Canadian Jobsearch

The jobsearch is obviously one of the major concerns of resettlement, especially given that many people give up excellent careers to move. It is imperative that you research and fully understand what will be required for you to transfer your skills and qualifications to the Canadian system.

Many trades and professions are regulated by either Federal or Provincial agencies. Very few qualifications transfer without any problems so please make full use of our dedicated pages on transferable qualifications. With the time it takes for your visa application to be processed you can make significant progress towards your goal. For instance, if your field of expertise in Canada requires some French language ability, you can gain a significant understanding in that time.

Whatever you decide, I'd recommend that at the minimum a computer driving license would be a worthwhile investment as most workplaces are increasingly computerized.

My experience with Canadian managers is that people who spend their own time furthering their education give a much better impression. Obviously,they also gain an advantage over other candidates that don't. Especially true is that if you are already qualified in the extra's (Computer applications for example) they won't have to pay for you to be trained and you will be productive faster in your new position.

Unless you have excellent contacts, it's very doubtful that you will have a certified job offer before you land. You can still carry out some major jobsearch research over the net to find prospective employers in your chosen area of settlement. A great resource for anyone new to the Canadian Job market is the downloadable ebook Immigrating to Canada and Finding... that is tailored to the search as an immigrant.

By far the most popular method of jobsearch is making use of the search engines.The 4 major players are:

Careerclick.com Great site, make sure you register as a candidate for the full use of the site. Includes links to some of the local city newpapers jobsearch pages.

Workopolis.com Part of the national, quality paper The Globe and Mail(similar to the Telegraph in UK), has in excess of 30,000 listings most days. Its free to register and is known as Canada's largest jobsearch site.

Monster.ca This is quite literally "a monster" of a site. Thousands of listings with great tips and advice.

Another option is to go for a work at home job for extra cash - it makes sense to have a parent at home to help the kids settle so this is a very attractive option.

Womens Work Station - Canadian links, job listings,WAHM links and legitimate work at home opportunities.

The business directory Yellow.ca is the internet version of the yellow pages, so you can use their search facility to locate all the businesses in your field of expertise that are based in your chosen location. You can then visit their websites and see which you like the best, have sound products and corporate direction.

Most will have a career opportunities link to go to and you may be in luck. It is definitely worth contacting them regardless if any jobs are posted as they may be thinking about hiring. If you don't feel comfortable phoning, definitely email or send your resume (cv). Though you can't legally work without the correct visa, if the company cannot find a suitable candidate in Canada, you may just find that they are prepared to contact HRDC and apply for permision to hire you. If you don't at least try then you will never know - go to our Workers Permit page for more details.

Another great way to generate income that can move with you anyhwre in the world is to start your own internet business. Though many people will always find an excuse not to have a go, with Solo Build It there really is no excuse to at least try. What better way to start your new life in Canada with a web based business you can administer from anywhere and to have a regular extra income to help you?

I have no programming or website building experience but have successfully used the Solo Build It system to build this website with over 150 pages. To see how its done just click on the TV below to watch the short video presentation:

	Wait until The 3 Minute Shortcut has finished, or pause it, before touring these visual links... Tube It! Tour It! Join It! Tortoise It! Doubt It? Try It! Videos From The Heart How SBI! Makes You Succeed SBI! Family Bulletin Board SBI! Business Philosophy Ask Anything To An SBI! Owner Risk-Free Test Drive (The middle four links above open a new browser window.)

If you have the chance for a fact finding visit (definitely recommended) call in and visit the companies. When I visited Calgary, I found several companies were willing to provide information as research for the Visa application. At one, I was even given a tour of the facilities and introduced to some of the workforce! When you finally land in Canada you will have a contact (chances are they won't forget you) that may even help get that all important Interview!