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Define the purpose and focus of your investigation. Do you want to investigate the labour market requirements for a particular job role, sector, emerging market, or the labour market in general? This will help you choose the right materials for your analysis.

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Labour market requirements can include, for instance:

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• Tools and technologies – software, platforms, equipment, or digital tools commonly used in the role.

• Tasks and responsibilities – what workers are expected to do on a daily basis.

• Behavioural expectations – the attitudes, work habits, collaboration styles and professional behaviours that employers look for.

• Qualifications and certifications – formal requirements such as degrees, licences, or mandatory training.

• Experience levels – years of experience, types of previous roles, and specific project experience.

• Industry standards – the norms, regulations and compliance expectations that are relevant to the sector.

• Skills – both technical skills (e.g. software, machinery, methods) and soft skills (e.g. teamwork, communication, adaptability).

• Knowledge areas – subject-specific knowledge, industry understanding, regulations or domain expertise.

• Competences – the ability to apply skills and knowledge in real-work situations, such as problem solving, decision making and customer handling.

 

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Collect materials for investigation. Aim for a diverse range to gain a comprehensive overview. Sources such as job advertisements, job descriptions, competency frameworks, industry or sector reports, training curricula, and professional standards are all publicly available.

 

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Extract labour-market signals to reveal what employers want from their employees. Read through the materials and highlight all the labour market requirements that are relevant to your chosen field and job.

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• Qualifications, certifications, or licences

• Experience levels or role-specific prerequisites

• Required skills (soft, hard, digital, technical)

• Tools, technologies, or methods mentioned

• Tasks, duties, and responsibilities

• Behavioural and professional expectations

• Knowledge areas or domain expertise

• Regulatory or industry‑standard requirements

 

Make a note of your findings in a notebook, on sticky notes, on a whiteboard or on a large sheet of paper, or on a computer.

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Turn raw data into meaningful insights by identifying patterns and themes in your findings. Group similar requirements together and look for broader themes. You can also use software to help you sort and organise them. Pay attention to the following, for instance:

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• recurring requirements across multiple sources

• emerging or newly emphasised competencies

• sector‑specific expectations or standards

• gaps between formal requirements and real‑world practice

• increasing demands for digital or transversal skills

• shifts in tools, technologies, or work methods.

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Reflect on your findings regarding labour-market needs from your perspective. Depending on the sector and job you have selected, ask yourself questions such as:

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• Which requirements are essential or non‑negotiable?

• Which competencies are growing in importance?

• Which expectations are rare, specialised, or niche?

• What barriers or challenges might jobseekers face?

• How are roles evolving due to technological or industry changes?

 

Make two lists: one of the requirements that you already fulfil, and one of the requirements that you do not fulfil or need to develop further.

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