The recession and your job hunt
Concerned about the recession? Well, you
should be. If an issue doesn't interrupt our
sleep at night, make us fat or push up the
price of coffee, most of us don't really care
about it.
The problem with this recession is that it has no effect on the average citizen unless they work in an affected industry. The price of bread won't go up, and even your taxes will be virtually unaffected, then your job is gone and all those tiny percentages that the politicians have been talking about for months become very real.
Those of us with part-time jobs can no doubt remember a few co-workers who were working full-time at minimum wage despite having a degree or even experience in industry. 'Sure,' we think, 'That won't be me! I'm driven to excel, and I make sure to network.' That may be the case, but in the event of a factory closure or corporate merger, all it means is you'll know the people in line with you in the unemployment office. Being qualified in your field is no longer enough to ensure you an opportunity to work in that field.
The constant outsourcing of manufacturing has stripped Ontario of a huge chunk of its industry. Dofasco had to cut jobs to stay competitive, IBM and other major tech firms were forced to follow suit as cheaper labour overseas offered the allure of bigger profit margins, which made outsourcing an easy decision for financially vested stockholders. The big three auto makers in Detroit would be long gone if the loss of jobs hadn't been such a frightening prospect that the Canadian and American governments saw fit to throw billions of dollars at the problems to form a temporary band-aid of money.
Here are the industries that are on the decline according to Statistics Canada: finance, insurance, real estate and leasing, manufacturing, information, culture and recreation are all experiencing negative growth. On the other hand, the same study showed that jobs in the educational, professional, scientific, technical, accommodation and food industries, as well as jobs in natural resources and public administration, are on the rise.
So, will the recession affect your ability to get a job in a couple of years? The global economy is something that we can only react to, not control. The trends, however, are worth noting. Obviously going into auto manufacturing isn't a wise choice, not only because if you're reading this you're probably in school and aren't aiming to work an assembly line, but also because the industry is, and has been, in trouble for years. If you want to go into healthcare, you can expect a fairly easy time with it; the population is aging and demand for healthcare workers rising.
The bottom line is this: do your homework before you pick a career. Use your common sense, identify your strengths, identify how you can best apply them in today's economic climate and live happily ever after.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The problem with this recession is that it has no effect on the average citizen unless they work in an affected industry. The price of bread won't go up, and even your taxes will be virtually unaffected, then your job is gone and all those tiny percentages that the politicians have been talking about for months become very real.
Those of us with part-time jobs can no doubt remember a few co-workers who were working full-time at minimum wage despite having a degree or even experience in industry. 'Sure,' we think, 'That won't be me! I'm driven to excel, and I make sure to network.' That may be the case, but in the event of a factory closure or corporate merger, all it means is you'll know the people in line with you in the unemployment office. Being qualified in your field is no longer enough to ensure you an opportunity to work in that field.
The constant outsourcing of manufacturing has stripped Ontario of a huge chunk of its industry. Dofasco had to cut jobs to stay competitive, IBM and other major tech firms were forced to follow suit as cheaper labour overseas offered the allure of bigger profit margins, which made outsourcing an easy decision for financially vested stockholders. The big three auto makers in Detroit would be long gone if the loss of jobs hadn't been such a frightening prospect that the Canadian and American governments saw fit to throw billions of dollars at the problems to form a temporary band-aid of money.
Here are the industries that are on the decline according to Statistics Canada: finance, insurance, real estate and leasing, manufacturing, information, culture and recreation are all experiencing negative growth. On the other hand, the same study showed that jobs in the educational, professional, scientific, technical, accommodation and food industries, as well as jobs in natural resources and public administration, are on the rise.
So, will the recession affect your ability to get a job in a couple of years? The global economy is something that we can only react to, not control. The trends, however, are worth noting. Obviously going into auto manufacturing isn't a wise choice, not only because if you're reading this you're probably in school and aren't aiming to work an assembly line, but also because the industry is, and has been, in trouble for years. If you want to go into healthcare, you can expect a fairly easy time with it; the population is aging and demand for healthcare workers rising.
The bottom line is this: do your homework before you pick a career. Use your common sense, identify your strengths, identify how you can best apply them in today's economic climate and live happily ever after.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
