Research - Why is it important???

So far in your career-planning process you have assessed yourself and found out a bunch of jobs that you might excel at. So now what??? Your next step is to RESEARCH the various careers that you might be interested in order to find out if you actually want to do that job!

Here are just a few of the reasons it is important to do your homework:

1) Job titles can be deceiving. Once you look deeper into the job description and the day-to-day tasks you would be involved in, you may end up deciding that it is nothing like what you had in mind. Researching various positions helps you figure this out BEFORE you are actually doing the job so that you can make an informed decision. Our website has a variety of databases that can help you conduct this occupational research! Information Interviews can also help with this step if you have a narrowed list of potential career options for yourself. Read more about Information Interviews through our Online Resource Centre now on CareerZone!

2) Money matters! To some, money is everything...to others, money still matters! Although for some of us, doing what you love is more important than financial gain, unfortunately we still require some money to live. Finding out the average salaries for careers you are interested in is important in making your decision! Sites like Glassdoor.com and the Canadian Salary Survey can help you find this information - these and other sites can also be found in the Occupational Research section of our website.

3) There may not be many jobs available in your field of interest. The job market and current state of the economy may play a huge role in your career decision-making process. You may have always wanted to be a teacher and are willing to re-locate to find employment...or you may be willing to seek out alternative career options in the mean time...or you may decide to change your plan of action completely based on the market information you find about your field of interest! No option is better or worse than the other, but what IS important is that you are well-informed so that you can make the decision that suits your needs and wants the best. MyEducationHasValue and the Niagara Workforce Planning Board are just a couple of examples of databases where you can find this information.

4) You want to make sure you do what you love and love what you do...research is an integral component of the career-planning process that allows you to find out what you CAN do, but also what you WANT to do! 

I hope that this list at least gets you thinking about the reasons research should be important for everyone to do...your list may be longer or shorter than mine, but the message is still the same: 

Research is important!

Jami Coughler, Senior Career Assistant
4th Year Bachelor of Public Health [Honours]  
BA: Sociology [Honours] '11