Industrial Microbiology Career Options

Specialist Major Minor Co-op Joint Exploring career options involves researching occupations and industry sectors that fit your skills, interests, personality preferences and values. An occupation relates to the activities of the work you perform, whereas industry sector classifies the organizations that employ people in such occupations. Example: Microbiologist is an occupation that involves using complex problem solving, critical thinking and active learning skills to isolate and make cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms. Microbiologists work in many industry sectors particularly but not exclusively in the manufacturing and health care sectors. They might also work in the government, food and professional services sectors.

Industrial Microbiology graduates have many skills. In particular, they can:

Apply biological facts, concepts and principles Apply computer skills and statistical techniques Collect and observe data with precision Design experiments and projects Make predictions from data and research Observe health and safety practices Think analytically and critically Understand biological theory Use computers for computation and simulation Write clear and accurate technical reports

With these skills in mind, how can I research my career options? Occupational Research
Canadas National Occupational Classification (NOC) system categorizes over 30,000 occupational titles into 10 broad classes listed in Table 1. The 4-digit titles in Table 2 are examples of occupations related to Industrial Microbiology within these classes (NB: Some require further education). Table 1: NOC Occupational Titles (www5.hrsdc.gc.ca)
0 Management Occupations 1 Business Finance and Administration Occupations 2 Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations 3 Health Occupations 4 Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Services and Religion 5 6 7 8 9 Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport Sales and Service Occupations Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations Occupations Unique to Primary Industry Occupations Unique to Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities

Table 2: Sample Occupational Titles Related to Industrial Microbiology 2121 Bioethicist, Toxicologist, Virologist 3211 Microbiology Technologist 2123 Agronomist 3219 Food and Nutrition Technician Dietetics 2153 Land Use Planning Analyst 4121 Teacher/Professor 2161 Biostatiscian 4161 Patent Agent 2172 Information Resource Analyst 4165 Health Policy Research Analyst 2211 Chemical Analyst 5111 Medical Librarian 2221 Microbiology Quality Control Technologist 5123 Journalist Science Magazine/Newspaper 2241 Biomedical Technologist 5241 Medical Illustrator 2263 Pollution Control/Public Health Inspector 6221 Pharmaceutical Sales Representative 3111 Medical Genetics Specialist, Medical 9421 Cosmetic and Perfume Maker Microbiologist

Occupational Research Links

The two excellent occupational databases below provide you with details about job prospects, nature of work, educational requirements, working conditions, pay and related occupations: Career Cruising: www.careercruising.com (Access our subscription through your Career Centre Online account) ONet: http://online.onetcenter.org (U.S. site)
Academic Advising & Career Centre: A team of professionals who advise, counsel and coach individuals with their learning and career development. September 2010, source; rl. Academic Advising & Career Centre. All Rights Reserved.

Career Options: Industrial Microbiology

Industry Research
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a hierarchical industry structure that divides the economy into 20 broad sectors of activity listed in Table 3. Table 4 provides examples of specific industry groups relevant to Industrial Microbiology graduates. Table 3: NAICS Industry Sectors (www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/naics-scian/2007/list-liste-eng.htm)
11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 21 Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction 22 Utilities 23 Construction 31-33 Manufacturing 41 Wholesale Trade 44-45 Retail Trade 48-49 Transportation and Warehousing 51 Information and Cultural Industries 52 Finance and Insurance 53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54 Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 56 Administrative, Support, Waste Management, Remediation 61 Educational Services 62 Health Care and Social Assistance 71 Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 72 Accommodation and Food Services 81 Other Services (except Public Administration) 91 Public Administration (= Government)

Table 4: Sample Industry Groups Relevant to Industrial Microbiology Graduates 2251 Chemical Manufacturing Firms 5417 Genetics Research and Development Labs 3121 Beverage Manufacturers 6113 Universities 3254 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 6215 Diagnostic Bacteriological Laboratories 5111 Publisher Magazine/Newspapers 6221 General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 5411 Law Firms 9129 Provincial Health and Medical Care Programs 5416 Health and Safety Consulting Services

Industry Research Links

To learn more about job prospects in your sectors of interest, visit: Industry Canada: www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/company-entreprises.nsf/eng/home

Career Links Related to Industrial Microbiology

Professional Associations Canadian Medical Association Canadian Society of Microbiologists American Society of Virology Society for Industrial Microbiology The American Association for Immunologists Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Other Resources BIOTECanada Microbe World Government of Canada Bioportal National Research Council of Canada The Microbiology Information Portal Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology www.cma.ca www.csm-scm.org www.asv.org www.simhq.org www.aai.org www.csaci.ca www.biotech.ca www.microbeworld.org http://bioportal.gc.ca www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca www.microbes.info www.cifst.ca Molecular Microbiology Nature Reviews Microbiology Trends in Microbiology

E-Journals Available through the University of Toronto Library (www.library.utoronto.ca/utsc)

Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology Clinical Microbiology Reviews Canadian Journal of Microbiology Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology Cellular Microbiology Journal of Applied Microbiology

Resources Available at the Academic Advising & Career Centre

Not sure how your skills, values, personality and interests fit your career options? Book an appointment with a Career Counsellor or sign-up for the Discover Your Skills and Career Options workshop via the Intranet. The Academic Advising & Career Centre has a very good collection of books related to career planning and job search.
For more information, please visit the Academic Advising & Career Centre AC213 aacc@utsc.utoronto.ca 416-287-7561 www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc Waiver: While every attempt was made to provide accurate information on this tipsheet, information may change at any time.