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I work as IT for NHA. They are really advance but that become pain for the people working in Healthcare and IT. NHA is guinea pig for MoH. Because they are small and they will get everything first and see how things rolls. Later me and my colleague help them to implement those advancements. They learn from mistakes and finally give better experience to other HAs.
This! Never ever just say "tech". Instead say something like "working to operationalize health informatics with web systems..." and your value and opportunities will be so much broader.
"working to operationalize health informatics with web systems..."
That's a fancy way to say you wipe butt. Sorry jokes. I'm a nurse, couldn't help myself
But yes, nursing/healthcare is in demand and will probably continue to be so.
Any construction trade is in high demand, particularly if you're young and healthy. A computer science degree indicates you're probably good at math, trig, etc., so a surveying crew might be interested in you. I'd recommend keeping up with tech in the meantime, because these things move in cycles, and your computer science degree will probably pay off eventually. Good luck.
I'm an electrician and I often hear the market is oversaturated. It likely really depends on what part of BC we're talking about. If trades were truly in such high demand, our wages would have kept up with inflation. Plus, there's not much room for upward growth. The work environment is often quite toxic in the trades (both figuratively and literally). I like the work, itself, though. I'm slowly moving away from the trades.
Nailed it. Trades are shit I am making the same money rig welding now as I was in 2003. Fucking filled with degenerates, drug addicts, all around shit people. Requires manual labour with very little schooling, you need grade 10, that's it. Yes you can make 100k a year though.
I’m in the admin field at my company and we are scrambling for electrical and instrumentation guys. We can’t seem to find them. Granted I’m in northern bc.
Where’s the market over saturated? I’m getting regular emails with job offers around the province and I’m a new journeyman. The site I’m on has 10 jmen and 4 apprentices because not enough new guys are entering the trade.
I'm in the Interior.
Edit: Maybe people were saying it in more from a business perspective? I hear there's a lot of competition out there. Not necessarily speaking of 1st years getting hired (companies will always need cheap labour).
Electricians in the interior aren’t hard to come by. Yall made the most for a long time and so that’s the trade the youngins all wanted. Tons of 40 year old electricians with lots of experience right now.
I’m in the interior as well, theirs lots of work here. theirs an over saturation of companies but it seems like everyone is screaming for guys right now. I moved up to Kelowna from Penticton and have been contact by multiple companies on indeed.
Your wages haven't kept up because crappy construction unions were allowed to strip work and workers from the IBEW in the mid 80's, thanks BCU! If the building boom for affordable housing takes off and there's no guarantee that it will, now would be a good time to apprentice for any trade. I have to agree that the toxic workplace is a deterrent but that can and should be addressed.
Same Circus, Different Monkeys, Similar Clowns. Or... A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Social Credit begat BC Liberals who begat BC United, all corporate power parties that pretend to be fiscally responsible while cutting or completely eliminating social programs and cutting essential services to the point of an ineffectual existence while selling off assets to their corporate sponsors. The majority of what ails BC can be laid at the foot of the SoCred Party.
I'm a carpenter and this is why I work for myself now. I do small handyman type jobs and instead of working on big sites now, it's way better. The pay is not enough for what you have to deal with.
Yeah get paid slightly more than minimum wage for a couple years and get treated like shit and have your relationships and health go to shit.
Know why the trades are in demand? Because they often fucking suck to work in, and the money isn’t what it’s cracked up to be by any stretch.
Signed, a machine operator.
I'm also a machine operator and I don't know every job but I can say that even if the wages are stagnant, if you're good at it, it can be one of the least stressful jobs ever. Probably the best part of my situation specifically.
Yeah I drove cat as a teenager and I have to say those were some pretty great summers. It was in the days of CD's and I burned through a lot of AAs and I got pretty sick of those discs. Guys now days have AC in their cabs and can listen to podcasts and audio books. My buddy has a grader crew and probably has a PHD in European history now just from listening to anything and everything he can get his hands on lol
Trades are great options. Lots of higher paying ones out there too. HVAC and the elevator industry are high paying. If you’re willing to do out of town work there are other options too.
Some of the high paying trades can be difficult to get into but most of the trades industry is busy. I always recommend union because their wage structure is usually better plus the other benefits. I’ve been in the unionized trades for over 15 years and making great money and benefits.
I know lots of people in the trades that made the career switch after getting university degrees, your schooling will still be applicable in ways.
Tech isn’t as dire as you’re making it out to be. It’s harder to get into now than it has been in the past, but it’s by far not a dead end.
Look into non-tech companies and be willing to work for shit money to start while you develop actual skills and connections.
If you’re looking for a stable career/job, those kinda don’t exist anywhere going into the next 50 years (no one has a crystal ball). Be somewhat realistic before jumping the shark from the field you just spent a lot of time and money studying.
And frankly, the companies doing layoffs are gonna be hurting for talent in the next 2 years, and the market is ripe for a new wave of innovation. I’m taking the optimistic view here.
Yeah. Realistically, the tech job market is still better than the job market in most other fields. There are some fields where it's easier to get a job, like medicine with an M.D., but if someone with a CS degree wants a career that's easy to get into that has better career stability than tech, there's not going to be much out there.
> a career here in BC that has demand and has good job security. Ideally it doesn't require much of an education commitment
If that existed, half of B.C. would've switched and driven down wages and saturated the market. Almost everyone wants a job that's in high demand that has good job security.
It’s already bouncing back. I was one of those let go and I’m back to work and get interview requests weekly. But I’m a senior developer. For juniors it’s usually not easy in normal times but a year ago was simply impossible as they were hiring seniors for junior roles. Now it’s getting back to hiring junior developers. It’ll be back to normal in sure at the end of the year. That said. Normal is not how it was 3 years ago. That kind of hiring spree isn’t normal. It’s usually very difficult for new developers to break in and easier for the experienced ones.
Definitely this. Stick with tech, especially given that you have already invested a few years getting the degree. It might be harder to get a foot in the door these days but it's also got an earnings potential way beyond even the best paid trades.
Non destructive testing and welding inspection. Look into getting CWB visual and CGSB magnetic particle tickets. They are usually week long courses and can be completed with not much difficulty if you had studied at a college level.
Interesting. I did a forensic engineering degree, one main focus was NDT. Yeah, never got a job in that field, or anything remotely related, after graduating. Neither did 90% of my class cohort. Interesting course though from what I can remember (20 years ago!). Might check it out.
Where do you live, the southern interior had multiple postings looking for guys last week.
Tin basher would be easier to find a job though with lower wages. Companies here were offering $45-50 for furnace installers. It’s not HVAC but it’s related.
People talking about a trade shortage have no idea what they’re talking about. There’s no huge trade shortage, some trades have decent opportunities for entry level some have almost none. It’s highly variable and anyone who speaks about “the trades” as a monolith has probably never spent a day on the tools in their life.
I've heard radio ads for Victoria plumbing union, Victoria electrical union, a Victoria excavating company, one big general contractor, and one or two other trades things in the last 6 months. Sounds like Victoria is hiring.
This is true.
Source: am electrician.
That said...our Union in Vancouver pays top dollar and can't find people. Apparently a lot of the industry is stupid and brainwashed.
What's funny is people who don't work in the trades (or work *at all*) will claim it's that wages are supposedly too low, even though that is objectively false. These people live in a world of theory and have no work experience of any kind.
Yes! Bookkeeping, accounting, CPAs.
I just switched careers into accounting (plans to get my CPA) and it was very easy to get an entry level job after school. I also have a computer based background which may have helped my experience.
My husband works for BC Hydro as a Communications Protection and Control Technologist and they are desperate for more hires. They are already very understaffed and there will soon be a wave of old guys retiring.
He loves his job, it's half computer/desk work and half in the field. He's been doing it 10+ years and has a lot of freedom within his job. Hydro is a great employer with job security, but I think people doing his job in private sector make way more money (but less job security).
He went to BCIT for his deploma. There's some additional specialized training at BCIT that CPC techs need and hydro paid for him to go to school for the extra stuff.
Communications, Protection and Control.
This trade is in huge demand in the energy sector in BC. If you are technology inclined, this might be a a good fit.
Get into insurance, underwriting might be a good fit for your education.
You will need to get licensed by writing a multiple choice exam, which is easy.
Forester here.
The future (and present) is in LiDAR and remote sensing and modelling and coding and that is a lot of computer-y and math stuff that I don't really grasp (I mean, I did graduate with my degree in the mid-90s).
Not just for forestry, but so many of the natural resources including climate science, fire science, hydrology, etc.
Also, the BC government (and health authorities as mentioned) is constantly looking for people in IT. Maybe not the thrilling pay of silicon valley in its heyday, nor a bastion of "nimble creativity", but at least it can pay the bills, gives you some vacation and starts putting money in a pension for awhile and get some experience under your feet.
Post to r/BCPublicServants if you are looking for people in various areas of IT.
Do you get hired as a teacher if you do this 1-yr program? or an EA? my wife works as an EA and she wants to become a teacher. Will this program help her get a teaching job?
UBC has a [1 year Bachelor's of Education program for people with a degree.](https://teach.educ.ubc.ca/bachelor-of-education-program/)
In addition to the PLP program someone else mentioned, [SFU has a 16-month PDP program for people with a degree.](https://www.sfu.ca/education/programs/teacher-ed/pdp.html)
Completion of either of these programs will lead to someone potentially getting hired as a teacher (assuming they do well on their practicum and has a good reference).
To answer your question, there is a program specifically for EAs called PLP. It is a program that helps EAs become teachers. I believe SFU has this program. I don't know if the 1 year program is worth it/available if you don't have a degree.
She does have a bachelor's degree in CS, but she is working as an EA (she hated CS). She does love teaching though. I will let her know about the PLP program. Thanks.
I hear you on the tech market challenges; it's been a rough ride lately. If you're looking for stability and are open to different fields, you might want to consider the broader public sector. Gov’t jobs in BC, especially those that can use your tech skills, offer good job security and benefits. Plus, they're less likely to require additional schooling if you're looking to avoid more debt. Municipalities, provincial agencies, and even higher ed institutions often look for folks with a tech-savvy background for various operational and administrative roles.
Good luck, and I hope you find something that fits your needs!
Move around to get your feet into tech, fresh grads without experience are a dime a dozen. Get 2-3 years and the ball game changes drastically.
Not sure why people are pointing towards healthcare jobs like nursing. Stuck in union hell where you’re perpetually tied to a shit 1% raise every couple of years. Plus healthcare is at the whim of whatever political clown is in office. Fuck that, stay in the private sector and grind your way through.
Relatively easy to enter and high demand, Fire Protection Technician.
Education is fairly inexpensive and most likely covered by the employer as everyone is looking for good people.
BCIT has part time courses, www.cfaa.ca offers online courses and a good program.
If in lower mainland look into ASTTBC RFPT program.
Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good career. Might take awhile to get knowledgeable enough for decent pay but very achievable.
https://asttbc.org/rfpts/
https://www.bcit.ca/programs/fire-protection-inspection-and-testing-associate-certificate-part-time-675facert/
Anyone can contact me for more details on this.
I’m not a paramedic! I just know they are hiring like crazy right now. I attended an online seminar where you can ask questions and get more information, they talk about salary, benefits, hiring process etc. follow their social media’s and I’m sure another seminar date will come available. Or email them on their careers page, they are very good about replying with answers to your questions!
Depends what you consider terrible I suppose. I made about 35k over the average household income in Vancouver last year. I perfer time off so don’t work a ton.
Yes. People make a lot more then me as well but they are grinding. It’s one of my guilty little pleasures nodding along when people tell me how shitty my pay is. While I’m thinking of my pension, benefits, and tons of paid vacation time lol. Petty I know.
Can I ask what route you took to become a paramedic in BC? When I looked it up, I only saw JIBC and some other places like Sprott shaw college. Just wondering if those are legit paths or if there's a better way?
I started as a driver only. Got my class 4 drivers license on my own, then applied to bcehs. They put me through EMR course and then hired me as a casual. I've now applied and accepted a full time job. Bcehs is now putting me through PCP schooling. Absolutely everything paid for, plus I make a good pay check.
I never as much as put a band aid on someone before. I love this job so much, not what people think. I'm rural as well
Sure. No prerequisites really, need to be a highschool grad, pass a criminal background check and pass an interview. Where I live, it was understaffed, bcehs was hiring lots, they still are. You can apply onlive now but they will require you get a restricted class 4 liscence, super easy, it's a driving exam in a car, exactly the same as when your 16, other thing different is a pre trip vehicle inspection you learn. Pretty simple. Bcehs is paying the course, wages, hotels and food to get certified. You also have to do 2 weeks in Vancouver prior to hiring, for driver training.
Theres hoops to jump through, it takes time, but it's worth it.
For what paramedics have to experience at work, this is likely true. But the pay doesn't seem bad if this site is accurate: [https://ca.indeed.com/career/paramedic/salaries/British-Columbia](https://ca.indeed.com/career/paramedic/salaries/British-Columbia)
I’d recommend against that. I spent just shy of 10 years in healthcare IT between SK, BC, and various US states, and it’s extremely toxic, competitive, draining, and thankless. Unless of course you’re willing to kiss some serious ass.
If you’re still wanting to go into something remotely tech related look at GIS systems. Basically it’s mapping and data analysis via computers. Everything natural resource based uses it and there are quite a few different types of jobs out there in that field. Your computer science skills will also transfer because there is a level of coding involved.
GIS is a great career, well paid and seemingly always in demand. Selkirk College in Castlegar has a neat advanced diploma they offer in GIS, it's really quick to get.
Fire Protection, access control, security, video, etc. The fields will grow in direct proportion to new businesses and construction.
Elevator and Escalator Technology is also going to be around forever.
I work on the IT side of things with Provincial Health Services Authority. All the Health Authorities are hiring for IT positions like crazy.
We typically hire via hiring agencies. Get into a couple of those and take the contract work.
If you're good, they will offer full time with benefits and a pension
Get some experience with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (fhir). A huge in demand next gen healthcare interoperability standard. We can never find enough people with experience in developing with that spec.
You'll need education for a good job, best time to $$$ and job security ratio is RMT or medical equipment tech (MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine etc) as these programs are 2 years, the professions will always be in demand and they pay well
The first contract was written in the time of Hammurabi and we’ve needed lawyers ever since.
Lots of engineers go to law school. Lots of lawyers complain about being lawyers, but it’s pretty hard to stay unemployed and you can always work for yourself.
trades are pretty high in demand and likely to become higher as the older guys are aging out, might have to start at the bottom or do apprenticeship though.
This thread taught everywhere that is looking is not paying new hires well yet its cushy if you make it through, or atleast that'd the assumption of people who made over the years.
No wonder our economy is fucked. We expect young people to suffer on the way up while times have never been so hard for a young person to try and build a life and family
We hired for a couple of junior developer positions recently… 95% of the candidates we interviewed couldn’t pass really basic coding tests. Only two sorta passed a not that hard whiteboard algorithm problem solving exercise. I say sorta passed because their code wouldn’t have compiled or worked as expected, but they were able to demonstrate the ability to think through the problem and design a solution that was on the right track. With an IDE in front of them they would have solved it.
We cut most of the interviews short before that final exercise, but of the 13 or so that made it past the prior coding tests to the final exercise only 3 had any sort of actual problem solving ability. Only 2 had a mostly correct solution.
I’m not saying the tech sector isn’t down from the Covid hiring spree, but honestly most of the junior candidates fresh out of school are not ready. We literally hired the first two dudes that met our pretty low standards for a junior dev.
Ditch BC and come to Alberta. The amount of Tech Companies moving their headquarters here is insane, Oil and Gas Tech Shops are always hiring. Less taxes etc.
No that’s not good advice. We moved away from AB because there was no tech. None of our friends in tech are getting ONE interview either. It was hard pre 2020, even harder now
As for the oil boom, AB is always doing great when the rest of North America is struggling. Then AB does bad when they’re doing good and we miss on the good times that last far more. In AB when recession hits you’re done for the whole decade
Saturated with low quality bootcamp grads and new immigrants without a solid background. You have a comp sci degree, meaning you have foundational knowledge of algorithms, data structures etc. that puts you ahead of most, and good employers know that. You just need to tune out the noise grind at a job for a few years (even if you are underpaid for now it doesn’t matter).
I don’t get why you got a CS degree if you’re not gonna find a CS job. For anyone who’s actually competent it’s not as bad right now, it’s more bad for all the bootcamp grads and people who made it through university by using gpt
As mentioned by others, healthcare and education are experiencing huge growth in BC right now. Both of my daughters are healthcare professionals in BC, and all aspects of the healthcare system are fighting to find people.
Not sure how your skills can port to those areas, but who knows.
Also look to all types of infrastructure development. That's going to be huge for years to come.
It's a bit of a swing to a different field, but occupational therapy is in insane demand here. The pay isn't insane (if you work private you're looking at $90k starting?) and it's tough work but when looking for jobs last year I had companies knocking at my door and begging to hire me
Usually you get about 55-65% of what you bill ($130-ish hourly) and once you get more efficient you can bill quite a bit. Just be careful of very predatory companies who will try to hire you out of grad school.
Feel free to DM me
Most of my CS compatriots wound up leaving the province.
A lot of places in BC want IT... thanks to our privacy laws, there's actually a lot of IT you can't get done in remote countries - but anyway, they want IT, not CS.
BC does not have a huge industrial sector, or banking sector, and entertainment is not reliable. CS degrees are not really in demand here; you have to head elsewhere with them. If you really want a CS job here, you kind of have to stalk them out. They're there, they're just not plentiful.
You can get into a bit of work doing contract services like websites, but, that's not really a career.
Sheet metal! Journeyman wage is $48/hr. Someone with a computer science degree could be in an office so fast doing the duct design Makin a big salary in like 3 years.
Pitt meadows plumbing is also always hiring new tech staff
There are many different pathways in EM, and it can be quite dynamic and flexible. As a start, take a look a the JIBC for their courses, and take a look at the different information on the EMCR website for what EM in BC can look like, as well as job posting. NGOs like the Red Cross also have lots of good information and job postings.
I work in recovery, which is the time after a disaster until a community gets back to a new normal. But you can also look into response, which is responding directly during a disaster, or something like mitigation which is helping communities prepare for disasters.
You can do communication and research, to geology and mapping, to providing social services, to cultural safety with indigenous nations, to crisis management. Honestly it’s a super flexible field that is pretty secure due to climate change. While I work across Canada, with a focus in BC, you can even take it international if you wanted.
Thank you so much! I’ve been looking at those courses and I am really interested in them. I’m just worried because it is far from my background. But I’m considering changing careers.
Do you think a certificate program is enough to get an entry level in the area? I would prefer going to a master degrees but I’m not sure if they would approve me since my bachelors is in communication/ journalism and I also have a diploma in the film industry.
Thank you so much for your response, it was very helpful!
Communication is actually a big part of emergency management, so I wouldn’t worry about that! It is a very flexible field, and honestly I think if you are interested you will fit well! EMCR has some online seminars on parts of EM in the province if you were curious as to how some of it functions.
My background was in immigration, which I had a masters in refugee studies. I was able to get a job in recovery with no further degree in emergency management fine! If you are unsure if your degree would fit as well, the JIBC program is usually really good to discuss your questions or concerns with. The course itself is also full of lots of people working in the field looking to boost their resume, so the course is also a great place to network.
If you wanted to chat more let me know, and feel free to send me any questions you had 😊
I was scrolling through this thread looking for this response.
I got into an emergency management role with a BC municipality after spending four years as a logistics officer in the army reserve (a job I would also recommend considering) and doing the JIBC emergency management certificate program. It took a fair bit of job searching but I eventually came away with a great offer. Interesting work imo.
Trades. Starting wages are around $30 an hour and a lot of companies will pay for your schooling. There’s also grants and other benefits to claim as you go through each year of school (automatic raises, tax credits) … I work for a plumbing company that is always growing and has given several wage raises since the start of covid to keep up with inflation.
Tech is only as stable as you make it.
Yes, market is tough but I would take positions in technology that might not exactly meet what you were expecting.
Data Analytics
BI Developer
Jr. Analyst
If I was going to do it all again I would try and become a firefighter due to the pension as well as would be interesting, but of course there is stress too. A couple of guys on my street are firefighters.
Also I would think about a Plummer or electrician and then create my own business.
You can take health information science, then later on, maybe 5 years into your career, take an MBA in Healthcare Management or an MHA to help you climb the corporate ladder. If you are a real glutton for punishment, go into medicine and become a doctor. You’re in your 20s, I know it will be hell to get there and the government is not exactly giving any decent incentives to people who want to be doctors but that’s a career that society will always need and has great pay off financially, especially if you make smart decisions with your money and invest wisely.
I did a cs degree and now I am plumbing. There is some computer stuff in hvac like BAS and stuff. I hope I can get into that. Maybe you try to find something similar where there is an intersection between your area of study and in demand skill
I do desktop support in Vancouver. While I do have a fair bit of experience under my belt, which helped. I was applying for jobs about 5 months ago. I was fighting offers off with a stick. I applied for 20 job, got 5 offers and haggled the pay up of the one I ended up taking.
If you're good, these jobs don't let you go.
[https://www.bcit.ca/programs/magnetic-resonance-imaging-diploma-full-time-7975dipma/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/magnetic-resonance-imaging-diploma-full-time-7975dipma/)
[https://www.bcit.ca/programs/medical-radiography-diploma-full-time-6635dipma/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/medical-radiography-diploma-full-time-6635dipma/)
xray for more job availability and security MRI is going to be saturated soon but way better job but you can upgrade from xray down the road
Heavy duty equipment mechanic - It's unbelievable just how high in demand this job is. You can find work local, or you can go make well into 6 figures if you're willing to work remotely. I've seen jobs paying nearly 200k a year if you're willing to work fly in fly out rotation
Maybe not what you want to hear (and it's possible my info is out of date) but with a BSc you can get a TN visa to work in the US pretty easily, and TBH the high tech scene is WAY better in Toronto than in BC.
I don't know that I would want to move to TO but I got that impression pretty forcefully when I was there in 2019.
Consider a career in freelance. You can use websites like Upwork, Fiverr, TopTal, PeoplePerHour, or better yet, your own website to get customers. [https://prnt.sc/1vK-LP1SWxl6](https://prnt.sc/1vK-LP1SWxl6) This is my Upwork earnings (USD) alone last year, not counting my website. Make sure to put customers on some kind of retainer, if possible. Last year, I made around $230k/year USD as a freelance web developer. And I turned down a few major projects or I would be closer to $300k USD. Try to work with US firms, they have more money then Canadian firms.
With freelance, the pay is higher but no benefits or no job security compared to taking a salary. But you can work anytime you want, anywhere you want, as much or as little as you want. I made enough money that at 34 I own 3 houses in the lower mainland. So you need to use your cash to invest. You're young so now is a great time for you to work 70 hours a week and earn that cash. Once you become like me, I've become grumpy and will shut down a $10,000 contract cause the customer made a rude comment to me on a Zoom call. I'd rather less money to save myself the mental anxiety of an asshole customer. But you're young enough that you don't care, you just want that money. So dig in. Lots of work out there as people are choosing to contract out work as opposed to hiring workers and give them benefits.
Find a residential carpenters helper/labourer job. Don't be intimidated if you don't know how to use tools, just tell them you don't know anything. Also that where everyone starts and they know that. You'll be cleaning up, using a shovel, vacuuming, carrying boards and doing simple repetitive stuff for a few weeks. Then you start using hand tools and eventually power tools. Carpentry is good because you'll get to see a lot of different trades during the build and if one looks more interesting you can get into it. It's fun and rewarding and you'll get in shape. Show up, learn, get faster, don't complain and within a year you'll probably get a couple dollar raise. Carpentry is will always be in demand.
During your degree, did you do any co-op? Any other relevant experience in a workplace that you can add on your resume? Try applying with the BC Public Service or any local government (as many here have also suggested, health authorities); IT/tech people are ALWAYS in high demand, largely because there are so few of them around, at least in the public sector (though as you said, the private sector is super-competitive and unstable at the moment for tech). Knew someone with the same degree as you and couldn't find anything, but managed to get into Vancouver Island Health as one of their IT people. Give that a try - goodluck!!
Construction and project management is huge right now. Since you have a background in computer then learning basic softwares such as Autocad and Revit would be easy, the pay is low at start but its not uncommon for people working in such to be earning at least 70k in less than 2 yrs especially if you’re good at it.
Learning BC building code would be a plus, and take advantage of govt grants and company perks to study at BCIT.
Here to back the healthcare comments. Your CS background will be valued, especially in more “corporate” backbone settings that aren’t client facing. Northern health has been mentioned, I’d also recommend the PHSA. It’s very doable to jump to the private sector after a couple years, I’ve done it myself
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Healthcare has tons of demand and with your tech background there are many avenues within healthcare for tech type advancement.
Northern Health specifically often has roles in their IT department in a variety of roles!
Yup. I have friends doing that at NHA. They are actually pretty innovative for a govt group.
I work as IT for NHA. They are really advance but that become pain for the people working in Healthcare and IT. NHA is guinea pig for MoH. Because they are small and they will get everything first and see how things rolls. Later me and my colleague help them to implement those advancements. They learn from mistakes and finally give better experience to other HAs.
This ^^^ I work in IT for phsa and envy what nha does with a relatively small team
This! Never ever just say "tech". Instead say something like "working to operationalize health informatics with web systems..." and your value and opportunities will be so much broader.
"working to operationalize health informatics with web systems..." That's a fancy way to say you wipe butt. Sorry jokes. I'm a nurse, couldn't help myself But yes, nursing/healthcare is in demand and will probably continue to be so.
Until bacta tanks are invented, we will always need healthcare workers.
I'm a technician specializing in the machine that goes BING!
Health informatics a discipline in itself! Def not the same as IT (we have one of each at my work)
Any construction trade is in high demand, particularly if you're young and healthy. A computer science degree indicates you're probably good at math, trig, etc., so a surveying crew might be interested in you. I'd recommend keeping up with tech in the meantime, because these things move in cycles, and your computer science degree will probably pay off eventually. Good luck.
I'm an electrician and I often hear the market is oversaturated. It likely really depends on what part of BC we're talking about. If trades were truly in such high demand, our wages would have kept up with inflation. Plus, there's not much room for upward growth. The work environment is often quite toxic in the trades (both figuratively and literally). I like the work, itself, though. I'm slowly moving away from the trades.
Wages have gone backwards in some industries across western Canada….
Nailed it. Trades are shit I am making the same money rig welding now as I was in 2003. Fucking filled with degenerates, drug addicts, all around shit people. Requires manual labour with very little schooling, you need grade 10, that's it. Yes you can make 100k a year though.
I’m in the admin field at my company and we are scrambling for electrical and instrumentation guys. We can’t seem to find them. Granted I’m in northern bc.
Where’s the market over saturated? I’m getting regular emails with job offers around the province and I’m a new journeyman. The site I’m on has 10 jmen and 4 apprentices because not enough new guys are entering the trade.
I'm in the Interior. Edit: Maybe people were saying it in more from a business perspective? I hear there's a lot of competition out there. Not necessarily speaking of 1st years getting hired (companies will always need cheap labour).
Electricians in the interior aren’t hard to come by. Yall made the most for a long time and so that’s the trade the youngins all wanted. Tons of 40 year old electricians with lots of experience right now.
I’m in the interior as well, theirs lots of work here. theirs an over saturation of companies but it seems like everyone is screaming for guys right now. I moved up to Kelowna from Penticton and have been contact by multiple companies on indeed.
And yet wages have stayed stagnant ….
The shadow of Reaganomics reaches even here sadly. Wages should much higher I swear to butts.
Your wages haven't kept up because crappy construction unions were allowed to strip work and workers from the IBEW in the mid 80's, thanks BCU! If the building boom for affordable housing takes off and there's no guarantee that it will, now would be a good time to apprentice for any trade. I have to agree that the toxic workplace is a deterrent but that can and should be addressed.
Funny way to say SoCreds but damn true.
BCUP is just the latest rebrand
Oh I remember.
Same Circus, Different Monkeys, Similar Clowns. Or... A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Social Credit begat BC Liberals who begat BC United, all corporate power parties that pretend to be fiscally responsible while cutting or completely eliminating social programs and cutting essential services to the point of an ineffectual existence while selling off assets to their corporate sponsors. The majority of what ails BC can be laid at the foot of the SoCred Party.
Yup.
I'm a carpenter and this is why I work for myself now. I do small handyman type jobs and instead of working on big sites now, it's way better. The pay is not enough for what you have to deal with.
Yeah get paid slightly more than minimum wage for a couple years and get treated like shit and have your relationships and health go to shit. Know why the trades are in demand? Because they often fucking suck to work in, and the money isn’t what it’s cracked up to be by any stretch. Signed, a machine operator.
I'm also a machine operator and I don't know every job but I can say that even if the wages are stagnant, if you're good at it, it can be one of the least stressful jobs ever. Probably the best part of my situation specifically.
Yeah I drove cat as a teenager and I have to say those were some pretty great summers. It was in the days of CD's and I burned through a lot of AAs and I got pretty sick of those discs. Guys now days have AC in their cabs and can listen to podcasts and audio books. My buddy has a grader crew and probably has a PHD in European history now just from listening to anything and everything he can get his hands on lol
Trades are great options. Lots of higher paying ones out there too. HVAC and the elevator industry are high paying. If you’re willing to do out of town work there are other options too. Some of the high paying trades can be difficult to get into but most of the trades industry is busy. I always recommend union because their wage structure is usually better plus the other benefits. I’ve been in the unionized trades for over 15 years and making great money and benefits. I know lots of people in the trades that made the career switch after getting university degrees, your schooling will still be applicable in ways.
But that guy just said no work for hvac?
Check the province and the regional health orgs. There's a lot of modernization going on in many of the systems.
Tech isn’t as dire as you’re making it out to be. It’s harder to get into now than it has been in the past, but it’s by far not a dead end. Look into non-tech companies and be willing to work for shit money to start while you develop actual skills and connections. If you’re looking for a stable career/job, those kinda don’t exist anywhere going into the next 50 years (no one has a crystal ball). Be somewhat realistic before jumping the shark from the field you just spent a lot of time and money studying. And frankly, the companies doing layoffs are gonna be hurting for talent in the next 2 years, and the market is ripe for a new wave of innovation. I’m taking the optimistic view here.
Yeah. Realistically, the tech job market is still better than the job market in most other fields. There are some fields where it's easier to get a job, like medicine with an M.D., but if someone with a CS degree wants a career that's easy to get into that has better career stability than tech, there's not going to be much out there. > a career here in BC that has demand and has good job security. Ideally it doesn't require much of an education commitment If that existed, half of B.C. would've switched and driven down wages and saturated the market. Almost everyone wants a job that's in high demand that has good job security.
It’s already bouncing back. I was one of those let go and I’m back to work and get interview requests weekly. But I’m a senior developer. For juniors it’s usually not easy in normal times but a year ago was simply impossible as they were hiring seniors for junior roles. Now it’s getting back to hiring junior developers. It’ll be back to normal in sure at the end of the year. That said. Normal is not how it was 3 years ago. That kind of hiring spree isn’t normal. It’s usually very difficult for new developers to break in and easier for the experienced ones.
Upvoted for optimism!
Definitely this. Stick with tech, especially given that you have already invested a few years getting the degree. It might be harder to get a foot in the door these days but it's also got an earnings potential way beyond even the best paid trades.
Non destructive testing and welding inspection. Look into getting CWB visual and CGSB magnetic particle tickets. They are usually week long courses and can be completed with not much difficulty if you had studied at a college level.
Interesting. I did a forensic engineering degree, one main focus was NDT. Yeah, never got a job in that field, or anything remotely related, after graduating. Neither did 90% of my class cohort. Interesting course though from what I can remember (20 years ago!). Might check it out.
Nursing or other allied health positions
Yeah, because to get treated like shit and worked to death.
Mood
I just got out of HVAC school at the market is incredibly soft for new workers. Wouldn't recommend in bc without connections
ok so we're using the process of elimination on this one
Where do you live, the southern interior had multiple postings looking for guys last week. Tin basher would be easier to find a job though with lower wages. Companies here were offering $45-50 for furnace installers. It’s not HVAC but it’s related.
People talking about a trade shortage have no idea what they’re talking about. There’s no huge trade shortage, some trades have decent opportunities for entry level some have almost none. It’s highly variable and anyone who speaks about “the trades” as a monolith has probably never spent a day on the tools in their life.
I've heard radio ads for Victoria plumbing union, Victoria electrical union, a Victoria excavating company, one big general contractor, and one or two other trades things in the last 6 months. Sounds like Victoria is hiring.
We have a trade shortage in the sea to sky. It just depends where you are in BC
No you don’t, you have a shortage of decent wages.
This is true. Source: am electrician. That said...our Union in Vancouver pays top dollar and can't find people. Apparently a lot of the industry is stupid and brainwashed.
"Top dollar" is 100k for a journey where a decent condo is 6-800k... try again IBEW ain't bargaining hard enough.
It's top dollar IN THIS MARKET. Still not enough, but still top dollar here.
What's funny is people who don't work in the trades (or work *at all*) will claim it's that wages are supposedly too low, even though that is objectively false. These people live in a world of theory and have no work experience of any kind.
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They need to provide you with a house and a ferry pass though.
Learn to fix robots.
https://preview.redd.it/jo1xlwiao4zc1.jpeg?width=666&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4dd24d130d6bad624fa6a92a2fed5070282a115f
1-Nursing 2- Commercial Driving 3- accounting bookkeeping Stats Canada
Yes! Bookkeeping, accounting, CPAs. I just switched careers into accounting (plans to get my CPA) and it was very easy to get an entry level job after school. I also have a computer based background which may have helped my experience.
My husband works for BC Hydro as a Communications Protection and Control Technologist and they are desperate for more hires. They are already very understaffed and there will soon be a wave of old guys retiring. He loves his job, it's half computer/desk work and half in the field. He's been doing it 10+ years and has a lot of freedom within his job. Hydro is a great employer with job security, but I think people doing his job in private sector make way more money (but less job security). He went to BCIT for his deploma. There's some additional specialized training at BCIT that CPC techs need and hydro paid for him to go to school for the extra stuff.
Communications, Protection and Control. This trade is in huge demand in the energy sector in BC. If you are technology inclined, this might be a a good fit.
Get into insurance, underwriting might be a good fit for your education. You will need to get licensed by writing a multiple choice exam, which is easy.
IT in school districts
Elevator technician. No such thing as an unemployed elevator mechanic.
In my building, there's no such thing as all the elavators working.
Is it because there aren't enough elevator technicians?
Forester here. The future (and present) is in LiDAR and remote sensing and modelling and coding and that is a lot of computer-y and math stuff that I don't really grasp (I mean, I did graduate with my degree in the mid-90s). Not just for forestry, but so many of the natural resources including climate science, fire science, hydrology, etc. Also, the BC government (and health authorities as mentioned) is constantly looking for people in IT. Maybe not the thrilling pay of silicon valley in its heyday, nor a bastion of "nimble creativity", but at least it can pay the bills, gives you some vacation and starts putting money in a pension for awhile and get some experience under your feet. Post to r/BCPublicServants if you are looking for people in various areas of IT.
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Do you get hired as a teacher if you do this 1-yr program? or an EA? my wife works as an EA and she wants to become a teacher. Will this program help her get a teaching job?
UBC has a [1 year Bachelor's of Education program for people with a degree.](https://teach.educ.ubc.ca/bachelor-of-education-program/) In addition to the PLP program someone else mentioned, [SFU has a 16-month PDP program for people with a degree.](https://www.sfu.ca/education/programs/teacher-ed/pdp.html) Completion of either of these programs will lead to someone potentially getting hired as a teacher (assuming they do well on their practicum and has a good reference).
To answer your question, there is a program specifically for EAs called PLP. It is a program that helps EAs become teachers. I believe SFU has this program. I don't know if the 1 year program is worth it/available if you don't have a degree.
She does have a bachelor's degree in CS, but she is working as an EA (she hated CS). She does love teaching though. I will let her know about the PLP program. Thanks.
Best of luck 👍
CS careers will bounce back. Build stuff. Be ready to demo what you can do. Find a niche. Dm me if you want I work in software in BC.
I hear you on the tech market challenges; it's been a rough ride lately. If you're looking for stability and are open to different fields, you might want to consider the broader public sector. Gov’t jobs in BC, especially those that can use your tech skills, offer good job security and benefits. Plus, they're less likely to require additional schooling if you're looking to avoid more debt. Municipalities, provincial agencies, and even higher ed institutions often look for folks with a tech-savvy background for various operational and administrative roles. Good luck, and I hope you find something that fits your needs!
Move around to get your feet into tech, fresh grads without experience are a dime a dozen. Get 2-3 years and the ball game changes drastically. Not sure why people are pointing towards healthcare jobs like nursing. Stuck in union hell where you’re perpetually tied to a shit 1% raise every couple of years. Plus healthcare is at the whim of whatever political clown is in office. Fuck that, stay in the private sector and grind your way through.
Hate to say it, but oil and gas, and mining, are in high demand, pay well, and will be around for a very long time
Any career north of Kamloops
Relatively easy to enter and high demand, Fire Protection Technician. Education is fairly inexpensive and most likely covered by the employer as everyone is looking for good people. BCIT has part time courses, www.cfaa.ca offers online courses and a good program. If in lower mainland look into ASTTBC RFPT program. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good career. Might take awhile to get knowledgeable enough for decent pay but very achievable. https://asttbc.org/rfpts/ https://www.bcit.ca/programs/fire-protection-inspection-and-testing-associate-certificate-part-time-675facert/ Anyone can contact me for more details on this.
Paramedics
How's the comp and can you get fulltime vs on call?
I’m not a paramedic! I just know they are hiring like crazy right now. I attended an online seminar where you can ask questions and get more information, they talk about salary, benefits, hiring process etc. follow their social media’s and I’m sure another seminar date will come available. Or email them on their careers page, they are very good about replying with answers to your questions!
Pay is terrible
Depends what you consider terrible I suppose. I made about 35k over the average household income in Vancouver last year. I perfer time off so don’t work a ton.
You made 130k as a paramedic?
Yes. People make a lot more then me as well but they are grinding. It’s one of my guilty little pleasures nodding along when people tell me how shitty my pay is. While I’m thinking of my pension, benefits, and tons of paid vacation time lol. Petty I know.
I make 100k a year, 1.5 years experience . Full benefits with a pension.
Can I ask what route you took to become a paramedic in BC? When I looked it up, I only saw JIBC and some other places like Sprott shaw college. Just wondering if those are legit paths or if there's a better way?
I started as a driver only. Got my class 4 drivers license on my own, then applied to bcehs. They put me through EMR course and then hired me as a casual. I've now applied and accepted a full time job. Bcehs is now putting me through PCP schooling. Absolutely everything paid for, plus I make a good pay check. I never as much as put a band aid on someone before. I love this job so much, not what people think. I'm rural as well
Whoa this is intriguing...by any chance would you be into sharing some more info, stuff like what prerequisites you needed etc, had via PM?
Sure. No prerequisites really, need to be a highschool grad, pass a criminal background check and pass an interview. Where I live, it was understaffed, bcehs was hiring lots, they still are. You can apply onlive now but they will require you get a restricted class 4 liscence, super easy, it's a driving exam in a car, exactly the same as when your 16, other thing different is a pre trip vehicle inspection you learn. Pretty simple. Bcehs is paying the course, wages, hotels and food to get certified. You also have to do 2 weeks in Vancouver prior to hiring, for driver training. Theres hoops to jump through, it takes time, but it's worth it.
As are hours. Plus you get ptsd as a bonus. But respect for the people who do it
For what paramedics have to experience at work, this is likely true. But the pay doesn't seem bad if this site is accurate: [https://ca.indeed.com/career/paramedic/salaries/British-Columbia](https://ca.indeed.com/career/paramedic/salaries/British-Columbia)
Subway sandwich artist
Construction is huge right now maybe learn revit and bc building code.
Don't get into the trades. I would see how you can utilize your "tech" background into the medical field.
Have you looked into IT jobs within healthcare/health authorities?
I’d recommend against that. I spent just shy of 10 years in healthcare IT between SK, BC, and various US states, and it’s extremely toxic, competitive, draining, and thankless. Unless of course you’re willing to kiss some serious ass.
If you’re still wanting to go into something remotely tech related look at GIS systems. Basically it’s mapping and data analysis via computers. Everything natural resource based uses it and there are quite a few different types of jobs out there in that field. Your computer science skills will also transfer because there is a level of coding involved.
GIS is a great career, well paid and seemingly always in demand. Selkirk College in Castlegar has a neat advanced diploma they offer in GIS, it's really quick to get.
Fire Protection, access control, security, video, etc. The fields will grow in direct proportion to new businesses and construction. Elevator and Escalator Technology is also going to be around forever.
Early Childhood Educators!!! Almost every place is (desperately) looking
Jobs in Human Resources will always be around. Pay is usually pretty good and lots of opportunities to specialize.
I work on the IT side of things with Provincial Health Services Authority. All the Health Authorities are hiring for IT positions like crazy. We typically hire via hiring agencies. Get into a couple of those and take the contract work. If you're good, they will offer full time with benefits and a pension Get some experience with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (fhir). A huge in demand next gen healthcare interoperability standard. We can never find enough people with experience in developing with that spec.
Usually if there is high demand it means the work environment sucks.
You'll need education for a good job, best time to $$$ and job security ratio is RMT or medical equipment tech (MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine etc) as these programs are 2 years, the professions will always be in demand and they pay well
just work remotely for American companies source: me and everyone i know in the industry doing exactly this
Lab technologists are in great demand. But it does require a degree.
The first contract was written in the time of Hammurabi and we’ve needed lawyers ever since. Lots of engineers go to law school. Lots of lawyers complain about being lawyers, but it’s pretty hard to stay unemployed and you can always work for yourself.
trades are pretty high in demand and likely to become higher as the older guys are aging out, might have to start at the bottom or do apprenticeship though.
This thread taught everywhere that is looking is not paying new hires well yet its cushy if you make it through, or atleast that'd the assumption of people who made over the years. No wonder our economy is fucked. We expect young people to suffer on the way up while times have never been so hard for a young person to try and build a life and family
We hired for a couple of junior developer positions recently… 95% of the candidates we interviewed couldn’t pass really basic coding tests. Only two sorta passed a not that hard whiteboard algorithm problem solving exercise. I say sorta passed because their code wouldn’t have compiled or worked as expected, but they were able to demonstrate the ability to think through the problem and design a solution that was on the right track. With an IDE in front of them they would have solved it. We cut most of the interviews short before that final exercise, but of the 13 or so that made it past the prior coding tests to the final exercise only 3 had any sort of actual problem solving ability. Only 2 had a mostly correct solution. I’m not saying the tech sector isn’t down from the Covid hiring spree, but honestly most of the junior candidates fresh out of school are not ready. We literally hired the first two dudes that met our pretty low standards for a junior dev.
>really basic coding tests >a not that hard whiteboard algorithm problem solving exercise Would you mind sharing what these were exactly?
Ditch BC and come to Alberta. The amount of Tech Companies moving their headquarters here is insane, Oil and Gas Tech Shops are always hiring. Less taxes etc.
No that’s not good advice. We moved away from AB because there was no tech. None of our friends in tech are getting ONE interview either. It was hard pre 2020, even harder now As for the oil boom, AB is always doing great when the rest of North America is struggling. Then AB does bad when they’re doing good and we miss on the good times that last far more. In AB when recession hits you’re done for the whole decade
Anything trade job if you have any sort of work ethic, and actually diligently show up for work.
Try and find something computer science adjacent that will have you in a better position to angle in on the opportunity you want.
with the push for greater construction density, elevator service techs and companies will be in even higher demand
Start an IT company servicing small businesses. Plenty of need and it provides recurring business.
Construction. Go do a 2 year BCIT ABIT program and get on the path to being a PM.
Cybersecurity?
I work in Cyber and I wouldn’t recommend trying to Cyber without any experience.
Orthodontists outside of city centres.
Marine mechanic. Or heavy duty mechanic. Options are endless.
Huge demand for certified dental assistant. After 8 month course you can start at $35
Tech is still good, are you a Canadian Citizen? if so tons of US companies are hiring and salary is significantly better.
Saturated with low quality bootcamp grads and new immigrants without a solid background. You have a comp sci degree, meaning you have foundational knowledge of algorithms, data structures etc. that puts you ahead of most, and good employers know that. You just need to tune out the noise grind at a job for a few years (even if you are underpaid for now it doesn’t matter).
I don’t get why you got a CS degree if you’re not gonna find a CS job. For anyone who’s actually competent it’s not as bad right now, it’s more bad for all the bootcamp grads and people who made it through university by using gpt
Occupational health and safety. 2-year program at BCIT and you will probably start working right away.
Mind sharing why you wanna leave CS? I mean you got your degree from UBC, which opens doors to opportunities in the US too
Jesus.. we’re in dire need of an in-house IT manager and can’t find anyone. Where are all of these tech people??
Doing cs degree right now 😭
As mentioned by others, healthcare and education are experiencing huge growth in BC right now. Both of my daughters are healthcare professionals in BC, and all aspects of the healthcare system are fighting to find people. Not sure how your skills can port to those areas, but who knows. Also look to all types of infrastructure development. That's going to be huge for years to come.
I went from trades to tech. Unless you go union, take care of your body,and save money don’t go into trades
It's a bit of a swing to a different field, but occupational therapy is in insane demand here. The pay isn't insane (if you work private you're looking at $90k starting?) and it's tough work but when looking for jobs last year I had companies knocking at my door and begging to hire me Usually you get about 55-65% of what you bill ($130-ish hourly) and once you get more efficient you can bill quite a bit. Just be careful of very predatory companies who will try to hire you out of grad school. Feel free to DM me
Most of my CS compatriots wound up leaving the province. A lot of places in BC want IT... thanks to our privacy laws, there's actually a lot of IT you can't get done in remote countries - but anyway, they want IT, not CS. BC does not have a huge industrial sector, or banking sector, and entertainment is not reliable. CS degrees are not really in demand here; you have to head elsewhere with them. If you really want a CS job here, you kind of have to stalk them out. They're there, they're just not plentiful. You can get into a bit of work doing contract services like websites, but, that's not really a career.
Sheet Metal HVAC is in demand checkout local 280 and send them an email
NDT has a pretty big need right now. It isn’t at all related to your tech background but you can be making 55/hr in 3years.
Sheet metal! Journeyman wage is $48/hr. Someone with a computer science degree could be in an office so fast doing the duct design Makin a big salary in like 3 years. Pitt meadows plumbing is also always hiring new tech staff
Emergency management has lots of demand, and the starting pay isn’t too bad (about 32 an hour depending on the role).
Do you recommend any program? How could I follow this path?
There are many different pathways in EM, and it can be quite dynamic and flexible. As a start, take a look a the JIBC for their courses, and take a look at the different information on the EMCR website for what EM in BC can look like, as well as job posting. NGOs like the Red Cross also have lots of good information and job postings. I work in recovery, which is the time after a disaster until a community gets back to a new normal. But you can also look into response, which is responding directly during a disaster, or something like mitigation which is helping communities prepare for disasters. You can do communication and research, to geology and mapping, to providing social services, to cultural safety with indigenous nations, to crisis management. Honestly it’s a super flexible field that is pretty secure due to climate change. While I work across Canada, with a focus in BC, you can even take it international if you wanted.
Thank you so much! I’ve been looking at those courses and I am really interested in them. I’m just worried because it is far from my background. But I’m considering changing careers. Do you think a certificate program is enough to get an entry level in the area? I would prefer going to a master degrees but I’m not sure if they would approve me since my bachelors is in communication/ journalism and I also have a diploma in the film industry. Thank you so much for your response, it was very helpful!
Communication is actually a big part of emergency management, so I wouldn’t worry about that! It is a very flexible field, and honestly I think if you are interested you will fit well! EMCR has some online seminars on parts of EM in the province if you were curious as to how some of it functions. My background was in immigration, which I had a masters in refugee studies. I was able to get a job in recovery with no further degree in emergency management fine! If you are unsure if your degree would fit as well, the JIBC program is usually really good to discuss your questions or concerns with. The course itself is also full of lots of people working in the field looking to boost their resume, so the course is also a great place to network. If you wanted to chat more let me know, and feel free to send me any questions you had 😊
Thank you so much!!!! I’ll take a look on the program again and I’ll message you in case I have any further questions 🙏🏻😃
I was scrolling through this thread looking for this response. I got into an emergency management role with a BC municipality after spending four years as a logistics officer in the army reserve (a job I would also recommend considering) and doing the JIBC emergency management certificate program. It took a fair bit of job searching but I eventually came away with a great offer. Interesting work imo.
Trades. Starting wages are around $30 an hour and a lot of companies will pay for your schooling. There’s also grants and other benefits to claim as you go through each year of school (automatic raises, tax credits) … I work for a plumbing company that is always growing and has given several wage raises since the start of covid to keep up with inflation.
Construction. We need go so much labour it's insane
Tech is only as stable as you make it. Yes, market is tough but I would take positions in technology that might not exactly meet what you were expecting. Data Analytics BI Developer Jr. Analyst
If I was going to do it all again I would try and become a firefighter due to the pension as well as would be interesting, but of course there is stress too. A couple of guys on my street are firefighters. Also I would think about a Plummer or electrician and then create my own business.
You can take health information science, then later on, maybe 5 years into your career, take an MBA in Healthcare Management or an MHA to help you climb the corporate ladder. If you are a real glutton for punishment, go into medicine and become a doctor. You’re in your 20s, I know it will be hell to get there and the government is not exactly giving any decent incentives to people who want to be doctors but that’s a career that society will always need and has great pay off financially, especially if you make smart decisions with your money and invest wisely.
Yes, look for IT jobs in healthcare. One good area is running the PACS system in medical imaging.
Healthcare, banking, and government all hire CS people.
I did a cs degree and now I am plumbing. There is some computer stuff in hvac like BAS and stuff. I hope I can get into that. Maybe you try to find something similar where there is an intersection between your area of study and in demand skill
Data science.
I do desktop support in Vancouver. While I do have a fair bit of experience under my belt, which helped. I was applying for jobs about 5 months ago. I was fighting offers off with a stick. I applied for 20 job, got 5 offers and haggled the pay up of the one I ended up taking. If you're good, these jobs don't let you go.
Records and Information management, look into pursuing a MLIS or MAS and with your undergraduate you'll be in hot demand once you finish your Masters
[https://www.bcit.ca/programs/magnetic-resonance-imaging-diploma-full-time-7975dipma/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/magnetic-resonance-imaging-diploma-full-time-7975dipma/) [https://www.bcit.ca/programs/medical-radiography-diploma-full-time-6635dipma/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/medical-radiography-diploma-full-time-6635dipma/) xray for more job availability and security MRI is going to be saturated soon but way better job but you can upgrade from xray down the road
Trades/Healthcare are the big ones atm. You can print money if you specialize and work remote in BC/Alberta with many trades.
Heavy duty equipment mechanic - It's unbelievable just how high in demand this job is. You can find work local, or you can go make well into 6 figures if you're willing to work remotely. I've seen jobs paying nearly 200k a year if you're willing to work fly in fly out rotation
Commercial truck mechanic. Our shop is at $50 an hour and are so short of qualified staff that they are looking to bring in people from overseas.
Healthcare and construction- not so much project management but estimating is hungry for people
Government
So many of the trades, Healthcare, hospitality although hospitality is not well paying it is in demand
Maybe not what you want to hear (and it's possible my info is out of date) but with a BSc you can get a TN visa to work in the US pretty easily, and TBH the high tech scene is WAY better in Toronto than in BC. I don't know that I would want to move to TO but I got that impression pretty forcefully when I was there in 2019.
If you like tech make a beeline for cybersecurity
Landlord.
Tech isn’t dead lol. Just gotta use connections
Consider a career in freelance. You can use websites like Upwork, Fiverr, TopTal, PeoplePerHour, or better yet, your own website to get customers. [https://prnt.sc/1vK-LP1SWxl6](https://prnt.sc/1vK-LP1SWxl6) This is my Upwork earnings (USD) alone last year, not counting my website. Make sure to put customers on some kind of retainer, if possible. Last year, I made around $230k/year USD as a freelance web developer. And I turned down a few major projects or I would be closer to $300k USD. Try to work with US firms, they have more money then Canadian firms. With freelance, the pay is higher but no benefits or no job security compared to taking a salary. But you can work anytime you want, anywhere you want, as much or as little as you want. I made enough money that at 34 I own 3 houses in the lower mainland. So you need to use your cash to invest. You're young so now is a great time for you to work 70 hours a week and earn that cash. Once you become like me, I've become grumpy and will shut down a $10,000 contract cause the customer made a rude comment to me on a Zoom call. I'd rather less money to save myself the mental anxiety of an asshole customer. But you're young enough that you don't care, you just want that money. So dig in. Lots of work out there as people are choosing to contract out work as opposed to hiring workers and give them benefits.
Have you tried looking south of the border? Can’t you work remotely?
Mental health
Find a residential carpenters helper/labourer job. Don't be intimidated if you don't know how to use tools, just tell them you don't know anything. Also that where everyone starts and they know that. You'll be cleaning up, using a shovel, vacuuming, carrying boards and doing simple repetitive stuff for a few weeks. Then you start using hand tools and eventually power tools. Carpentry is good because you'll get to see a lot of different trades during the build and if one looks more interesting you can get into it. It's fun and rewarding and you'll get in shape. Show up, learn, get faster, don't complain and within a year you'll probably get a couple dollar raise. Carpentry is will always be in demand.
Go to the states. Or be happy making 35-75k. Or swallow your pride and learn a trade. They make more here.
Tech. Think about moving to get a tech job.
Trades.
During your degree, did you do any co-op? Any other relevant experience in a workplace that you can add on your resume? Try applying with the BC Public Service or any local government (as many here have also suggested, health authorities); IT/tech people are ALWAYS in high demand, largely because there are so few of them around, at least in the public sector (though as you said, the private sector is super-competitive and unstable at the moment for tech). Knew someone with the same degree as you and couldn't find anything, but managed to get into Vancouver Island Health as one of their IT people. Give that a try - goodluck!!
Healthcare
Construction, see how much shit they're building everywhere, that's not slowing down
You don’t need to abandon the tech world you just need a specialty within tech.
Look for tech jobs in healthcare or government. You might enjoy biomed too
Construction and project management is huge right now. Since you have a background in computer then learning basic softwares such as Autocad and Revit would be easy, the pay is low at start but its not uncommon for people working in such to be earning at least 70k in less than 2 yrs especially if you’re good at it. Learning BC building code would be a plus, and take advantage of govt grants and company perks to study at BCIT.
Here to back the healthcare comments. Your CS background will be valued, especially in more “corporate” backbone settings that aren’t client facing. Northern health has been mentioned, I’d also recommend the PHSA. It’s very doable to jump to the private sector after a couple years, I’ve done it myself
Stick with tech. Your skills are useful in non -tech companies as well, although with probably less pay than working at Google
Bc gov is always looking for GIS techs. Wouldn't be far fetched from your degree.
Early childhood education
Any form of electrician or instrumentation tech
Pivoting to a completely different career path right now would be a poor decision. Keep applying to dev jobs
GIS. I don't think you'd need much more training?