Exploring Careers

This section will help you explore possible careers and determine which occupational path is right for you.

Finding a Good Fit

When you’re considering which career path to pursue, it’s always important to think about how your personality, interests, values, and abilities will align with different types of profession. The resources and self-assessments below can help you start to think about yourself and what you might want to do for work.

WorkBC - Career Discovery Quizzes

An assortment of career and personality quizzes that can help you to learn more about how your abilities, work preferences, and interests will fit in with different career trajectories.

Job Bank - Career Quizzes and Tests

Use these as a starting point in your journey to get to know yourself better and explore the wide range of career opportunities available to you.

Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS)

Provides a comprehensive framework of the skills, abilities, personal attributes, knowledge, and interests that are usually required to work in over 900 different Canadian occupations.

WorkBC - Career Search Tool

Explore career opportunities that fit your interests and goals, and compare your top picks side-by-side to see how they stack up to one another in terms of expected salary, educational requirement, and job prospects.

EducationPlannerBC - Find Your Path

Instead of thinking about what career you want and working backwards to the educational requirements, consider what you’re interested in studying and see where that can lead.

Researching Your Options

The self-assessments and tools above can be useful for narrowing down your list of options, but they don’t replace doing your research. Before committing to a path, it’s important to really consider what is going to be in store for you down the line if you pursue a given profession. What are your chances of getting a job after graduation? Will you have to relocate for work? How much can you expect to earn? The resources below can provide valuable insights to answer these questions and inform your overall decision making.

WorkBC - Explore Careers

Each career profile has sections on “Labour Market Statistics” and “Industry Highlights” that provide data on number of jobs, expected job growth, employment trends, and more.

Job Bank - Trend Analysis

Learn more about various occupations and see how they differ in terms of expected earnings, employment outlook, and professional requirements across Canada’s provinces and territories.

WorkBC - Research the Labour Market

Discover what drives BC's economy, explore high opportunity occupations and industries, and learn about the 10-year employment outlook for the province.

National Occupational Classification (NOC)

Canada’s national system for describing and codifying occupations. Find out where occupations of interest are classified and learn about the main work duties and educational requirements to expect.

Getting the Right Qualifications

Once you have an idea of what to expect in terms of the required skills, education, training, and experience for your chosen path, it’s time to actually obtain the necessary qualifications. Keep in mind that around 20% of occupations in BC are regulated, which means that even after you’ve finished your studies you may still need to be certified or licensed by a professional regulatory authority before you are legally allowed to work in that occupation. This can pose particular difficulties for those who received their education or training outside of the province or country, or for those who’ve studied at non-accredited educational institutions. Use the resources below to help you find and obtain the right qualifications for your intended career.

WorkBC - Explore Careers

Find out if an occupation has required or recommended qualifications by looking for the “Education, Training and Skills” tab in its career profile. Also check out the “Resources” tab for information on any professional associations or regulatory authorities that might be relevant.

EducationPlannerBC - Program Search

Discover educational and training programs that are available at public post-secondary institutions across BC.

Trades Training BC

A useful tool for finding trades training spaces that are currently available.

Job Bank - School to Work Transition Tool

If you’ve graduated from an education or training program, use this tool to see what kind of jobs you might already be qualified for.

SkilledTradesBC

Everything you need to know about the trades industry in BC. Find information on apprenticeships, certification, educational programs, and industry training opportunities.

CICIC - Find out if Your Occupation is Regulated or Not in Canada

Regulated occupations are controlled by provincial and territorial (and sometimes federal) law, and are governed by a regulatory body. Find out if your occupation is regulated here.

BC Government - Resources for Internationally Trained Professionals

If you received your professional qualifications outside Canada, you might require re-certification in order to work here. Find out more about whether this applies to you and how to begin the process if it does.

Changing Careers

It’s never too late to change your professional trajectory and pursue an alternative career. Whether you’ve been out of the labour market for a long time, you’re new to BC and no longer have the required credentials to work in your occupation, or you’re just tired of your current path and want to try something new. The resources below can help you to identify your transferable skills and transition into a new career.

WorkBC - Career Transition Tool

Find out what careers you may be able to transition to based on your current occupation.

Job Bank - Job Transition Tool

A tool to help you find jobs that require some gap training but still suit your career goals.

Skills for Success - Assessment and Training Tools

Find the right tools to assess your current skills and upgrade them as needed.