Finding a Job

Finding a job after immigrating to Canada

After the emigration phase and you were able to successfully imigram to Canada, when you have already secured a roof over your head, the search for work becomes the main concern for all new immigrants.

You should start looking for a job as early as possible as soon as you have sufficient language skills. There are many public and private organizations that help you find work, but none of them can guarantee you a job. Do not neglect any of the sources of information about work: close, familiar, ads in newspapers in the headings “Job Offers,” “Career and Profession,” Employment Centers of Canada, public organizations, private agencies and clubs. All of them can provide you with information that orients your search in the right direction. These organizations will be able to offer your services to potential employers. But, ultimately, only your own steps will help you get a job. Feel free to inform others about your professional qualifications and say that you are actively looking for a job. It should be borne in mind that many specialists, having come to Canada, sometimes change the occupation.

If you are a programmer, you should not change your profession – in Canada it is one of the highest-paid specialties. An important addition: programmers are not required to join any association. However, we highly recommend to stock up on proof of diploma – the attached certificate from the Canadian University will add you the chances of getting a job faster. If you are an engineering worker, you will need to know AutoCAD and owning a computer at the advanced user level. It’s good if you know the basics of programming on Visual Basic. In order for you to work as an engineer, you should make a request to a professional association to confirm your qualifications. Proof of qualification does not give you the right to be considered an engineer, it is only a formal recognition that you have the appropriate education. However, with this confirmation you can get a job. Most companies in their job advertisements indicate that they need P.Eng. (certificate of professional engineer). In order to say that you have P.Eng., you should join your professional association, take several exams and get a license.

Specialists in economic professions should receive additional training. Training is carried out in colleges, and the duration of training – about six months. The most popular profession is an accountant or an accountant. It should be noted that this profession is also one of the highest paid and there is always demand for it. Many accountants practice privately, and among Canadian businesses this type of activity is considered one of the most successful, as well as the creation of software. There are also other areas where economic professionals work successfully. In particular, financial advisers, banking specialists. All these professions are also well paid. Less paid, but also popular profession – Bookkeeper (accountant-accountant).

Among the colleges where you can get appropriate additional economic education, you can advise Seneca College, Toronto Business School, and Centennial College.All professionals in economics need to own excel program, as well as AccPac – Canadian accounting program.

Translators, especially those who speak English and French, have a good chance. They are quite easily arranged by clerks in various companies and government agencies. In addition, they have the opportunity to work part-time in their spare time – in Canada a large number of Russian-speaking immigrants, and, accordingly, there is a high need for professional translators.

Another popular profession in Canada, which does not require special education, is the work of a sales consultant (mostly wholesale goods) – salesman. All that is required – a tolerable knowledge of English, the ability to work on the computer and the ability to quickly understand a new area for yourself. Some immigrants are arranged by sellers in dealerships, shops, wholesale and small wholesale companies.

The most popular job for women is a secretary in the company. The position of secretary in Canada involves fulfilling all office duties – communication with clients, keeping documentation, preparing draft decisions, etc. Requires good computer skills, knowledge of text editors, sometimes graphics programs, spreadsheets, databases, the ability to handle the computer periphery. Salaries are usually low – from 1,200 at the beginning of a career to $3,500 in a few years. You can get a job quickly enough.

resume

Once you have decided in which area you would like to work, you should:

Make a resume. A summary is a work biography written in a certain form, in which you must specify first your professional skills, then work experience, and then – your education.

• Start looking for companies to send your resume to. There are several ways: the most reliable way, if you have relatives, friends or acquaintances in Canada, ask them to pat for you. Have them ask their friends where your profile specialist is required. Usually through second or third hand information comes to interested parties and you can be invited for an interview. Many Canadians get a job through friends. —- The traditional way: buy a newspaper, find job advertisements and send your resumes to the specified fax numbers.

Modern way: find on the Internet sites where job advertisements are placed. Send your resume by email. Find the websites of companies that work in the area where you are an expert. Send a letter to each such company offering your services and attach a resume.

The most carefree way: contact companies that employ professionals. Resume send to 2-3 companies, no more. Usually through such recruitment companies a good half of visiting specialists are arranged.

After you are invited to an interview, do a little research about the company – visit their website on the Internet, see what the company is doing, and try to understand what kind of specialist they need. In interviews, try to stay relaxed. Smile more – one of the main criteria when hiring is your ability to get along in the team. If something is not clear – do not be afraid to ask again. This is better than if you do not understand the essence of the issue.

Usually two or three interviews are conducted when hiring. The first is pre-selection. For the second interview – your knowledge as a specialist is tested, and on the third – a test for sociability, on the ability to get along in a team and conduct conflict-free coexistence with colleagues. At the last interview, the issue of salary, benefits and mutual duties is discussed.

What you need to know when you get a job

When applying for a job, they pay attention to the Canadian experience. Many companies don’t even consider resumes if the applicant doesn’t have Canadian work experience.

In Canada, everything is based on the recommendations. Wherever you go, you need a reference (recommendation) everywhere. In Canada, everyone understands that it is impossible to evaluate a person for an interview, the simplest – to ask about the person from the previous employer. If there is no one to recommend you in Canada, then in extreme cases, stock up on the phones of those organizations where you worked before coming to Canada. Your future employers can call Russia to make inquiries about you.

It is easier for young professionals to get a job. The reason is simple – those who have experience in the specialty for no more than 5 years, you can offer a lower salary. In addition, young professionals are unlikely to find a high-paying job elsewhere and therefore will not have an incentive to leave the company any time soon. The first thing Canadians start to do when they get a job is to look for another job. With 7-8 months of experience in Canada, you can expect a completely different level of salary. After you have worked for 9-10 months, you will either receive a significant increase in your salary or you can start looking for a new job. In the latter case, your CV will be different than when looking for a first job. With Canadian experience, you will find a new place much faster, and your salary will be different from the one you were offered at the beginning of your career in Canada.

Permanent job or contract

When you are hired, you will be offered either full-time (permanent work) or contract work.

Full-time. You are hired on a permanent, fixed-hours job. In addition to salaries, companies often offer benefits systems (i.e. dentist’s fees, points, life insurance, etc.). The bigger the company, the better the benefit system you will be offered. The company pays for you in the pension fund, in the unemployment insurance fund and in other funds. If you leave on the initiative of the company, you can expect unemployment benefits until you find a new job. In addition, working on a permanent basis, you can count on the favor of banks in issuing loans and obtaining credit cards. You can expect to participate in the “5% downpayment” program when buying a home or condominium.

contract

You are contracted for a certain period of time, for which you must fulfill the contractual obligations. You receive payment from the company in accordance with the contract. All contributions to funds (pension, unemployment insurance, etc.) It’s up to you. You don’t have to pay anywhere. However, in the event of dismissal, you cannot expect unemployment benefits. A big advantage of working on a contract is the salary, which is about 30% higher than those who work on a permanent basis. In addition, work under the contract is considered by the tax authorities as “self-employed” and allows a portion of the amount earned to be written off for costs, thereby reducing the amount that should be taxed. Therefore, if you feel confident, then working on a contract basis will give a lot of advantages. However, in the eyes of banks and public services, you will be seen as an unreliable customer who may lose his job at any time.

Rights of workers in Canada

The relationship between the employer and the employee in different provinces is governed by a special regulation. You can get it by contacting any of the offices of the Ministry of Labour. Here are just the basics:

Working hours – Canada has an 8-hour workday, or 47-hour work week.

Overtime Pay – With few exceptions, the employer must pay at least one and a half times higher for all hours of work exceeding 44 hours per week.

Holidays

Canada has 8 holiday days, which are paid for by the employer : New Year’s Day (New Year’s Day – January 1), Good Friday (Easter – usually in mid or late April), Victoria Day (Birthday of queen Victoria – May 19), Canada Day (Canada Day – July 1), Labor Day (First Monday of September), Thanksgiving Day (First Friday in October), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 25). To be paid holidays, you must work for at least three months. There are still a number of requirements that you must meet

vacation

If you have worked with your employer for one year, you can expect to take at least two weeks of paid leave. The amount of vacation should be at least 4% of your annual income.

Minimum hourly fare

The minimum hourly rate is defined as $6 85 per hour of work.

Trade unions

Like everywhere in the world, Canadian trade unions are organizations that bring workers together to protect their interests before the administration. Trade unions define common working conditions, which are reflected in a document called collective agreement. Canadian law recognizes the right of every worker to join a trade union. If the company has a trade union cell, the worker has the right to join it. However, an employee cannot choose a trade union, and can only join the trade union organization that has entered into a collective agreement. On the other hand, the Canadian Labor Code imposes an obligation on the employer to charge union contributions from the salary, regardless of whether the employee is a member or not.

Health and safety

If you have been a victim of an accident at work or have acquired a professional illness, you are entitled to benefits for the damage received or for the resulting disability. The State Worker Protection System is managed by the Health and Safety Executive.

Unemployment insurance regime

The unemployment insurance regime is intended for workers who have lost their jobs. His task is to provide income while looking for a new job. All employers and workers pay contributions to this public insurance system. People who had not previously worked in Canada were not eligible for unemployment benefits.

When you receive unemployment benefits, you are required to provide proof that you are looking for a job. The payment of the benefit is time-limited and is a part of your salary. In order to find out the amount of benefit to which you will be entitled, as well as the conditions under which you will be able to receive it, you must apply to one of the employment centers of Canada, having the necessary documents, including the work statement, which you must issue to the last employer.

Setting up your own business

If you have a certain capital at your disposal, you can start your own business by starting your own company or cooperating with existing ones. To succeed in this endeavor, you need to conduct a serious market analysis and know the world of business well.

The Government of Canada offers information and advisory services to immigrants – entrepreneurs and investors, as well as autonomous workers. You can get information about the situation in different sectors of the economy and find out how to get in touch with the business community of a region. The Ministry can help find a project to invest in the sector or region where this contribution will be most useful. For more information, contact the Business People’s Services Directorate.

Providing a minimum income and a velfer system.

One of the most attractive features of Canada (especially for immigrants coming to a foreign country and unable to adapt to it) is the highest level of social protection for its inhabitants. Of particular interest for obvious reasons is the wellfer system.

The essence of the velfer system is that any person living legally in the country is entitled to financial support from the state if his income for any reason falls below the corresponding level. Many new immigrants are also passing through this system. Our immigration service sometimes faces people’s fears of being left without a livelihood. Once in Canada, in fact, such a development of events is not to be feared. If an immigrant who has come to Canada has not been able to find a job, he or she may contact his district office of the State Social Assistance. The employee of this organization will check whether the applicant really needs help and assign a manual (velfer).