail of your life with your friends, your information can also be accessed by a potential employer.

“Young people feel invincible and don’t think it can come back to haunt them,” says Cardozo. “It’s best to think of everything you put up [online] as part of an interview.”

Of course, no employer expects you to avoid having any fun, says Cardozo. While some employers may take a “we’ve all done it” approach, in other cases your social media mishaps could cost you the job. Either way, it is important to remember that most employers will look at your online profile before they ever set up an interview, he says.

But the Internet isn’t all bad news.

Siobhan Williams, manager of marketing and communication for BioTalent Canada, says she encourages students to use online resources to find out more about the career they have in mind. The bio-economy sector council website includes a resource called the PetriDish job bank—an online guide that tells you the skills employers are looking for to fill specific jobs.

With more access to information than ever before, you’d think it would be easier to find your place in the job market. But so much information can be a bit overwhelming. “In order to use the information, you need to focus,” says Williams.

The trick is finding the information about employers and opportunities that apply to where you want your career path to lead.

Keeping It Broad

Although it’s useful to focus on skills specific to the career you have in mind, there is one major pitfall that you should avoid. According to Cardozo, the worst thing you can do is to be too precise about your career choice.

“Don’t be too definitive about what you really want to do,” he says. “Think broadly; Plan A, B, C; and always think about what else is in the industry.”

In a competitive job market, sometimes it is best to take a job that relates to your interests simply to get a foot in the door. The important thing to remember is that you need to be able to “wear many hats,” says Williams.

With the development of technology, more and more jobs require skills outside what would traditionally be expected. For a bio-technician, this means being able provide PowerPoint pitches to investors as well as being able to work in the lab, she says. Gone are the days when your job will require only one set of skills.

The Notion of Networking

The saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” may be a cliché, but it still holds a grain of wisdom for today’s job seekers. The key is to know how to network and to do it well, says McAlear, who adds that she has never gotten a job without knowing someone.

Once you land on your area of interest, it comes down to “who you meet, how often, and what you learn when you do,” says McAlear. “People have academic experience, but they also have life experience.”

In a world changing so quickly that an estimated 60 percent of today’s kindergartners will work in jobs that don’t exist today, your personal experiences may be what make you stand out from the crowd.

Who knows? In 20 years this generation may be the ones dropping the “back in the day” line. In the meantime, let’s focus on getting a good job.

Ten Jobs that Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago

1. Social media strategist

2. Distance learning coordinator

3. Bioinformatician

4. Elder-care services coordinator

5. Life counsellor

6. Blogger

7. User experience analyst

8. Digital software developer

9. Energy auditor

10. Sustainability coordinator