Four women collaborating on a project around a laptop and papers in an office setting.

What opportunities are out there?

Research is your friend when exploring career opportunities. Gather and analyze information about potential career paths, industries, and workplaces.

Here are four strategies on how you can locate, interpret, and evaluate information about the career possibilities that align with your interests and goals:

1. Job Boards to Get You Started

2. Access Labour Market Information

3. Engage in Industry-Specific Networking Platforms

4. Connect with Professionals Through Informational Interviews

Want to dig a bit deeper? Try these activities:  

1. Job Boards to Get You Started:

A job board is an online service that employers use to advertise jobs. While job boards alone are not the most effective way to find work, they do help people find jobs. If you are going to use job boards, combine this with other methods to find a job.

New boards are created regularly, so be aware of the ones that are used most in your industry. Ask people in the field which ones they recommend. Start with job boards on company websites.

Job boards just for students and recent grads

  • The Career & Co-curricular Learning Network (CLNx) advertises career-related full-time positions, academic positions, part-time and summer positions, work-study and research positions and volunteer opportunities. Positions can be on or off campus.*

 

  • The Government of Canada Job Bank offers a web-based network of job postings available to Canadians, with over 2,000 new opportunities posted every day. Job Bank will be the primary source of information for youth on the availability of positions funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program. You are encouraged to search Canada Summer Jobs-funded positions on the Job Bank while they are advertised. Please refer to the Government of Canada website for complete details.

 

  • Ontario Public Service Careers hires students each year in a variety of summer positions across the Ontario Public Service, its related agencies and community groups through the Summer Employment Opportunities program. Please refer to the Government of Ontario website for complete details.

 

  • TalentEgg advertises career-related entry-level positions, part-time and summer positions, co-ops and internships for students and recent graduates.

 

  • Workopolis Campus advertises career-related full-time positions, part-time and summer positions, and internships for students and recent graduates.

 

  • Magnet is an online service that connects people with jobs and opportunities using a cutting-edge technology platform.

 

Job boards for all job seekers

  • Eluta specializes in finding new job announcements from employers across Canada.
  • Indeed allows you to search company websites and job boards simultaneously.
  • Charity Village lists postings for the non-profit sector.
  • LinkedIn lists available jobs, connects you to people in different industries and opportunities to learn through LinkedIn Learning.

 

Tip: Google: “job boards for ____ (internships, industry, job type etc)” to find specific job boards.

 

*Non-endorsement Statement

The University makes no representations or guarantees about the employment or volunteer postings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employers. Students and graduates are responsible for researching organizations and should verify the employment terms and conditions with the employer before applying to or accepting opportunities.

 

2. Access Labour Market Information

What is Labour Market Information (LMI)?

Labour Market Information gives you insights into job trends, industry requirements, and salary ranges to help you make informed career choices.

  1. It covers three key areas: the availability of jobs (demand),
  2. The number of people available to work (supply),
  3. Laws that impact the job market.

How can you use Labour Market Information in your career decision-making?

Once you have identified your interests, skills, personal preferences, and values, you can start researching ‘career areas.’ At the career exploration stage, you might ask what skills are in demand and how they match your interests and skill set. When job searching, you could ask, how are organizations, industries, and sectors you are interested in growing? Who are they hiring and where? When thinking about Further Education, you could research career prospects. How might a degree in this field add to your career goals?

3. Engage in Industry-Specific Networking Platforms

Resource: Professional associations and industry-specific forums (like Stack Overflow for tech or Behance for creative professionals) offer platforms for networking based on specific industry-related questions. UofT clubs and associations that are industry-related and connected to alumni - eg. Pre-Law association

Try joining industry-specific associations and participate in their events, webinars, and online forums. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and connect with professionals to better understand your field of interest.

 

4. Connect with Professionals Through Informational Interviews

Attend networking events and career fairs.

Join platforms like LinkedIn and look for groups in industries you are interested in. They often have online events that you can attend.

Ten Thousand Coffees and LinkedIn can help you connect with professionals in your fields of interest for informational interviews. Want to learn how to network attend a Networking workshop - Register on CLNx

 

Here area some tips on Informational Interviews

 

Searching for more resources to support your job search?

Check out at these Career Start links about the job search & interviews: