What opportunities are out there?

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

Research is your friend when exploring career opportunities. Gather and analyze information about potential career paths, industries, and workplaces.These are 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. Navigating and Understanding Job Markets
  3. Engage in Industry-Specific Networking Platforms
  4. Connect with Professionals Through Informational Interviews
  5. Find Work on Campus through the Work Study program

 

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 daily. Job Bank will be the primary source of information for youth on the availability of positions funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program.

 

  • Ontario Public Service Careers hires students each year in various summer positions across the Ontario Public Service, its related agencies and community groups through the Summer Employment Opportunities program.

 

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

 

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

 

  • Magnet is an online service connecting people with jobs and opportunities using cutting-edge technology.

 

Other job boards

  • 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.
  • Work in Culture lists career in the arts, culture and creative industries

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. Navigating and Understanding Job Markets

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?

Global labour market facts

  • Vault Career Insider (access through the CLNx is a collection of career guides, job descriptions, data on workplace culture, and information on resumé and interview preparation by industry. If you are a first-time user, you must create an account.
  • Going Global (access through the CLNx provides information on working abroad. It includes internship listings, career guides with information on job search, resources, trends, interviews and more. It also includes an international employer directory spanning 33 countries and thousands of organizations.
  • Rotman – Business Information Centre (BIC) Databases has an extensive list of organization/industry databases. You can access organization and industry profile reports, news and journal articles depending on which database you select. Only current U of T students have access to these databases. Alumni can pay to access some databases through the alumni services at the U of T Libraries
  • Glassdoor offers an inside look at jobs and organizations. It provides “employee generated content” – salaries, reviews of organizations, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees, job seekers, and sometimes the companies and organizations themselves.
  • Globe Investor – Company Snapshots allows you to view company profiles.
  • Job Bank provides labour market stats searchable by field of interest and location.

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. U of T 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

 

5. Find Work on Campus through the Work Study program

Twice a year (fall-winter and summer), the Work Study program offers paid, on-campus positions that provide you with an opportunity to deepen your knowledge, strengthen your skills and explore how your academic studies translate to career possibilities.

  • The Work Experience Stream supports students in developing and articulating workplace skills, competencies, experience and knowledge. These positions are supervised by staff, faculty or librarians. They include opportunities to explore and reflect on how academic studies connect to workplace competencies and how the Work Study experience translates to career possibilities.

 

  • The Research Experience Stream supports students in locating and participating in faculty-led research opportunities. These positions provide the opportunity to undertake or support a research project under the direction of a faculty member and involve the application of foundational methodologies and/or theories within a research field. They also include opportunities to explore and reflect on how academic studies connect to workplace competencies and how the Work Study experience translates to career possibilities. Research Experience Stream roles will vary in their required qualifications but seek to provide research opportunities for students with various levels of experience in research, including entry-level.

Visit the Work Study job board on the CLNx to view opportunities, eligibility requirements, dates, hours and rate of pay, and tips on getting hired!

Searching for more resources to support your job search?

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