2: Developing Informal LMI Awareness
A wealth of LMI is hidden in plain sight. It can be found in a help wanted sign posted in a shop window, a condo construction site with a posted signage boasting that it will be ready for occupancy next spring, or even by overhearing a conversation on a bus or in a local cafe.
Dr. Edwin Herr (1933 – 2016) was a noted career development leader often sought out by journalists, academics, and financial institutions for insights into future trends. After one of his speeches, he was asked how he managed to have so much current information and the ability to anticipate the future. His response was:
Dr. Herr’s quote underlines the value of informal LMI.
Unlike formal LMI, which is structured and clearly documented, informal LMI is unstructured and often subtle, showing up in everyday situations that are easy to miss. Clients often move past these clues without recognizing that they can offer valuable career insights and opportunities. CDPs can help them to expand their lens to recognize these informal sources, recognize the value they can hold, and develop strategies to use informal LMI.
Developing Awareness Through Observation
Developing awareness of the informal LMI that surrounds us every day can take some practice.
That awareness begins with observation.
Take a look at the image below. In the text box, note any sources you can see that might yield valuable, informal labour market information.
Click the image to zoom
Click here to see what we identified
- Job fair posted on the bulletin board
- Posting on the bulletin board for a server needed
- Hiring sign at the construction site across the street
- Two professionals reviewing a thick folder of resumes
- Newspaper headline about investment in a revitalization of the town’s main street
The 3 Ps
Informal LMI surrounds all of us every day. As such, it can quickly feel overwhelming.
To help navigate this complexity, it is useful to organize LMI into the broad categories of the 3Ps.
Includes information gleaned from both hardcopy (e.g. newspapers, magazines and report(s) and softcopy (online) sources
People
Includes information gained from people in a client’s network and those in their networks
Places
Includes information gained from informational interviewing, job shadowing, and volunteering
These categories help clients see that LMI is not just data on a website. It is everywhere, and different types of LMI answer different types of questions. Organizing information through the 3Ps framework supports clients in recognizing informal sources of LMI, helping them identify gaps in their research, balance their sources, and find hidden opportunities. The 3Ps rest on a foundation of participation, where CDPs encourage clients to learn by doing—seeking out real conversations, noticing what happens in actual workplaces, and interacting with print sources in ways that turn raw information into meaningful insight.
