Stop Googling, Start Finding: Targeted Job Research

Next Step Navigator is a career newsletter mixing real talk with real advice to help you tackle the job hunt and carve out your own unique path. It’s like grabbing a coffee with a mentor who shares stories and strategies to boost your confidence and guide you towards making strategic, meaningful career moves.

Scenario: You’ve done the hard work of pinpointing your career interests and values, identified a specific field or industry,  but then typed “public health jobs’ into Google and were shown hundreds of irrelevant results: not at your career level, in the wrong location, wrong niche or misaligned with your specific skills or strengths.  You’re left just as confused as before.

Here’s my favourite strategic method to effectively research your next career move.

Think of your research approach as an upside down triangle - you’re going to start with general resources to give you high-level information, but will quickly move on to more niche, and focused resources to ensure you get personalized, ‘insider’ info that’s actionable and relevant.

So, how do you get started?

1. Research the general field using job description databases

Don’t waste time guessing job titles on Indeed or digging through pages of results on Google. Start by browsing comprehensive job descriptions on dedicated databases:

• O*Net Online: Great for detailed job descriptions, skills, related jobs, and future outlooks.  It’s an American resource, though, so make sure you look at the Canadian equivalent for training and licensing requirements (where applicable).

• Canada Job Bank - Labour Market Information: A go-to for Canadians, offering practical job details, salary ranges, necessary personal attributes & required qualifications.

2. Check out professional associations

Professional associations are my favourite hidden gems for industry insights, up-to-date news, networking opportunities and career development information:

• Find associations related to your industry (like the Canadian Public Health Association).

• Pro tip: There is a professional association for EVERYTHING.  Type “field/industry”+ professional association” into Google to find organizations in your field.

3. Get curious about specific companies & organizations

Look at the websites or organizations or companies you're genuinely excited about:

• What’s their niche within your industry? Where are they located? Who works there?

• Regularly visit their careers pages—see what they're hiring for and notice the patterns - what skills and experience do they consistently seek?  What are the challenges they are trying to solve? What is their mission, vision and values?

4. Find online communities and events

Online groups can offer real-world advice and connections that websites alone can't:

• Learn where people in your field gather online - is it on LinkedIn? Reddit? Facebook? BlueSky?

• Search on Eventbrite for virtual or in person events in your field

• Treat LinkedIn as a research platform! Follow industry leaders, relevant companies and fill your feed with info that aligns with your interests.

5. Explore niche job boards

Move on from overwhelming job sites like Indeed or Monster and use targeted boards instead:

• Check out specialized sites (e.g., in our public health example, you could look at PublicHealthJobs.org, job boards for municipalities or hospitals or anywhere that people in your field work).

• Read a variety of job postings! Many job titles are invented by employers and becoming familiar with what jobs in your field are called is important in one day effectively searching.

6. Talk to real people (this is the most important step!)

Personal conversations provide clarity you won't find anywhere else:

• Use LinkedIn to identify professionals in roles that intrigue you.

• Look up alumni from your program of study if you attended college or university - what have they gone on to do?

• Reach out with a friendly, but specific note: "Hi! I'm exploring careers in public health and would love to hear about your journey from your Masters of Public to your role in XYZ organization. Would you be open to a 20-minute chat?"

Think about this research as a process of discovery, driven by curiosity, where you’ll experience little wins and build insights along the way - you're unlikely get a 'eureka' moment or find THE THING you want to do for the rest of your life. That's normal!  The key skill here is curiosity, resourcefulness and embracing a bias towards action.

Let’s chat - what are your favourite niche career research resources? What has been your most influential source of information as you've navigated your career path?

If this article resonated with you and you're looking for support in finding specific resources for your industry or a fresh research approach, feel free to email me: [email protected].