Information literacy a crucial career skillSECTION: CAREERS; Pg. B09LENGTH: 612 wordsCareer security in an uncertain world often depends on information, information and information.At first glance, you'd think if anyone should feel secure at work it would be Larry Beck. For over 12 years, he has worked for a large, successful firm that has invested in his training.Beck doesn't feel secure, however, and neither do many of his contemporaries. "The people I work with, the people I sit beside, the people I meet in the elevator who do the same function as I do feel like they have their feet dangling in the water surrounded by sharks," he says.Beck spends his days on the phone and online, providing technical support to line workers. The sharks have been circling his section, he confides, since his employer began moving some of the support function off-shore."We were told it was a business need," he recalls. "And when we asked about our own jobs the response was: 'At this time there is no plan to outsource this function.' But we all feel like it's just a matter of time."Beck writes about the column I wrote in this space on Sept. 8 , The changing face of labour in Canada, which noted: "The Canadian market for skills and labour is strong ... 42 per cent of all occupations and 35 per cent of all industries are now experiencing skill or labour shortages.""Where are these jobs?" he asks. "What industries are desperate for skilled labour? I would gladly embark on a training/apprenticeship program if I could identify the industry and occupation in need."Beck wants what many want: a crystal ball into which he can gaze and see the future. No such magical device exists, however. Nobody but you can decide on the sort of work you'll do, the job you'll take on, the skills you should develop.And if you're changing career direction, as Beck would like to, the industries you decide to target and the strategic moves you make to find your way can only be determined by you.The process can take months and perhaps even years. As it evolves, you'll need a great deal of information.Internet technology puts information (sometimes too much of it) at our fingertips. And it takes information literacy, as it's called, to wade through it, decide what's relevant and what isn't. Information literacy, the ability to find, organize, evaluate and use information, is a survival skill in today's workplace. You can't be creative on your own behalf without it.Information is Roger Sauve's stock in trade. His company, People Patterns Consulting (www.peoplepatternsconsult ing.com), published the Canada Jobs Update 2007, which includes the labour market information (LMI) in my September column.LMI explains how the labour market operates. It can be historical, current or projected and is often presented in charts and graphs compiled from statistics, surveys and sectoral studies. It can also be gathered informally, during conversations with people working in a particular field.Sauve's blend of expertise provides a snapshot of information literacy in action. He's an economist by trade, he says, with experience as a market researcher, futurist and demographer.The challenge for Beck and others considering a career change is to learn how to be their own economist, market researcher and demographer.It's a matter of being acutely self-aware, says Sauve. "Anybody who's in any job should have feelers out much of the time, so they can see what's happening in their industry and some other industries, as well."More about this in my next column.Janis Foord Kirk is a public speaker and author of Survivability, Career Strategies for the New World of work. Write to her c/o Business, the Toronto Star, 1 Yonge Street, M5E 1E6. E-mail: janis @ survivability.net Find Documents with Similar TopicsHelpBelow are concepts discussed in this document. Select terms of interest and either modify your search or search within the current results setIndustryMinor TermsINTERNET & WWW(69%)COMPUTER NETWORKS
KENDAL SUMLER on 18 Jan 13supporting some of my views
