Careers

When it comes to choosing a career it should be less about what you want to be when you ‘grow up’ and more about WHO you want to be. From traditional careers like accounting to less traditional ones like podcasting, there is a job for everyone.

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Many students think their degree determines what they’ll do after graduation but your degree is just one of the many things to take into consideration when deciding on a career path.  The most important factor in choosing a career that’s right for you is…YOU! But you can’t choose a career that fits who you are if you don’t know who you are! Take some  time to reflect on your history, your experiences, your curiosities, your likes and dislikes, your strengths, your skills, your accomplishments, and the many other factors that go into making you who you are.”

York University

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The 16 Career Clusters

1. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources – includes everything related to the creation of agricultural products. This includes farmers, ranchers, scientists, engineers and veterinarians. 
2. Architecture and Construction – includes people who are involved in designing, building and maintaining homes, industrial facilities, streets or bridges. The roles vary from carpenter helper to safety engineers, so educational requirements vary.
3. Arts, Audio/Visual Technology and Communications – may be the best career cluster for creative people. It includes journalists, actors, dancers, singers, radio announcers and behind-the-scenes workers.
4. Business, Management and Administration – includes business analysts, accountants, HR professionals and managers, and many entry-level positions, like receptionists, secretaries and typists.
5. Education and Training – includes teacher, tutor and instructor roles. This area also employs counsellors, school psychologists and speech-language pathologists who offer support and guidance to students.
6. Finance – The roles are auditor, financial analyst, treasurer, economist, bank worker, debt counselor or insurance professional. Many of the jobs in the Finance career cluster require a bachelor’s degree or specialized certifications. For example, getting a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor license may be helpful for certain roles.
7. Hospitality and Tourism – includes jobs you can do in restaurants, bars, tourist attractions, resorts, hotels and travel agencies. 
8. Human Services – includes not only psychologists, social workers and child advocacy professionals but also paths like hairdresser, manicurist and cosmetologist. 
9. Information Technology – for aspiring developers, web designers, network administrators and computer support specialists. Other careers in this cluster are computer science teachers, computer forensic professionals and information security analysts. 
10. Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security – workers in this cluster protect citizens. They’re police officers, security guards, attorneys, paralegals and FBI agents. Attorneys must earn a bachelor’s degree, complete three years of law school and then pass the final bar exam. A police officer must pass the Law Enforcement Entrance Exam and graduate from the Police Academy.
11. Manufacturing – can be great for people who enjoy working with their hands: equipment operators, millwrights, assemblers and warehouse workers. These roles usually only require on-the-job training, but there are other pathways that may require a bachelor’s degree. For example, there are workers who ensure safety in the factories, while others inspect the quality of products and services.
12. Marketing, Sales and Service – includes salespeople, telemarketers, real estate agents, customer service representatives, market research analysts and marketing managers. 
13. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – includes some of the most highly educated workers, like biologists, engineers, mathematicians, statisticians, chemists and geoscientists. All the roles require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field and professional engineers must also earn a state license. 
14. Government and Public Administration – includes people who help enforce the law. They’re tax collectors, municipal clerks, military workers and customs brokers. This cluster also includes postal service clerks, mail carriers and aircrew members. 
15. Health Science – includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics and healthcare operators. Specialized training is required for all the roles in Health Science. Nurses must attend nursing school and earn a license while doctors have more educational requirements, like earning a medical degree.
16. Transportation, Distribution and Logistics – drive and fix vehicles or work behind the scenes to make sure that public transportation is efficient at all times. They are drivers, pilots, rail car repairers, parking lot attendants, civil engineers and transportation planners.

To learn more about Career Clusters and how to use them, check out the Indeed Career Guide.

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Struggling to find which career path works for you?

Search job profiles. Explore 500 job profiles to find the one that’s right for you. As you explore, add job profiles to your list to view and compare highlights. You can take a quiz to get you started.

Explore Ontario’s Labour Market. Labour market information and statistics can help you plan your career. Learn more about work trends and the skills, education and training you need for jobs today, and in the future.

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Career Resources

Follow Your Heart: Careers in the Horse Industry: Whether you have a horse-related background or are a complete newbie, the Ontario Equine Education & Employment Program can help you get training and find employment. Learn more.

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