Wednesday, December 28, 1994 — North Shore News _ 23

career shift may ~
be a smart move

IN TODAY’S environment, career paths
are like a zigzag across a network of dif-
ferent jobs, rather than a straight and nar-
row line to the top. rules, stick with it, do good work, and
The fact is, workers todiy can expect — gradually you'd start moving up the lad-
to pursue four or five different careers in der.
their lifetime — moving from one If you made a good choice to start with,
branch of a company to another, moving — you were set for life.
between different organizations, shifting Maybe things were never really that
careers as new opportunities arise. simple. But today, career planning is not
Instead’ of mapping out a straight- just more complicated. It’s a whole differ-
line, career planning today means — ent game. As one carcer consultant put it,
improvising, and the key is to stay flex- career planning today is more like ‘the
ible. video arcade than an old-fashioned board
© Keep up with developments in game.

decided on a career, got the right educa-
tion, and started in at an entry level job.
From then on, you just followed the

your occupation.

Read widely. looking for books,
magazines and journals that
deal with the kind of

Instead of a clear set of rules, you have
to be ready to. respond and
improvise on the spot, dodg-

ing unforeseen” obstacles,

seizing sudden
Opportunities, and
keeping on the move
just to stay in the
_ game. ;

work you do, and ‘the
kind of business your
company is in.
Develop a. network
of contacts with other
people in the business.
Get up-to-date labor
market information from
your .local . Canada
- Employment Centre. .

If you know what is happening,
you'll have a chance to prepare for
changes.

CJ Broaden your horizons,
Develop a wide range of inter-
ests outside your own occupation.
Find out what other people in your
company are doing and what chal-
lenges other organizations face.
Ask yourself how your skills and

Today’s c career
_ environment

The rules are different,
because the business environ-
ment itself is:differént-than it was just a~
few years ago. For example:
(J The way work gets done i is changing
rapidly. : a

In 1980 Canadian workers used about ‘
25,000 personal computers “on ‘the ‘job.
Today, they use about three million — an
increase of almust 1,000% each year.

Typists became word processors, and .
experience could be used in new .. business transformed the way information ~
ways to meet those challenges. gets managed, communicated: and distrib-
Ci Forget your job description. —_ uted. :

Stop thinking of your job as a. Similar changes have affected produc: .
position defined by a set of rules. tion processes in the factory, financial
and. procedures, and start think-). management, transportation and telecom-
ing of yourself as a skilled prob- munications, product design and market- |
lem solver, someone who can see . ing.

things that need to be done, and. That means jobs that ekisted 10 yenrs
can apply your skills to whatev-° ago aren’t there anyraore, and new kinds ‘
er job that happens to be. of ‘work', keep ° replacing the: kinds we
Keep learning. learned in school... ?

Find out what. training pro- CO. Corporations ‘are getting smaller,
grams are available in your com- .__ leaner, more efficient. : :
pany, or through some of Greater Downsizing - — the polite word for lay-

ucation i is key to the ri

TARE A look around — Jobs

and education’ you get now, possible careers.

© Find out which of those careers

are changing.

With new technology and anew
world econoniy, people. are doing |
jobs that ‘didn’t exist five years ago.
And there’ will be new jobs tomor-
"row. you: ‘haven’t-even heard of yet.”
¢Af- you're in. school and looking:
“ahead; the job opportunities ' are
‘endléss ~~: if you, think smart and
get ready now.
“ .You. can’ be sure of one: ‘thing:
" getting « a: -good job: will depend.

more, than ever before, on the skills

Even today, high school gradu-

=. ates eam a lot more than people
who drop out of school,

In the future, more than haif of
the new. jobs will need: education
and training after high school. So

_the choices. you ‘make, now will
cmake a big: difference down the

road.
How do you decide what job to

‘aim for?

C} Start by thinking about the things
you really enjoy doing now — and

then match up your interests with

will be in demand — counsellors at
school. or at your local Canada
Employment Centre can help.

©. Then find out what skills. and

‘education you need for the career

you choose. Trade schools. enable
you to train for’. specific jobs.

Remember, the time you spend in,

school now is like money. in ‘the
bank. So make your plans and. aim .
high.

J!» Courtesy National Employment

Skills Canada

Vancouver’s. community col-

_ leges or trade schools.

Seize -every opportunity to
learn new skills. The more skills
you can. draw on, the more
opportunities you'll have to
enrich your career.

Ask the corporate manager
who's. scanning the want ads,
after years of edging up the cor-"”

Just isn’t what it used to be.

It used to be a system every- '
body could understand. | You

offs —- is a standard corporate’ respose toi”
increasing economic and competitive pres: :

sures,

- While there are still mega-corporations :
around, the trend is clearly towards small-
er organizations and doing more with less.”

< Redefining the career path © |

_ It-all seems pretty. gloomy.’ And for
porate ladder: . career planning those who -haven't adjusted to the new
‘career environment, it-is gloomy.. But if
you can adjust, there are lots of opportuni

ties to enrich your career. ._

PLL HELP YOU |
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