Career QuickTips

Unsure of your career/educational direction?

This page is a gateway to our picks for great online resources you can put to use right away!

What is your current situation?

Currently, or recently, in high school
Have some college/university already
Returning to workforce after time away
Considering a career change
Newcomer to Canada
Working but want to upgrade or expand options

Steps of the career planning process:

Additional resources

Use our Idea Generator, a brief quiz to ask about your career preferences then tallies up your interest codes and lists Sheridan programs which reflect them.
Work through our Career Planning Micro-Course, a free self-directed course to walk you through the process in detail, includes downloadable modules and videos.
Look up the typical occupational outcomes and labour market conditions for the career field(s) that each Sheridan program can lead to.
Learn about Career advising services for future students, to learn more about our career planning tools to help you choose the right program.

Note: This page has been developed by a Career Counsellor to offer self-directed resources but it is not intended to provide comprehensive advice, or to replace professional guidance.

I am in high school, or have recently been in high school...

...I think I know what college program I want to do.

Look up your program on the Sheridan site and read as much about it as you can. Be sure to look at the Courses and Career Opportunities tabs.
Determine the availability of the program(s) you are considering (right hand side of each Program page).
Research career field(s) that program leads to so you understand where it will take you to, and judge how well it suits you.

...I am eager to continue my education but I'm not sure what.

Try some of the online resources we have selected to help you generate career ideas.
Research the possibilities you come up with so you know what those careers are about.
Locate education that can lead you to career options you are considering.

...I'm not so sure about going to college but my parents want me to stay in school.

You might feel more motivated if you had a career goal so you could see the point of staying in school. We have some great online resources to help you generate career ideas.
Research those ideas to find out what is involved in those careers. If the career seems interesting then it is more likely the school program will be too.
Remember that Sheridan has several one-year Foundation and General Arts & Science programs that allow you to be in school full time without making a long-term commitment to a career path.

... I didn't get into the college or university program I wanted to.

If you were fairly certain on the career direction that program would have taken you, it may not be time to give up quite yet! Determine why you did not get in (marks? portfolio? too late?) and consider alternate paths to your goal including, for instance, a General Arts & Science or Foundation program .
If it was university you didn't get into, you might also consider related college programs... for many programs, if you get good marks it can be a doorway to university. The Sheridan Viewbook lists many college-university transfer options.
You can explore careers related to the one you wanted with career research tools.
If you were not that sure about the program you didn't get into, this might be a good occasion to identify some more possibilities for yourself, then explore related school programs.

I have some college or university education already...

...I have completed a degree but want more specific skills in order to get work.

Post-graduate certificates are focused programs specifically designed for people already possessing a completed post-secondary credential.
Remember to research the career outcomes to be sure the program will take you in the right direction for you.

...I started college or university but didn't finish (lost motivation / interest / etc.)

Sometimes we lose motivation when the end goal is not clear to us. This may be a good occasion to identify some more possibilities for yourself, then explore related school programs.
Doing a bit of self-assessment may be helpful. Your career should reflect you (not vice-versa) so the better you understand your work preferences, the better equipped you are to make those choices.

I am planning to return to the workforce after time away...

...I would like to do something similar to what I was doing before leaving the workforce.

A starting point might be to research the career field to identify current requirements.
Research will also help you identify other careers related to what you were doing previously.

...I would like to do something different than I was, but I don't know what.

Since you want to do something different, you might as well try to put all options on the table. Identify your career possibilities, then research them to compare what is best fit for you.
Doing a bit of self-assessment may be helpful. Your career should reflect you (not vice-versa) so the better you understand your work preferences, the better equipped you are to make those choices.

I am considering a career change...

...I would like to move up, or laterally, within the career field I am in.

A starting point might be to research the career field to identify current requirements.
Research will also help you identify other careers related to what you were doing previously.

...I would like to make a change and do something different.

Since you want to do something different, you might as well try to put all options on the table. Identify your career possibilities, then research them to compare what is best fit for you.
Doing a bit of self-assessment may be helpful. Your career should reflect you (not vice-versa) so the better you understand your work preferences, the better equipped you are to make those choices.

I am working but want to upgrade or expand my options:

Use the Working in Canada site to find job postings for your current occupation, or any of the options you discovered above (note the NOC code for each), to see what types of skills, education and experience tend to be in demand.
To explore a broader range of career options try some of the resources on the generate possibilities page.
Part-time Continuing Education studies allow you to complete a wide range of individual courses, entire certificate/diploma programs, as well as industry-specific credentials (e.g., Insurance Institute of Canada) during evening and/or online classes.

I am a newcomer to Canada:

In addition to full-time programs, Sheridan has a wide variety of part-time Continuing Education courses.
The federal government Working in Canada site provides job seekers, workers and those who are new to the Canadian labour market with the information required to make informed decisions about where to live and work.
Our resources to research careers connects with information to help you understand what is done in various occupations, as well as requirements, pay, outlook and more.
World Education Services , a private non-profit organization under contract with the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training offers both document-by-document and course-by-course assessment of degrees, diplomas and academic certificates earned abroad, for equivalency in Ontario terms.
Settlement.org is a large web site with a wide range of information and answers about settling in Ontario

**Keep in mind that some of the other sections above (for instance, "I have some college/university already") may also apply to you.