(NC) Whether you’re finishing up postsecondary or are thinking of transitioning to a new field, it can be hard to know what direction to take. Where are the most opportunities? Which jobs pay the best salaries? What’s available in your area? Census data from Statistics Canada can help—here’s how:
- View education levels. There is plenty of information on what kind of education people are receiving, whether it’s at the trade school, college, bachelor, master or doctorate level. This can help you find out whether you’ll be competing with many people for the same roles, or if your degree has a unique offering.
- Explore demographic trends. The Statistics Canada website features user-friendly data visualization tools to let you see trends in ages, family sizes, languages and more that you can use to make informed decisions. For example, if there is a large number of seniors in your community, work in a retirement home or long-term care facility can be in high demand. If you’re thinking of starting your own business and notice an influx of young families, a community daycare centre may be a profitable venture.
- Check out incomes. If you’re looking for something that pays above average, census data can help you determine what that average is. Look for sectors that pay above and beyond the median and gain evidence to argue for a higher salary when you do get that new job offer.
Find more information on census data at statcan.gc.ca/census.
www.newscanada.com
