Activity: External Influences

LMI can be valuable for career management and life decision-making in a number of ways.

Here are a few scenario examples:

Scenario one:

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Julia is a single parent and requires an occupation with flexibility. Julia conducts occupational and labour market information research and learns that she can transition within the communications field as there is flexibility and many possibilities to work from home.

Scenario two:

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Samson has been working in management in the financial industry for a number of years. He is passionate about leading others, however, he has determined that he wants to work in the non-profit sector because of his value for people. After conducting research on trends and meeting with executive directors for information meetings, he is strongly considering a transition to social enterprise.

Scenario three:

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Rian is a newcomer to Canada and was interested in social justice issues prior to his move. Rian was encouraged to volunteer as a way to become settled in Canada, research occupations in this field, and acquaint himself with the labour market. He contacted a local volunteer organization about opportunities in the social justice area. In addition, he searched for social justice organizations to help with a small side project as a volunteer.

Keep in mind that people, forecasts, LMI, and careers are dynamic and change. 

• Sometimes people will commit to a direction despite a poor future outlook because they are passionate about a specific career path, and land a job right after they complete their degree. 
• Sometimes people pursue an occupation that is in high demand, land a job and hate it. 
• Some people pursue a high paying occupation, land a job and love it. 

To decrease the risk of putting all your eggs in one basket, an option to consider is freelance work, which entails combining a few contracts together to test or try out various environments and expand your skills.

While there are never any guarantees, conducting LMI research is a prudent and valuable action. Your decision-making will be more informed and you will move forward with your eyes open.