A presentation about starting a career in tech

1. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Career KickstarterTM
Creating a strategy to start and build your career

2. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Today’s intended impact
• Help you articulate your career target
• Create a strategy to work towards realizing that target, complete with
goals, timelines, and resources needed to achieve those goals.
• Gain a better understanding of your career goals (or how to gain a
clearer understanding) and an appreciation for how to leverage your
networks, uncover “hidden” opportunities, and appropriately position
yourself for ideal opportunities.
• Learn a bit about the regional and provincial labor market

3. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Some inspiration to get you started
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDi4hzRIrgc&ab_channel=WilburWinkelman

4. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Career Kickstater™ Steps
1. Build your ideal career target
2. Build your target company map
3. Get your toolkit in top candidate shape
4. Tell people A.K.A. Network, network, and network!

5. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 1: Build your ideal career target
• Goal: Identify your ideal target so that you can create a
path from today to your ideal
• You can always adjust the target
• Not likely to get the target away, but aiming to get as
close as possible
• About being strategic and intentional

6. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 1: Build your ideal career target
Activity: The Magic Wand
Consider You:
• What are you passionate about? Or Interested in?
• What would you do if you could do anything?
• How much of your day do you envision is interacting with people?
• How much of your day do you want to work alone?
• What are your “non-negotiables”?

7. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 1: Build your ideal career target
Activity: The Magic Wand cont’d
Consider Your Environment:
• Where do you want to live and work?
• Where do you want to be when you work?
• What kind of company would you work with/ for/ build?
• What kind of leader do you want to work with/ be?
• What kind of environment do you work best in?

8. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 1: Build your ideal career target cont’d
Consider past experience:
• Leader
• Role
• Team
• Company
What did you learn about yourself, the environment, team, role, etc.
• Loved
• Hated
• “Meh” AKA the squishy face

9. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 1: Build your ideal career target cont’d
• If you’re stuck or just want another
perspective, ask a friend, team-mate,
professor, coach, and/or parent
• Once you have draft #1, leave it for two or
so weeks.
• Then revisit and adjust as needed

10. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 2: Build your target company map
Activity: Connect your ideal target job to
the industry and region you want to work in
1. Identify 7-10 companies and/or leaders
you’d love to work with.
(Anyone have any that come to mind
immediately?)

11. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Understanding Regional Job Trends
Data Analysts
○ 2019-2028, new job openings are expected to total
18,000 - with approximately 16,000 new job
seekers (SHORTAGE)
○ Demand for workers in this occupation is expected
to be supported by technological changes:
■ Canadian upgrading their IT infrastructure
■ New technological practices such as Blockchain
will continue to emerge
○ Average entry salary (Canada-wide): $51,854
Find more:
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17882/ca
Cybersecurity
○ This occupational group is expected to face
labour shortage conditions over the period of
2022-2031 at the national level. (SHORTAGE)
○ Workers with specific skills on communication,
information handling, analysis and management
are expected to be in particular demand in the
short-term
○ Canada-wide average wage per hour: $25 (low),
$42.16 (median, $61.54 (high)
Find more:
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17892/ca

12. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Common Job Titles
Most commonly searched job titles for
Data Analyst:
• Analyst
• Policy Coordinator
• Data Analyst
• Project Operations Analyst
• Coordinator Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Systems Analyst
• Information Analyst
• Database Analyst
• Sourcing Analyst
Most commonly searched job titles for
Cybersecurity:
•
• Cybersecurity Engineer
• Security Architect
• Penetration Tester
• Computer Forensics Analyst
• Malware Analyst
• Application Security Engineer
• Database Administrator
• Cloud Security Specialist
• Information security analyst
• Incident Manager

13. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Where to find employers
Business, Non-profit
• Chambers of Commerce
• Halifax/ Cape Breton Partnerships
• Regional Enterprise Networks
• Community Business Development Banks
• Centre for Women in Business
• PEI Business Women’s Association
• HR Associations / PEI Association of Social Workers
• Innovacorp / Launchpad PEI / NB Innovation Foundation
• Nova Scotia Business Inc.
• International Association of Business Communicators
• New Brunswick Association of CBDCs
• New Brunswick Business Council
• Opportunities NB
• Certified General Accountants Association of NB
• Business Development Bank of Canada
• Business Association of NFLD
• Metro Business Opportunities
• Support for business in NFLD (gov)
• Operation Entrepreneur
Tech, Engineering, Science
• Volta
• Digital Nova Scotia
• MashupLabs (South shore)/UIT Startup Labs’ Shiftkey
Labs/ SparkZone / Startup Zone
• Engineers NS
• Association of Professional Engineers and
Geoscientists of NB
• AATTNL-The Association of Engineering Technicians
and Technologists of NF
• CanWIT
• BioNova / COVE / Forest NB / Planet Hatch
• PEI Aquaculture Alliance / PEI BioAlliance
• ideaHUB / TechImpact
• Venn Center
• Propel
• Atlantic Canada Aerospace and Defense Associations
• Architects Association of PEI
• NATI- NFLD Association of Technology and Innovation

14. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Where to find employers cont’d
Arts, Culture, Heritage, Tourism/Hospitality
• Provincial Tourism Industry Assoc.
• Arts NS
• NS Art Gallery
• Sector Councils
• New Brunswick Arts Board
• Sports NB
• NB Multi-Cultural Council
• Music PEI
• Sector Councils
• PEI Crafts Council
• NFLD Tourism
• Arts NL
• Sports NL
Others
• Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters – Atlantic
• Constructions Associations
• Sector Councils & local chambers of commerce
• Provincial and Federal Governments
• Online Communities (industry newsletters, FB
groups, LinkedIn, etc.)
• St. Johns Board of Trade
• PEI Home Builders Association
• Startup Atlantic
• Atlantic Canada Startup Ecosystem Roadmap

15. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Where To Find More
• https://explorecareers.novascotia.ca/Skills-Occupation
• https://digitalnovascotia.com/funding-resources/tech-ecosystem/
• https://www.nbjobs.ca/stats/labourmarket
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/data-analyst/salaries/Nova-Scotia
• https://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=Web%20Developer&l=Nova%20Scotia&redirected=1&vjk=7bdd49ee25e9aa65
• https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17882/NS;jsessionid=305E908DEE07B9FFC27855B321CC1585.jobsearch76
• https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/17892/NS
• https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17892/NB;jsessionid=6AF23A38FDB53AC6DCC100F6C09A440D.jobsearch74
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/web-developer/salaries/New-Brunswick
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/data-analyst/salaries/Charlottetown--PE
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/data-analyst/salaries/Prince-Edward-Island--PE
• https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17882/PE
• https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/17892/PE
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/web-developer/salaries/Prince-Edward-Island--PE
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/web-developer/salaries/Prince-Edward-Island
• https://ca.indeed.com/career/web-developer/salaries/Newfoundland-and-Labrador
• https://www.glassdoor.ca/Salaries/halifax-data-analyst-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IM984_KO8,20.html

16. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
And, more!
Job Boards
○ Digital NS (of course!)
○ Career Beacon
○ LinkedIn job board
○ Indeed, Glassdoor, Payscale
○ TechVibes,
○ Dice.com,
○ Entrevestor
○ Charity Village
○ Venture for Canada
○ Job Bank Canada, and provincial job banks
○ Entrevestor
○ Your alumni group(s)
○ Recruiters (many in Atlantic Canada!)

17. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 2: Build your target company map cont’d
2. Litmus test
• Do they align with your ideal target?
• Are there consistent themes? Any discrepancies? Why?
• Who’s missing? (Hint: use your network)
3. Identify decision makers and influencers in those companies
• Human resources or hiring manager
• Functional manager or subject matter expert
• CEO/COO/CTO
4. Identify external allies who can help you get “in
• Colleagues, classmates, alumni, mentors, professors, campus services, etc.
5. Commit to action

18. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 3: Get your toolkit in top candidate shape
• Know your “pitch” (for that initial reach
out and many times after)
• Resumes (and cover letters/emails)
• LinkedIn/About.Me/others relevant to
your industry
• Project samples if you have any
• Industry certifications

19. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Step 4: Tell people A.K.A. Network, network, and network
● Create and commit to a plan
● Inform your allies of your target and “list”
● Equip them with your “pitch”
● Identify where your target companies hang-out, i.e. offices,
co-working spaces, events
● Attend events, introduce yourself, and follow up
● Stick with it

20. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Putting it into Practice
Claiming Value
• What’s one thing you learnt today about yourself or career planning?
• Anyone have any actions to share in the chat?
“Homework”
• Complete Career Kickstarter form

21. © EnPoint 2023
GetEnPoint.com
Thank you!
Questions?
@YouEnPoint
Chantal@enpoint.ca
Connect With Us!
@YouEnPoint
GetEnPoint.com