Where do you go from here?

So now you know some of the key facts about BC's economy and its major industries. What can you do with this information?

As noted in the BC's Economy section of this resource, if you understand how the economy works, and how the various industries are interrelated, you'll be better equipped to plan for your future. You can use this resource to start your planning.

If you're interested in working in a particular industry, or even in a specific occupation, the information in this resource will help answer some of the questions you may have.

You can use this guide in a number of ways:

• You can find out how an industry stacks up to the rest of the economy. Is it growing faster, or slower than other industries?
• You can check whether there's likely to be a demand for the type of occupation that you're interested in by looking at the sorts of jobs that are available in each industry.
• You can find out how the average earnings in a particular industry compare with those in the rest of the economy.
• You can find out whether jobs are more likely to be full-time or part-time
• You can find out what the industry's unemployment rate has been during the last few years, and how it compares to the average unemployment rate in BC.
• You can check whether self-employment is common or unusual in the industry

If you spend some time researching these sorts of issues before you make decisions about your career, you'll be less likely to be surprised after you're in the labour force, or when you're looking for a job.

We've tried to fill you in on what's happening in BC's economy and labour market, and what's likely to happen in the future. But researching the economy and job market is just one piece of the puzzle you'll have to put together when you're considering the options for your future.

There are a lot of other resources available to you would like to continue researching career possibilities. A brief description of some of these resources is included in this section.