This module involves an external focus as it relates to your career decision-making and career management. Labour market information (LMI) is the primary focus in this module. While the topic of LMI may not be one of your top 10 topics to dig into, more than likely you are aware of LMI, thinking about and talking about LMI.

The intent of this module is to raise your awareness about external influences and factors so that you can be intentional about integrating multiple pieces of information such as the labour market, industries, trends, and occupational information and determine its relevance to your goals. This is situation awareness (Endsley & Garland, 2000, p.7). We encourage you to integrate SA throughout this module, unit, resource, and your life.

It involves seeing opportunities that do not yet exist. For example, you catch a post about an organization expanding with additional services. You start connecting with managers and/or staff who currently work at the establishment, rather than waiting until jobs are posted and competing with numbers of applicants. 

Another example is watching for a change in management and/or leadership, which can also open possibilities—then taking the initiative to introduce yourself with an information meeting.

Situational awareness can be a proactive and empowering approach to career management. To illustrate, someone invests the past year investigating trends in technology. In addition, they have an inclination to support seniors. While volunteering at a seniors’ home, they notice there are numerous residents challenged when playing board games due to their lack of dexterity. They see an opportunity to help and start to design 3-D printed hand supports. As a result of this experience, it launches a new career trajectory they had not previously considered.

There are also external factors to consider such as where do you want to live, work, and play, which will be reviewed in this module as well.

The video Did You Know 2021? (Esteves, 2021, 06:03) gives an insight into LMI entailing the global digital space, technology and globalization, trends in demographics, in demand jobs, and automation:

Last modified: Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 2:02 PM