Everybody, who wants to shift in Canada, knows that they have to pay their basic expenditure after arriving in the country. Thus, getting and retaining a good job is extremely important for the immigrants who are about to start a life in Canada.
The problem is, getting a job that matches your qualification, is pretty hard in Canada. Some studies have indicated that only one in four migrants in Canada gets a job according to their qualifications.
The job situation is really intimidating, but there are some steps following which you can land a job that fits your profile. Check the following tips to build a better life post-Canadian immigration. You can always consult a Toronto immigration lawyer to ensure all your immigration documents are in check and for a smoother transition to the new country!
Work On Your Skills
In Canada, English and French are considered as the primary languages. So, to get a job anywhere in the country, you will need a good hold over both the languages. Make sure that you have a good grasp of the basics.
Make sure that your educational qualification is at per with the job profile. Get your credentials assessed if you have got your certificates outside Canada. Credential assessment is an important step that you must not skip. This assessment helps the potential employers to recognize your previous career achievements outside Canada.
Along with the skills and the certifications, you need to work on your soft skills as well. Remember, the work culture in Canada is entirely different than the work culture of your native country. Keenly observe different workplaces that you visit as customers. Note how the workers are talking to the customers and how they are speaking to each other. Check the dresses that professionals of different spheres wear each day.
Almost every immigrant gets a culture shock post-Canadian immigration. Studying your surroundings attentively and learning from even the smallest things can help you to get over the shock faster than others.
Prepare Your Resume
Resume writing has become a form of art and the style differs in every country. Canada has a concrete style of resume writing that each and every immigrant must follow. Check the directions that you need to follow while writing your resume for Canadian employers beforehand. The cover letter also plays an important role. In that letter, you have to explain why you should be considered as the best-fitted candidate for the job. You should write different cover letters for different job positions. So, don’t start sending the same cover letter to random companies for different job openings.
Go to the local library to find books about writing resumes and cover letters. There are multiple samples available on the internet as well. Consider taking help of the professionals who can create the best resume for you.
Apply in the Right Place
Applying to random job openings without getting any positive results can be frustrating. There are many organizations which help the immigrants, after Canadian immigration procedures are over, to know about appropriate vacancies.
The archaic style of finding jobs in local and national newspaper works great in Canada. Searching newspaper for job ads also helps you to get familiar with the job market of Canada. In this way, you will know which of the provinces of Canada are recruiting and what kind of jobs are in demand.
Volunteer: Volunteering always helps to build a network in Canada. People from all walks of life come to volunteer for good cause and there you can meet people who can help you land a job. Apart from that, volunteer work can give you the work experience in Canada which is really important for landing a good job.
Work experience indicates that you have all the skills to meet the demands of the job. You can also join some bridge courses, like the Federal Internship for Newcomers, which will help you to gain job experience in the country.
Take Help: Don’t deny any help that comes to your way. There are multiple organizations that help the immigrants to search for a job, once the Canadian immigration procedures are over. Some of the organizations might even teach you methods of writing a resume and answering job ads. The Canadian government also has a website which helps the job-seeking immigrants with valuable pieces of information and resources. Working with a mentor is another way to know the job market better.
Be Enthusiastic: While searching for a job in Canada, try to make the potential employer aware of your enthusiasm regarding the job profile. Always try to follow up with the company after dropping your resume. In this way, the employer will know that you are really interested in the job. Send a thank you email to the employer if you get the job. This mail will show that you are grateful for and committed to the company.
Get Strong Endorsements: Like every other country, references work like a charm in Canada. If you have a reference, it is easier for you to bag the job. Try to collect references from your home country and provide those letters to potential employers. However, always think whether the reference letter is apt for the job profile you are applying. Show the references only if it matches the job profile.
Use the Tools Available: While in-person networking is important, you should never ignore the power of virtual networking tools. Upload your resume to popular online job sites. The recruiters who search these sites regularly might find you suitable for a job profile.
Show Initiatives: This is the most lacking quality that managers find in the immigrant workers. The reason is that the immigrants coming from cultures, such as Africa, East Asia and South Asia, are habituated to work under a stringent hierarchy. Thus, they don’t know whether it is alright to show initiatives in this new country or not.
To overcome this, watch closely how the managers and other employees are interacting with each other and learn from them. Understand how much initiative your manager needs from you and act accordingly. Talk to the manager privately if you have any confusion.
Learning every little detail of the job culture of Canada is the only recipe to become successful in Canada. Be prepared to fight tooth and nail to get and retain a good job in the country after the Canadian immigration procedure is over. Once you figure out how things work, things will become easier for you to sort out. Get to know more about employment status options in Canada reading this!