Second Career Series: Know There's a Demand

If you have ever been laid off before, you know that after you Decide on your Job Interests, it’s important to see whether those jobs are in high demand. Many people who have been laid off turn to Second Career, but it’s good to make sure the same problem won’t happen again with the new career you’ve chosen.

If there is an over-saturation of construction workers in your area for example, and you don’t want to move away for a job, it may not be the best field to be entering right now. The more demand there is for a job, the more employable you will be once you have the education and training that job requires.

Do your Research on employment trends and statistics. There are a variety of sites such as Job Bank Canada (Service Canada’s exploration tool) and Ontario Job Futures that provide summaries and collect data through strict research protocols and reviews of past labour market trends.

Whether you’re using Second Career or finding a way to fund your own education, it’s a good idea to investigate the growth prospect in the field that you want to train in. Part of the benefit to knowing that you’re picking a growing industry/field is that you’ll have confidence and research behind you to know that you won’t complete a post-secondary program just to possibly end up in debt and continually unemployed.

Cross-Reference your Material and make sure that more than one source agrees with what you’re starting to believe. You can’t always rely on what a school says about their programs. They may just tell you it’s a growing field to try to fill seats in their program before an upcoming class start date. Make sure you also do research online, reach out to employers for insights, or use LinkedIn to hear stories from someone in the field that labour reports may not share, such as the potential for seasonal lay-offs or difficult job conditions.

As always, if you have any questions or require any assistance, visit a Lutherwood Employment office and we can help you decide if Second Career is right for you! Join us at our Kitchener location for a Second Career Information Session this Tuesday February 25th!