TOOLKIT FOR
WORKERS AND
WORK SEEKERS
Career transition:
Combine self-knowledge and educational/labour market information to make informed career decisions and to navigate career transitions in today’s ever-changing labour market.
You can demonstrate your ability to navigate career transitions through:
- Understanding and leveraging the influence of family, friends, culture, government policies and regional economic development on your career exploration and choices
- Using a variety of strategies and sources of information to explore options for learning and work
- Identifying possible career paths through research (e.g., print, participation, online)
- Actively pursuing and engaging in work experience (e.g., job shadowing, co-ops, internships, youth apprenticeship, volunteering)
- Embracing opportunities to get, combine or create work (e.g., apprenticeship, part-time, full-time, self-employment, “gigs” and contracts)
- Recognizing what impacts, and is impacted by, seasonal work
- Examining how rural and regional economies can impact career opportunities and decisions
- Creating your own personal marketing strategy (e.g., write targeted resumés and cover letters, interview with confidence)
- Gathering and evaluating detailed information resulting from your career exploration process
- Discussing, sharing and evaluating your career options with others
- Explaining your reasons for choosing a career pathway based on who you are, the opportunities you have explored, and labour market information
- Being resilient and able to maneuver through transitions, always having a Plan B (and C and D…)
Natalie is trying to rebuild her life. About to be released from prison after serving 3.5 years for theft from her employer, Natalie’s employment counsellor is helping her to identify her skills and interests, recognize changes in local work opportunities and find employers who would give her a chance to start over. She had landed a good job through a college internship experience, but Natalie began socializing with a group of co-workers who had found creative ways to order products on the company account and sell them on kijiji. Not long after she joined their team, an internal investigation identified the ongoing thefts – and the rest is history! All of them, including Natalie, were charged and convicted.
Although Natalie was devastated to be in prison, she chose to use that time to maximize her chances for a fresh start once she got out. There weren’t many relevant programs for her but she read as much as she could and managed to complete a couple of distance learning certificates. As soon as she was allowed out on day passes, Natalie volunteered in the community to get positive work references. Her social worker and employment counsellor used their networks to open doors for her. She worked hard and 5 years after her sentence, Natalie applied for, and was granted, a pardon/record suspension. Finally, she feels the weight she has been carrying for so many years is lifting.
