When you arrive in Canada you have to accept the fact that all your previous education from your country of origin (in most cases) will not be recognized by most Canadian employers. So, it is good to get prepared for lowering your expectations when it comes to job positions that you’re going to apply for. Alternatively, we have to accept the fact that it will be necessary to validate diplomas, which is often associated with time, costs and the need to make up for the program difference by taking additional programs at Canadian schools.
Resume
First thing you need to do is adjust your CV aka resume to English standards. In Poland we often include profile picture in resume, in Canada it is not needed. Resume is adjusted to the job position that we apply for.
Cover Letter
The next step in the job hunt is writing a cover letter. The letter is adapted to the job position we apply for as well. In this document we describe ourselves, experience and our skills briefly. We should tell future employer why we will be a suitable candidate for this position.
Apply Online
Applying for a job these days is mostly available online. Employers and recruiting companies are mostly using popular websites but it’s still worth to check out less popular portals. The most common and frequently used are LinkedIn and Indeed.
Work from Home
One of the work options is remote work. On the Internet we can find many remote job opportunities. But remember to be cautious and stay away from shady offers. Keep in mind some companies pay only commission. In general keep in mind that most of offers are packed with applicants.
Is it easy to get a job?
A few factors decide whether or not you’ll get employed quickly. One of those factors is how desperate are we? Do we have university degree / work experience in Canada? Are we speaking fluent English? Are we aiming for so called “good position” or are we willing to start from scratch?
Immediate Employment
If you urgently need work to survive then you’ll be more open to any job opportunities. I would say cleaning companies and very basic positions in food service might be an option. But remember that even those sometimes require experience and certification. When searching for this kind of employment it’s good to walk around your neighborhood looking for opportunities and “HELP WANTED” sign.
Job with experience
Finding a job is the easiest for people with previous experience and/or education. But I don’t have to say that it is impossible to be young, fully educated and with at least few years of experience. Same problem everywhere.
Job without experience
Problem of finding a job without previous experience is complex since we have no way of getting experience if most of companies want to employ people with experience.
Rates
How much you will be getting paid depends on previous experience, education, knowledge of additional languages (if required) and of course on employer. Bigger companies can afford higher salaries. Current minimum wage is 15.50 CAD (2023). Though, minimum wage is often not enough to make a living. Many job advertisements includes rates and they vary between 17 to 20 CAD per hour, those are average salaries. We can sometimes see 25 CAD and higher but it is quite rare.
Summary
In general the job hunt is quite complicated like in every other country. For people living their vision of the so called “American dream” I want to emphasize that Canada from up close looks way different than it is depicted in publications or stories. I don’t want to discourage anyone who wants to visit or emigrate but it’s worth remembering that social problems here are often even more complex than for example in Poland.
Written by Sylwia S.