Occupational Classifications

Careers are very tricky to group and classify. As social scientists know, complex social categories tend to be fluid, dynamic, and overlapping and do not lend themselves easily to taxonomies. Yet the Government of Canada and many researchers still find it helpful to attempt a structured, rigorous sorting of various jobs and careers into categories and subcategories using the National Occupation Classification (NOC). This section of the Social Sciences Career Options website uses these categories as a teaching tool in order to open up possibilities for prospective and current students.