Conducting Career Research

Job Title:
NPS Sub-Sector: / NOC Code:
Sources of Information
Skills / Competencies
Education / Credentials
Sources for Training
Salary and Benefits
Physical Considerations
(e.g., Physical Requirements / Work Environment)
Other Requirements
Labour Market Trends
Related Occupations
Next Steps
Further Contacts / Resources to Explore
Reflections / Notes

Used with permission. ©Life Strategies Ltd.

Conducting Corporate Audits[1]

Consider:

Visible “Artefacts” (clues you observe in people, premises, publications, website)
“Insider” Language
Common Employee Traits

Ask several employees the following:

How would you describe your company in 10 words or less?
What’s really important here?
Who gets promoted?
What gets rewarded?
Who fits in?
Who doesn’t fit? How is that handled?

Used with permission. ©Life Strategies Ltd.

Exploring Your Network

Use the circles below to identify the people within your network.

  1. Place family and friends closest to the centre
  2. Add people who you interact with quite regularly at the next level

(e.g., classmates, teachers, co-workers, church or club members, neighbours, service providers)

  1. Put the people you have less connection to at the next level

(e.g., customers, managers, professional associations, colleagues in your social media networks)

  1. Add people you encounter casually or professionally, but less often in the outer circle

(e.g., doctors, people you see in the coffee shop, gym members, dog-walkers, people on email list servs, or members of groups you belong to on LinkedIn)

Getting Started: Sources of Career Information

AIESEC (www.aiesec.ca)

This organization focuses on providing youth leadership development opportunities through challenging international internships. With an extensive international network within 113 regions and over 80,000 members, there are a wide variety of opportunities available.

Association Jobs (www.niche.workopolis.com/association-executive-jobs/index.htm)

Supported by the Canadian Society of Association Executives, this job board provides candidates the opportunity to search executive job postings from a wide range of employers. Similarly, employers can post to the job board the openings that they have.

Careers United (www.careersunited.org/home_jobseeker.asp)

This website provides listings of local, national, and international positions. Users can create a free account to join the resume database, apply to jobs with just one click, and track their job search.

Change (www.change.org/hiring)

This association strives to create change though its petition platform. Job postings are available in business development, campaigners/organizers, engineering, and finance.

Charity Village (www.charityvillage.com)

The online platform provides users the opportunity to search for opportunities by job title, skills, or postal code. The advanced search feature provides the opportunity for a more targeted job search (e.g., by job category, career level, and organization focus). In addition, users can read about featured employers, access career tools and resources, and much more

CUSO International (www.cusointernational.org)

Looking for some volunteer experience? CUSO International provides a variety of volunteer placement opportunities at home and abroad.

HR Council (www.hrcouncil.ca)

This website provides a wide variety of information on the Canadian non-profit labour force including relevant labour market information and career exploration tools. For those trying to determine if the non-profit sector is a good fit, they can further explore working realities and find positions.

Idealist (www.idealist.org/)

This job board provides the opportunity for job seekers to search for openings and for employers to post positions. Users can access relevant NPS career resources at the Idealist Careers site (www.idealistcareers.org) for help with job search, interviewers, and more.

WorkBC (www.workbc.ca)

Although not specific to the non-profit sector, this website provides a wide variety of career exploration tools, labour market information, and job postings. Looking for in-person assistance? Search for a WorkBC employment centre near you.

Work in Non-Profits (www.workinnonprofits.ca)

As with other job board sites, Work in Non-Profits provides job seekers the ability to search through postings. In addition to employers posting openings for free, they can also search a supplier directory to find specific products/services.

Young Nonprofit Professional Network (www.ynpn.org)

This website has a long list of sector-specific resources (e.g., talent and leadership development, coaching, career development and job postings, education, civic engagement and advocacy, finance, fundraising, and governance) that can be helpful for those exploring a career in the non-profit sector.

[1]For another helpful tool visit www.topnonprofits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Organizational-Culture-Politics.pdf.