good morning. We’ve talked about how artificial intelligence is changing the hiring process, but what about job seekers? In a tough job market, learning how to use AI effectively could give you an edge. Now, upskilling is in the spotlight, along with Canada’s second opportunity in LNG.
first up
on the news
Energy: Oil markets rose again yesterday after Iran’s new leader vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s main shipping route in the Persian Gulf, closed.
Telecom: Telus is investigating a cybersecurity incident related to a recently reacquired technology business line. The incident involves criminal hacking and unauthorized access by an extortion group.
technology: Canada holds its first high-tech initial public offering in nearly 50 years, with Metatech Group to begin trading on the TSX next week under the ticker “MTEK”
Employers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to screen candidates, and this shift is changing the way Canadians apply for jobs.Getty Images
in focus
Increase AI literacy
Hello. I’m Meera Raman, a retirement and financial planning reporter for the Globe. If you’re feeling a little nervous about how artificial intelligence will impact your career, you’re not alone.
I started thinking about this while reporting on a story about young Canadians trying to advance in one of the toughest job markets in decades. I heard the same thing over and over again. AI is not a distant concept that can be ignored. Who will be hired, what skills are important, and what it will take to stand out are already taking shape.
Take Zayan Sheikh, a 21-year-old UBC student. He decided that if employers were starting to expect AI skills, it was time to get them now. He had gained hands-on experience helping create generative AI tools through his university program, and told me that many job postings already favor candidates with experience in cloud computing and generative AI. What struck me most about our conversation was how practical his approach was. He wasn’t trying to be the next AI founder. He was trying to be employed.
University of British Columbia student Zayan Sheikh on campus in Vancouver on March 5.Jennifer Gauthier/Globe and Mail
And the labor market appears to be heading in that direction. My colleague Vanmala Subramaniam recently reported that big tech and finance employers are increasingly expecting new hires to be AI-savvy, with banks like BMO and CIBC and companies like Wealthsimple rapidly integrating these tools into their daily operations. In another story, she discovered that some of Canada’s largest companies are already leveraging AI to increase sales and productivity without adding to, or in some cases reducing, headcount.
That’s part of what makes this moment so unsettling, especially for younger employees. It’s not just that AI might someday change jobs. That means the face of entry-level work may already be changing, with AI tools increasingly handling tasks that once helped people enter the workforce.
Unions are already preparing for what this will mean for employment, surveillance and job security protections in Canadian workplaces, including codifying language on AI and layoffs into collective agreements.
As a result, not everyone needs to panic and go get a master’s degree in artificial intelligence.
In fact, the speed at which technology is changing is such that experts are warning young job seekers against taking endless AI courses. It may be helpful to choose a few courses that lead to certifications, as this will give you an easy-to-understand qualification that employers can value.
In my report, the experts made more grounded points. For most people, the real goal is to understand the basics, become comfortable using the tools, and learn how to adapt them to areas you’re already working on.
It could be your new career insurance of becoming someone who knows how to deal with AI. If you don’t, you may end up falling behind.
shout
charting
Will it be different this time?
Sadly, war is the norm, not the exception, write authors Christy Shen and Bryce Leung. Quit like a millionaire. But what should investors do now? Instead of rushing to raise cash, Shen and Leung say they should make sure their equity allocation is diversified around the world, including the U.S., Canada, and international stock markets, and if they can afford it, they should buy up when stocks are down.
quotation
Events in the Middle East highlight how fragile the global energy system is and why energy security is so important. Periods of geopolitical turmoil have reinforced the importance of reliable and diverse energy supplies. As global trade is disrupted and countries seek to diversify their energy sources, reliable LNG is increasingly playing a role in stabilizing the system.
— Francois Poirier, CEO, TC Energy Corp.
Vancouver business reporter Brent Jean spoke with TC Energy CEO Francois Poirier about Canada’s second chance to become one of the world’s leaders in liquefied natural gas exports. The country missed out a decade ago, but changing geopolitics and rising demand for natural gas are bringing new export opportunities to the global LNG race.
This article is the first in a new Globe series, “Think Big,” examining Canada’s most important nation-building energy and natural resource projects and the trade infrastructure needed to support them.
to the next
Other files we follow
About the bill: The federal government plans to spend nearly $35 billion to prepare for a larger military operation by North Korea and assert its sovereignty.
on the road: Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Oslo today, just as Norway is facing questions about whether the energy-rich country is once again profiting from war.
On the airwaves: Canada’s telecommunications regulator has ordered companies to stop charging fees that prevent customers from switching to another internet or cell phone plan.
In my head: Alberta’s Chamber of Commerce says talk of the province potentially leaving the federation is bad for business.
Next: We are looking at January data on Canadian manufacturing sales, new orders and new car sales. We are also looking at February payrolls and fourth quarter capacity utilization.
morning update
Global stocks fell as the escalating conflict in the Middle East cast a shadow over the market and inflation concerns rose.
Wall Street futures rose after yesterday’s decline in major North American markets. TSX futures were tepid ahead of February’s major payrolls report.
Overseas, the pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.25% in morning trading. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.13%, Germany’s DAX fell 0.32% and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.45%.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average closed 1.16% lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.98%.
The Canadian dollar traded at US$73.10.
