Industry Profiles
The list of possible career opportunities is numerous and career decision making can be overwhelming. To assist you in launching your career research and broadening your awareness of career opportunities, staff and volunteers at the Career Centre have compiled reliable and relevant information about a variety of industries. You will find detailed information about an industry which will help you recognize the different skills, abilities and knowledge required for a particular role.
Advertising Careers
Advertising is not marketing. Marketing is not advertising. The distinction between the two industries can be unclear. Individuals often believe advertising and marketing are synonyms and therefore interchangeable; however, the two are quite distinct. Advertising is an aspect of marketing and is conducted in an effort to complement an entire marketing campaign related to a product or service.
Areas of Specialization
Account Manager
Managing sales and the relationship between the advertising agency and the client, account managers network with organizations and clients to draw in more business. They maintain all aspects of the client relationship to encourage client retention and ensure the client is informed on specific advertising issues.
Art Director
Developing the artistic vision or concept for advertisement, art directors supervise graphic designers and communicate the agency’s vision for the client’s advertisement. They are expected to have well-developed graphic design skill and judgement. They oversee the transfer of an advertisement onto media.
Copywriter
Developing the specific textual content, placement and vocabulary for advertisements, copywriters choose words or phrases to be used in advertisements very carefully. They often work in close tandem with the art director. This also involves ensuring copy placement, size and colour are consistent with the overall ad campaign.
Creative Director
Managing advertising campaigns and advertising agency teams, the role involves ensuring a client’s product and campaign strategy is consistent which entails communicating the campaign strategy to a team and supervising the entire project.
Related Avenues
- Brand strategy: Focus on strategically creating a ‘brand’ for a client so the client experiences differentiation in the marketplace.
- Media strategy: People within these roles choose through which venue to deliver advertisement content. It involves negotiating and buying advertisement space.
- Public relations (PR): PR professionals may work in advertising agencies or within any corporate or large not-for-profit environment. They help plan and maintain a particular public image for a client.
Note: In addition to the above unique roles within advertising, professionals also work in information technology, accounting, finance, customer service and administrative support.
Advertising Websites
Fashion Careers
“Fashion is not something that exists in dress only; fashion is something in the air. It’s the wind that blows in the new fashion; you feel it coming, you smell it… in the sky, in the street… fashion has to do with new ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel
Jobs within the fashion industry are extremely diverse. If you are creative, have a flair for fashion and love to be innovative, this could be the right path for you! You can work for organizations of all sizes, from well-known fashion houses to independent shops.
Areas of Specialization
Agent
Discovering new talent to book for upcoming shows and print pieces, agents are responsible for creating lasting relationships with photographers and magazine editors. They must have an eye for detail and an eye for the right look.
Booker
A booker works at various talent agencies and sends models out to various castings. This is a great job if you are good at networking and making connections. Bookers are constantly multitasking, trying to accommodate both the model and the agency.
Buyer
A buyer analyzes sales and inventory figures, and studies market reports to determine which fashion products to buy. Buyers do a great deal of negotiation with suppliers as to quantity, prices and delivery schedules and attend a variety of trade shows to predict consumer demand.
Designer
Designers are responsible for creating garments and executing new trends. They turn their concepts into something appealing and wearable. Fashion designers must not only be able to sew, make patterns and drape, they must also be unique, creative, and know how to execute ideas and concepts.
Journalist
This role researches information on a wide range of topics (fashion publications being one of many options). They communicate the details through effective written submissions in various platforms including newsletters, newspapers, magazines or internet information sources. There are different types of journalism, ranging from news journalists covering several stories per day to investigative journalists involving more fact-gathering, time-consuming articles. A love of writing and the ability to thrive under deadline-driven environments is key to success in this role.
Marketing/Special Events Co-ordinator
Marketing/special events co-ordinators plan events like trunk shows, meet and greets, fashion shows and seminars. In essence, the co-ordinator wants to educate clientele on upcoming events and make sure important people in the industry attend their events to create awareness.
Merchandiser/Display Manager
The role of merchandiser/display manager advises on the design and layout of products to foster increased sales and can also advise on the packaging of products.
Publisher
Publishers run the companies that produce books, magazines and electronic media resources. They manage editors, production, marketing and circulation staff. Often, they are also responsible for a company's financial performance and serve as the leadership for developing long-term goals and business strategies of the publishing firm. The position of publisher is very rarely a direct-entry job but rather a job that is secured following many years in one or more areas of the publishing industry.
Retailer
Responsible for merchandising designer garments, retailers must be able to market products to the public and sell them to the masses. They can either work for a store, including big box stores or specialty boutiques, or manage one.
Trend Forecaster
Trend forecasters are responsible for analyzing the current market while discussing trends among other people who work in the fashion industry, such as designers, buyers and retailers. They forecast trends up to 24 months in advance.
Fashion Industry Websites
- Association of Canadian Publishers
- Canadian Apparel Federation
- Canada's Model Site
- Canadian Public Relations Society
- Canadian Special Events Magazine
- Costume Society of Ontario
- International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives
- The Embroiderers’ Association of Canada, Inc.
- The Fashion Group International, Inc.
- Toronto Fashion Incubator
Insurance Careers
Jobs within the insurance industry are extremely diverse but are connected by the fact that they all involve the primary goal of helping individuals and businesses manage risk to protect themselves from loss. Many young professionals may initially dismiss the idea of a career in insurance due to the perception that most jobs involve sales. While the industry offers a variety of sales opportunities, a majority of careers in insurance do not pertain to sales at all.
Areas of Specialization
Actuary
Actuaries utilize statistical and mathematical analysis to determine the risk of providing coverage to individuals and/or businesses. Being an actuary requires keen math, statistics, analytical and problem-solving skills.
Agent and Broker
Agents and brokers advise people and organizations on how to protect valuables by selling customers insurance contracts. An agent/broker is the first person contacted after an accident, fire or injury. An understanding of insurance contracts is essential. This career can be financially rewarding. The work is highly time-flexible, requires some background in business and is best if you enjoy interacting with people.
Claims Adjuster
A claims adjuster negotiates insurance claims with people who have experienced a loss. The adjuster is responsible for reaching a claim settlement that is fair to all parties involved. Doing well in this job requires a person who is resourceful, tactful and has strong interpersonal skills. Some adjusters work in the field, while others work out of an office.
Loss Control Specialist
Working to keep accidents and losses to a minimum, a control specialist may visit factories, shop floors and businesses to identify potential hazards and help to eliminate them. In the health insurance area, you might work with an organization to promote preventive health care in the workplace or to limit exposure to certain types of ailments. This work requires an understanding of safety management or engineering. A combination of a technical major and a business major would be good preparation for this job.
Risk Manager
Risk managers identify risks and makes recommendations to organizations for dealing with these risks. The recommendations may include the purchase of insurance, adoption of precautionary measures and presentations to upper management. They are also involved in the management of employee benefit plans. Valuable skills include knowledge of the insurance industry, business practice and delivering senior management presentations.
Service Representative
Service representatives are the link between agents who sell policies and insurance companies who write the policies. Field representatives must be good listeners and communicators. This position requires knowledge of the company’s products and an ability to establish good rapport with those working for the company. A background in liberal arts can be great preparation for this type of position.
Underwriter
Underwriters evaluate an applicant’s exposure to risk and decide whether an applicant meets an insurer’s standards. Underwriting requires strong attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills and a natural curiosity.
Note: In addition to the above unique roles within insurance, professionals also work in information technology, accounting, finance, marketing, customer service and administrative support.
Insurance Industry Websites
- Canadian Association of Insurance Women
- Canadian Underwriter
- Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario
- Insurance Canada
- Insurance Institute – Career Connections (profiles all career areas in the insurance industry)
- Insurance Institute of Canada
- Underwriters Laboratories of Canada
Legal Profession Careers
Careers within the legal industry involve considerable strategic planning because there are many career options from which to choose. Many people do not consider a career in the legal field as they perceive the only option is to be a lawyer. However, various other careers do not require going to law school.
Areas of Specialization
Conflicts Check Specialist
These specialists work with lawyers to resolve potential conflicts. Assist in keeping the firm up to date on ethical regulations. Skills include organization, attention to detail, and the ability to examine legal and factual data.
Law Clerk
Law clerks are primarily employed by law offices or corporations and always work under the direct supervision of a lawyer. Law clerks handle a great deal of administrative and research work for legal proceedings. The majority of employment opportunities in Ontario require you to be a member of the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario (ILCO). Being extremely organized and efficient is a must for this position as law clerks manage document production and retrieval as well as manage and track deadlines to ensure that work is on schedule.
Law Librarian
Aiding lawyers in receiving information quickly and easily, law librarians often assist with reference questions and legal research, track relevant cases, legislation and regulations and assist in finding legal forms and checklists. The position generally requires a Master of Library and Information Science and some experience in library or legal environments.
Legal Investigator
Legal investigators often work with lawyers as they are in charge of interviewing witnesses, locating witnesses related to cases, constructing background checks and many other responsibilities that involve communication with people. Due to the fact that they are mainly dealing with people rather than paperwork, it is key that they have strong communication skills and the ability to focus on the goal at hand.
Legal Transcriber
Legal transcribers often employed by courts, court reporting service firms or even self-employed. Most of their work revolves around court procedures as they are in charge of recording proceedings and making a complete and thorough record. Technical and computer skills are mandatory for audio and video tapings of court procedures.
Mediator
Mediators are people who facilitate generative discussion among plaintiffs and victims or within families as a conflict resolution process, often to circumvent the need to undergo an expensive court process. Mediators must possess very strong communication and facilitation skills to ensure both parties feel heard and understood to move the parties toward problem resolution.
Paralegal
Paralegals are regulated by the Law Society of Upper Canada and are primarily self-employed professionals who handle small claims court or traffic court cases. Paralegals help reduce the workload, increase efficiency and lower legal costs of clients. Skills include and attention to detail, empathy, organization, deadline-driven, research skills and flexibility. Paralegals are typically permitted to work in certain areas of law without supervision and are more often self-employed. Visit the Law Society of Upper Canada for an outline of the permitted scope of practice for paralegals.
Note: In addition to the above unique roles within the legal field, professionals could also work in accounting (e.g. business loss consultant), or a science student, for example, could become an environmental consultant and provide expert opinion and research services in the case of land disputes (e.g. contamination).
Legal Profession Websites
- Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
- Canadian Council on International Law
- Canadian Criminal Justice Association
- Canadian Forum on Civil Justice
- Correctional Service Canada
- Department of Justice Canada
- Human Rights Watch
- Innocence Canada
- John Howard Society of Ontario
- Law Society of Ontario
- Legal Aid Ontario
- Mediation and Arbitration Associates of Canada
- Ministry of the Attorney General
- Paralegal Jobs
- Public Safety Canada
- The Canadian Bar Association
- The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario
- United Nations Association in Canada
Library and Information Science Careers
Library and information science offers a rewarding career for those interested in issues regarding accessing, managing and maintaining information. These professionals manage digital data and various modes of information. Information science professionals are employed in various library settings (e.g., legal, academic, public, school), and there are also a variety of related fields that involve employment in corporate settings.
Areas of Specialization - Library Setting
- Book History
- Cataloging/Meta-data/Taxonomy
- Children’s Librarian
- Collection Development/Acquisitions
- Digital Curation and Preservation
- Digital Media Specialist
- Information Literacy
- Intellectual Property/Copyright
- Liaison/Community Outreach
- Marketing and Communications
- Media Monitoring and Analysis
- Policy Development
- Project Management
- Records and Information Management Co-ordinator
- Reference Services
- Research Services
- Sales Manager (Library Resources and Solutions)
- Special Collections
- User Experience/User-Centred Design
- Web Content Design and Development
Areas of Specialization - Information Science
- Emerging Technologists Specialist
- Information Access Specialist
- Prospect Research Analytics Officer
Related Fields
Archives:
Information Entrepreneurship:
Records Management
- The Authority on Managing Records and Information International (ARMA)
- Association for Information and Image Management
Library and Information Science Websites
Post-secondary Education Careers
There are many diverse career opportunities within post-secondary institutions besides that of professorship. There can be multiple educational paths to these careers, all of the following requiring a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree. If you have a passion for education but do not want to be a classroom educator or researcher, careers relating to education in the post-secondary setting might be a great fit for you.
Areas of Specialization
Academic Librarian
This role involves providing references and research services for students and faculty which entails demonstrating how to utilize resources and equipment. Academic librarians often concentrate in a specific type of public, technical or administrative service.
Alumni Relations
Alumni professionals seek to build and cultivate lifelong relationships between the university and its alumni, continuously reinforcing the value of affiliation with the university. This is achieved in a variety of ways, including organizing a variety of alumni events that reconnect alumni and engage them with the university, facilitating communication with alumni, providing alumni volunteer opportunities and recognizing alumni accomplishments through awards.
Career Consulting
Career practitioners perform a variety of tasks on a daily basis including one-on-one consulting with students and alumni, delivering workshops, organizing events and maintaining career centre resources. Consultants possess a plethora of information to provide students about the current job market, resumé writing, interviewing and networking skills, as well as further education programs.
Instructional Technology
Instructional technology professionals provide technological support for professors, staff, librarians and any other learning instructors within the college or university. A large portion of their work is consulting with individual instructors on incorporating technology into learning and advising various departments on technical issues.
International
Most post-secondary institutions offer an International Office with a focus on internationalization activities, goals and aspirations. These offices work with international students as well as domestic students seeking academic exchange opportunities in other countries. Student abroad advisors and liaison officers provide students with the skills to effectively communicate, learn, and adapt in an intercultural setting during their academic and non-academic life. International relations staff steward international agreements and partnerships and organize/ host delegation visits from across the globe.
Learning Services
Learning services professionals are trained in educational theory and practice, educational psychology, curriculum and disability/accessibility issues. Their role often entails creating academic programs, developing workshops, working with curriculum designers and professors, and performing individual consultations with students. Learning services can include a variety of outlets through a host of programs such as accessible learning centres and writing and math centres.
Public Affairs
University communication professionals create and deliver the university’s key messages, provide information and advocacy on behalf of the university, and assist in effectively positioning the university in the post-secondary sector. This is done in a variety of ways, including the promotion of newsworthy events to the media and the public, writing and designing online and printed publications and managing social media channels.
Recruitment/Admissions
Recruitment professionals assess potential student admission and enrollment while performing a variety of duties such as developing and executing recruitment programs, attending committees and working with faculties. These professionals serve in a ‘public relations’ role to field inquiries from students and parents with a focus on securing a strong attraction to the university. Admissions specialists process applications to an institution, respond to potential student inquiries and co-ordinate admissions with individual academic departments.
Registrar
Professionals in this post-secondary department manage all current and past student admission/academic and registration records. The registrar is responsible for course enrolments and co-ordinating class and exam schedules. The registrar is also responsible for directing the activities of the professional and support staff in their departments.
Student Affairs
Professionals in this department provide services and support for student success outside of the classroom.
University Advancement/Development
Professionals in this department contribute to the sustainability of the university through strategic fundraising initiatives. Identifying prospective donors and managing donor relations is an integral part of the role resulting in opportunities to continually create innovative programming and scholarships for students.
Note: In addition to the above unique roles within post-secondary, professionals also work in accounting, finance and administrative support.
Post-secondary Education Websites
- American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
- Association of Fundraising Professionals
- Association of Universities of Canada
- Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers
- Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education
- Colleges and Institutes Canada
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education
- Learning Specialists Association of Canada
- Ontario Universities Registrars’ Association
- The Chronicle of Higher Education
- University Affairs
Publishing Careers
Jobs within the publishing industry are extremely diverse. If you have an interest in reading books, magazines and newspapers, in either print or online - then a career in this industry may be for you!
Areas of Specialization
Copyright and Permissions
Professionals in copyright and permissions respond to requests to duplicate publications by ensuring compliance with copyright protection laws.
Copywriter
A copywriter works in close connection to clients to understand a company’s product or service in order to write advertisements. A copywriter strives to identify the best means of delivering a client’s message, which may involve writing TV or radio commercials or advertisements for print or online publications.
Designer
A designer consults with clients about projects, audiences and budgets. Designers prepare rough drafts of designs and present them to clients for approval. They gather visual elements for inclusion in print publications, including text, illustrations and photographs.
Editor
An editor collects and produces high-quality written work. An editor’s role varies based on the level of responsibility and the type of publication. For instance, acquisition editors make decisions about which books or articles they want to publish. Developmental editors work with an author to shape the direction of a book/essay, while production editors co-ordinate the design and layout of a book, magazine or newspaper. Copy editors mostly review and edit a writer’s work for accuracy, grammar and style. In smaller organizations, a single editor may do all of the above.
Journalist
A journalist researches information on a wide range of topics (depending on the publication) and communicates the details through effective written submissions in various platforms, including newsletters, newspapers, magazines or internet information sources. There are different types of journalism, ranging from news journalists covering several stories per day to investigative journalists involving more fact-gathering, time-consuming articles. An interest in writing and the ability to thrive under deadline-driven environments are key to success in this role.
Marketing
Professionals in marketing co-ordinate activities associated with development and promotion through market research, market planning, advertising, and direct mail campaigns.
Production and Circulation Staff
This staff monitors book or electronic publication production schedules and interact with authors, compositors, printers, proofreaders, copy editors, designers, illustrators, and photo-researchers. Production staff know a great deal about the printing process, desktop publishing, and electronic product development.
Publisher
This role manages the companies that produce books, magazines and electronic media resources. They manage editors, production, marketing and circulation staff. Often they are also responsible for the financial performance of a company and serve as the leadership for developing long-term goals and business strategies of the publishing firm. The position of publisher is very rarely a direct-entry job but rather a job that is secured following many years in one or more areas of the publishing industry.
Sales
Sales positions involve selling advertising space within a magazine, newspaper, directory or online forum. This work is best suited for individuals who enjoy the art of negotiation and who are both people and goal-oriented.
Note: In addition to the above unique roles within the publishing industry, professionals also work in information technology, accounting, finance and administrative support.