Design Foundation DSGN 2154 – Career Research: Worksheet
By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
1. Identify the types of information that are useful for career
exploration and company information
2. Identify different sources of information and effectively search
for company and industry information :
3. Identify a company of interest and search for relevant
information about the company
4. Search an article database and identify one article on industry
trends
Using the Assignment Guide developed for this lab, complete the following hands-on
exercises:
Identify Industries
Describe your career interest
What industries would you target for your career interest? Be flexible and think broadly.
Example: I am interested in visual merchandising
Industries: Display Companies, Retail Clothing, Gourmet Food Stores
DSGN 2154 Career Research – Library Worksheet
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Using Directories
Fee-based business directories such as Reference Canada provide organized listings of
companies by industry and are a source for often difficult to find information about private
and small to mid-size companies.
1.
Using the directories listed in the Assignment Guide, locate two companies in your
area of career interest.
Company Name
Address
Key Contact Info (e.g., owner, manager, etc)
Sales
# of Employees
Other Relevant Info
Company Name
Address
Key Contact Name (e.g., owner, manager, etc)
Sales Info
# of Employees
Other relevant Info
DSGN 2154 Career Research – Library Worksheet
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Finding Articles About a Company
In addition to fee-based directories, articles in newspapers and magazines can provide
information about a company’s operations and reputation. Such information can help you
prepare for informational interviews.
1. Using the Assignment Guide, click CBCA or Canadian Newsstand
2. Select the search option menu beside the search box and select Company/Org
3. Enter the name of a company you have identified above into the search box and click
search
TIP: Depending on the size of the company, there may not be any articles about it. You
may have to try both article databases.
4. Did you find any articles? Yes / No (If no, proceed to finding an article about an
industry on p. 4).
5. If yes, choose an article. Copy and paste the brief record of the article below:
What is the title of the article?
What is the title of the source (i.e., newspaper, magazine) in which the article was
published?
When was the article published?
Is the article available fulltext?
Yes
No
6. Using the option available in the article database, email the article to yourself.
DSGN 2154 Career Research – Library Worksheet
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Finding Articles About an Industry
Articles in general and professional magazines are an excellent source for the latest
industry trends and news. In addition to searching, most article databases also have the
option to set up RSS feeds or email alerts to receive the latest articles on a bookmarked
search or from individual magazines. For instructions, consult specific article database.
Explore Search Terms
1. Identify and write down words or phrases that describe your area of career interest.
These become your search terms. Think of alternates.
Example: I am interested in visual merchandising
Search Terms: visual merchandising
Alternates: store design, clothing AND product display
TIP: AND between search terms finds articles that have all the words or phrases
entered.
2. Search for articles using the search terms you have identified.
a. Using the Assignment Guide, click on any one of the article databases
recommended
b. Enter the search terms into the search box and click search
c. Depending on your topic, you may have to try different search terms
d. Select an article of interest to you on the result list. Copy and paste the brief
record below:
DSGN 2154 Career Research – Library Worksheet
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What is the title of the article?
What is the title of the source (i.e., newspaper, magazine) in which the article was
published?
When was the article published?
Is the article available fulltext?
Yes
No
3. Using the option available in the database, email the article to yourself.
DSGN 2154 Career Research – Library Worksheet
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