One of the main things that potential immigrants and residents are interested in is working in Canada. There are many questions: who is hired, how much is paid, where to look for a job, what are the available vacancies, and so on. An interesting fact: you can immigrate to Canada on your own without a job offer.
Working in Canada gives the right to obtain a residence permit or the right to permanent residence. For specialists who have a job offer from a Canadian company, the immigration process lasts no more than six months, and for those who lived in Canada on a student or work visa – at least a year. Specialists whose profession is on the list of demanded ones can count on a quick immigration process.
What should be considered when looking for a job in Canada?
Finding a job in Canada is a very difficult process. You can seek help from professionals or go now.
Newly arrived immigrants can get initial advice from organizations such as Welcome Canada and its like.
Here you will be helped to write a competent resume, taught how best to look for your first job and will be given primary information on how to behave in an interview.
Please note that employers in Canada may ask for references. The easiest way is to take these recommendations from a friend who has his own business in Canada. The employer is likely to call this friend to clarify all the details of the recommendation during the conversation.
If there is no such acquaintance, recommendations can be earned while working as a volunteer.
Volunteering in Canada
Many immigrants who do not have specialties in demand in Canada face the same problem when looking for work – lack of local experience. The best way for beginners to get the proverbial Canadian experience is to volunteer somewhere for free. Such work in Canada is quite prestigious and very developed. After working for several months, you get a reference. This is a letter from a Canadian employer that you worked for him and you may well work for someone else.
The choice of future volunteers is great – tourism, work in hospitals or preschool institutions, looking after seriously ill people, participation in the work of financial or legal companies and much more – the flight of fantasy is limitless!
Benefits of volunteering for new immigrants:
- Gaining work experience in Canada is a very important point! This gives you the opportunity to learn about Canada’s working world and add this valuable experience to your resume.
- Practice and improve your English or French: A good knowledge of the language is necessary for anyone who plans to stay in Canada and make good money. By participating in volunteer projects, you will be able to hone the language and get to know its local features and dialects better.
- Acquisition of new connections: volunteering is always new acquaintances. You spend time with people daily or weekly and you can make friends or get useful contacts that can be very useful in the future.
- Get references: they will help your resume stand out from other applicants in the next interview.
- Develop new skills: You may not be aware of your capabilities until you work in a particular area. You will be able to practice your interpersonal skills by helping people in need.
- Get to know Canadian society: by communicating with the local population, it will be easier for you to get to know the mentality of Canadians, their characteristics. This will help you quickly adapt to the new culture.
Resume for the Canadian labor market
A lot of candidates when looking for a job are eliminated at the stage of sending their resume. Ideally, if your resume is only one page (maximum one and a half).
How to write a resume for a job in Canada:
- The resume should be short.
- The resume should be adapted to the specific position.
- The resume should contain keywords. It is important to use keywords that describe experience and qualifications.
- Format your resume text effectively. The resume should have a clear and understandable structure, and be easy to use.
If you really want to get to Canada and really want to find a job, then you need to be very persistent. Get ready to send a lot of resumes. And it will be ideal if you remake each resume to the requirements of a specific vacancy.
How do I get a job offer from a Canadian employer?
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Connections in Canada
Having connections is the easiest way to secure yourself a job offer. If your relatives or acquaintances live in Canada, then this is definitely a great advantage.
However, connections are not a 100% guarantee of getting an offer. And that’s why.
Whether you can get a job offer or not depends on whether your future employer can get a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
An LMIA is an authorization from Employment and Social Development Canada to hire a foreign worker for a position that can be filled by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. LMIAs are issued based on the needs of the Canadian economy. So if your relative or acquaintance knows an employer who needs a new accountant, but there are many unemployed accountants in that part of Canada, then there is little chance of success.
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Canadian agencies
One of the best options is to contact several recruitment agencies, especially if you can find one or more that are focused on your profession. Employers are increasingly relying on external recruitment companies (aka “bounty hunters”) to find talent. These agencies are usually paid by employers, so avoid companies that require you to pay for their services.
There are many agencies that target foreign workers, but there are many more agencies that do not work with foreigners.
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Internet resources
The easiest way, but with the least realistic chance, is to turn to job search sites on the Internet, as any Canadian would do.
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Contact an employer
You can always email or phone employers who might be interested in hiring someone with your skills. You can find them in many ways by researching ads or company websites on the Internet. Some employers value people who show initiative. If you are a good candidate, the fact that you are abroad will not deter an employer.
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Attend a job fair outside of Canada (job fair session)
At traveling job fairs that take place all over the world, there are representatives of Canadian companies who are looking for specialists and are ready to offer them a job in one of the provinces. With a job offer, you will be able to immigrate to Canada. This is a great opportunity!
Requirements for foreigners wishing to work in Canada
Here are the basic requirements for those who want to work in Canada:
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Language proficiency
In any case, you will have to communicate with the locals, even if you find a job with Russian speakers. Therefore, you need to come to the country already knowing the language at least at an acceptable level for communication. And if you plan to move to Quebec, then also learn French, since this is the main language here.
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Education and skills
In Canada, for the most part, specialists with significant experience and certain knowledge are required – it is difficult to find a non-core job here. The level of education matters a lot. If you have not graduated from a Canadian, British or European university, then most likely you will need to confirm your diploma. In particular, if you are going to be engaged in a business that requires certain qualifications (doctor, teacher, engineer, architect, etc.).
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Medical Board
A medical examination is mandatory for obtaining a work visa. First you need to get a referral from the Canadian embassy and pass an examination within a certain period. The result is valid for 1 year and upon receipt is sent to the Canadian Immigration Medical Center, where it is considered within three months. The final conclusion is sent to the embassy.
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Official employment
Do not work illegally in Canada. And it’s not just about deportation with a ban on entry, but also about poor conditions and complete insecurity in a foreign country. You will not be able to work in a good position unofficially, you will also not have benefits and guarantees. In addition, under Canadian law, illegal employment can result in fines and possibly imprisonment.
Immigration to Canada from India is a very real process, but its implementation will require a clear strategy – it is important that all the requirements of the immigration authorities for future immigrants are met.
If you have non-Canadian relatives, then the only way out is to go to study or find a job in Canada.
By the way, there is a large Indian diaspora in Canada, so you can find new acquaintances through the Internet, various groups in social networks who can help you adapt and, perhaps, help / prompt you with work.
In this section, we invite you to get acquainted with the real stories of immigrants from India, who will tell their success stories – how they came to Canada, how they looked for work and “got on their feet in a foreign country.
