With each passing year, as technology evolves, new occupations emerge. So if you’ve thought about careers a lot, but still don’t love any you’ve come across, don’t worry. Your ideal job may simply not exist yet. Or maybe it does, but you just haven’t heard much about it.
For example, chances are that when your parents were in high school, they didn’t consider becoming nanoengineers. They also didn’t think about being cyber forensic investigators or solar installers. That’s because these occupations depend on new technology or social changes that hadn’t taken place yet.
Understand how careers emerge
New occupations can also come about because of consumer demand. For example, patient advocate is an emerging occupation. But it didn’t result from new technology. It came about because more and more people want help using the health care system.
It can be hard to predict what new occupations may be created by the time you’re ready for a career. That’s why keeping an open mind is a good idea. Some of the most effective career planning you can do includes:
- Exploring options related to what you like and what you’re good at
- Watching for new roles once you’re in a field you like
- Staying open to the new and unexpected as it comes your way
Suppose you like writing, being online, and promoting causes. You might want to work as a social media specialist. In that job, you focus on building online communities. But that’s not a post-secondary specialty you may have heard of. So how can you make that happen?
Start your research
You can pursue a social media career in Alberta. It’s just a matter of looking around to find out the needed steps:
- Read about being a social media specialist.
- Check out related Alberta Job Postings in this field.
- Check out related occupations. Social media specialists often start in journalism, marketing, or public relations. They get exposure to web content management or online community building at work. Over time, they may specialize in it.
- Study social media marketing. There are at a variety of schools in Alberta that offer programs. For example, you can study Social Media Marketing and Communications at the University of Alberta.
While you’re waiting for inspiration, it’s always a good idea to work on your core skills. Some people refer to them as soft skills. These are the skills that can help you in any career. For example, a positive attitude and willingness to learn are 2 soft skills.