Career Exploration TipsUnit 2

What Is a Career? The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as an individual's "course or

progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)".

One can have a sporting career or a musical career without being a professional athlete or musician

But most frequently "career" in the 20th century referenced the series of jobs or positions by which one earned one's money.

Today career refers to an individual’s work and life roles over their lifespan.

Think Field (not occupation) Fields of works are more stable that occupations in many cases

i.e. Healthcare is a field of work Nursing, massage therapy, pharmacy aid, and physical therapist assistant would be

specific occupations within healthcare

Think Pathway (not destination) Matching your values, interests, learning styles, multiple intelligences and

personal qualities increases job satisfaction

Don’t just choose a “job” because it will give you social standing or please your parents (i.e. “I want to be a doctor so I can make lots of money and people with think

highly of me)

Think Options A serious mistake is rare in career decision-making because there are always

other choices or options

“Where one door closes, another one opens”

Think Critically Do your own research!

Don’t just accept what other people tell you, or what you hear or see in print

Where to get started http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the authoritative resource on

occupational information in Canada It is used daily by thousands of people to understand the jobs found throughout

Canada's labour market

NOC Codes NOC code is a number that Human Resources and Skills Development

Canada (HRSDC) has assigned to a particular occupation

NOC codes are designed so that you can easily find out about occupations that are related to your career choice

NOC breakdown The NOC breaks occupations down into 10 sectors:

1. Management Occupations 2. Business, Finance and Administration Occupations 3. Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations 4. Health Occupations 5. Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Service and Religion 6. Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport 7. Sales and Service Occupations 8. Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations 9. Occupations unique to Primary Industry 10. Occupations Unique to Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities

For example… NOC code for a cook is 6242

“6” means that it is a “Sales and Service” type of occupation

“62” is the major group number for all occupations in the “Skilled Sales and Service Occupations” family

“624” is the minor group number for chefs and cooks; these are similar occupations and are grouped together

“6242” is the code just for cooks