Working in Canada?

North_West_Art

I feel as if I should add my few words of advice here... I know Canada well, I have lived there and my in-laws are from there.

When you are applying for work, make sure that your CV fits on 1 page, and 1 page only. The cover letter of course, is seperate. I have friends in recruitment over there and I have heard numerous complaints about how 2-3 page cv's appear on their desk from UK and Ireland.

Make sure your CV is as good as it possibly can be... no typo's.

Make sure you have all your relevant documents and paperwork, references, medical clearance cert (if you need one).

Go out of your way to be at your very best on the day of the interview, theres alot of competition in Toronto for employment.

I know this may sound unfair, but a heavy accent sometimes is a big disadvantage in Toronto. I have friends who could get no work in sales as a result of this (they were from Dublin).

Last but not least, Halifax is worth checking out for work, theres a mini boom going on there at the moment, but research it first before you arrive. Its a university town with a large military base, and they are expanding the docks there, its the deepest sea port in the North Atlantic.

bonkers

any other reccomendations for job websites...

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mac123

kcb wrote: »

Nothing in supermarkets or bars or general office work temping?

as i mentioned above there is low wage casual work available. just take a walk downtown and you will see work advertised on the doors of shops/bars/restaurants. i dont think craigslist is the way to go for jobs tbh.

soccermad1

just a reply to NORTH WEST ART are you living here at the moment?my cv is up to date and was carefully done canadian style with help from my swap adviser ,1 page long with a cover letter,all my documents are in order,and i would be on my best for the day of the interview if i actually got an interview.cant really move to halifax as have apartment in toronto and have paid 1st and last rent already.there just isnt any jobs and the ones that there are has way much competition for them as there are irish english german scottish hundreds coming in by the week.even swap admitted there was a job shortage.

Cazlou

Hey Guys!

I just wanted to drop a quick line as there seems to be a lot of bitterness/shock or something about the job-situation here in Canada.

Yes, it is taking most people a while to find jobs. But they ARE finding them.

Of course I can only speak regarding Vancouver, as that's where I am, but when I arrived in April, it had taken most people about 1 month to find work. For me, I have been here for 2 months but only started looking about 6/7 weeks ago. It was very frustrating but I now have 2 part-time jobs, with space for a 3rd, which I'm hoping I will know about in the next few weeks.

Over the last couple of weeks a LOT more people are arriving, so the competition for jobs is going to get worse - so be prepared!!!

But I think the one thing that anyone coming over - and those of you that are already here and frustrated - has to remember, is that it is a Working HOLIDAY Visa. If you are coming with the intention of making your fortune, you will be disappointed!

If you come with the intention of experiencing a new country, meeting new people, travelling, and having an amazing time, while making a few quid along the way to keep the moths out of your purse, then that is exactly what you'll do!:D

Best of luck all, if you're in, or coming to, Van drop me a line if you've any q's

Caroline

GrahamThomas

Thanks Cazlou, your post has helped to clear up some of the concerns I have about the work situation. I'm heading to Vancouver in September and I've been stressing more about getting a job than anything else.

Happyduck02

Suzywuzy wrote: »

What did ye do for accomodation when ye got there, despite not having jobs yet ?

Hey Suzywuzy, sorry for late reply! We had a hostel booked for a week, but only stayed one night cos it was quite old and uncomfortable. Thankfully we found accommodation in downtown straight away, its expensive, but we had a bit saved up before we came over here. My boyfriend got a job 2 weeks ago, but unfortunately I still haven't found anything even though I've been looking really really hard. Its actually a lot harder than I thought it would be, even though I have good qualifications and a polite and friendly manner. I'm starting to get a bit down about it all! But all I can do is keep trying!!

Happyduck02

Cazlou wrote: »

Hey Guys!

I just wanted to drop a quick line as there seems to be a lot of bitterness/shock or something about the job-situation here in Canada.

Yes, it is taking most people a while to find jobs. But they ARE finding them.

Of course I can only speak regarding Vancouver, as that's where I am, but when I arrived in April, it had taken most people about 1 month to find work. For me, I have been here for 2 months but only started looking about 6/7 weeks ago. It was very frustrating but I now have 2 part-time jobs, with space for a 3rd, which I'm hoping I will know about in the next few weeks.

Over the last couple of weeks a LOT more people are arriving, so the competition for jobs is going to get worse - so be prepared!!!

But I think the one thing that anyone coming over - and those of you that are already here and frustrated - has to remember, is that it is a Working HOLIDAY Visa. If you are coming with the intention of making your fortune, you will be disappointed!

If you come with the intention of experiencing a new country, meeting new people, travelling, and having an amazing time, while making a few quid along the way to keep the moths out of your purse, then that is exactly what you'll do!:D

Best of luck all, if you're in, or coming to, Van drop me a line if you've any q's

Caroline

Hi Caroline,

My boyfriend and I have been here in Vancouver for over 5 weeks. We're here for a year to begin with, and we'll see how it goes after that. We're living downtown, whereabouts are you? He has found work, I haven't yet, but I'm trying not to lose hope. You're right - work is quite hard to find over here. I didn't come over with the intention of making a fortune either, but the cost of living is higher than I expected and the savings won't last forever!!! I've applied to up on 200 places, have had about 7 interviews, and thats it! Pretty disheartening eh?! Well done you on your 2 part time jobs with room for a 3rd - you're a busy lady!

Happyduck02

poppet84 wrote: »

Awh no! Sorry to hear that!

Anyone know how it is in Vancouver.....is it the same?

Yes, my boyfriend and I have been here for over 5 weeks. He landed a job after 3 weeks, not great pay, but at least its something. I still cannot find a single thing. Have had about 7 interviews out of over 200 applications and heard nothing back from any of them yet. I'm stuck on the job sites all day, every day. When I'm not doing that I'm walking around downtown handing in carefully adjusted resumes to fit in with the Canadian standard of resume, and nothing is working for me at all. We have enough to survive on for about another 1-2 months maximum and then its game over. The two of us need to be working, what hes earning wouldn't cover rent/bills/food etc when our money runs out. I'm starting to regret leaving Ireland.

Happyduck02

soccermad1 wrote: »

just a reply to NORTH WEST ART are you living here at the moment?my cv is up to date and was carefully done canadian style with help from my swap adviser ,1 page long with a cover letter,all my documents are in order,and i would be on my best for the day of the interview if i actually got an interview.cant really move to halifax as have apartment in toronto and have paid 1st and last rent already.there just isnt any jobs and the ones that there are has way much competition for them as there are irish english german scottish hundreds coming in by the week.even swap admitted there was a job shortage.

Hi again soccermad1,

It really sucks doesn't it. Feck all interviews out of all the applications we're sending out, and even then, nothings happening. I also have my resume vamped up to Canadian style and still its getting me nowhere. My boyfriend found a job 2 weeks ago, but the pay isn't great at all. But at least its something. I'm not panicking just yet, but another 1-2 months of this, and it'll be homeward bound. When the savings are gone, theres no way we could survive on his wage alone, rent and the cost of living here is too high. Kinda starting to regret leaving Ireland, but at the same time you can't predict whats gonna happen, so if we'd stayed at home we'd never have known what the outcome would be, so chin up! It really is a sickener though. Damn the bloody recession in Ireland - thats what brought us over here, probably like most of the others that are here. Maybe our luck will change soon though, who knows!!

kcb

What type of work are you looking for HD?

Happyduck02

kcb wrote: »

What type of work are you looking for HD?

I have lots of experience on Reception Desks and Customer Service but I'd kind of had enough if that, so I thought I might just do something like hostessing/serving in a restaurant or pub. I even got a Serving It Right Certificate straight away cos you can't do that kind of work over here without one. Applied almost everywhere in downtown, and nowhere wanted to know cos I had no previous experience. So I said "ok, reception or customer service work it is then!" and again, started applying to lots of places - had a few interviews and never heard anything back. Thats plan A and B gone - have to start thinking of a plan C!!!!!!

Happyduck02

mac123 wrote: »

as i mentioned above there is low wage casual work available. just take a walk downtown and you will see work advertised on the doors of shops/bars/restaurants. i dont think craigslist is the way to go for jobs tbh.

I'm starting to think that about Craigslist too, although there is so many people walking in off the streets to apply for the jobs in shop/bar windows that you wouldn't really stand a chance. All they do is ask if you have a resume and say that they'll get back to you when they have a look at it, which they rarely do. I've tried recruitement agencies too, as a last resort. They've been promising me the world and getting me nowhere. It's just so frustrating at this stage.

Happyduck02

soccermad1 wrote: »

just a reply to NORTH WEST ART are you living here at the moment?my cv is up to date and was carefully done canadian style with help from my swap adviser ,1 page long with a cover letter,all my documents are in order,and i would be on my best for the day of the interview if i actually got an interview.cant really move to halifax as have apartment in toronto and have paid 1st and last rent already.there just isnt any jobs and the ones that there are has way much competition for them as there are irish english german scottish hundreds coming in by the week.even swap admitted there was a job shortage.

Oh by the way soccermad1, my boyfriend has a 5 year degree and he had to take a job just digging on a site and doing general labour cos its all he could get. I know you've said you can't get any interviews and but my advice to you is, if you DO get one and you're offered it, no matter how crap of a job it is, just take it. It'll keep you going until something better comes along. I've realised over here that you can't be choosy, you just have to take ANYTHING to get you started. I even tried for dishwashing positions just to get a foot in the door and nope! Apparently I'm not even wanted for that!! lol

mac123

Happyduck02 wrote: »

I'm starting to think that about Craigslist too, although there is so many people walking in off the streets to apply for the jobs in shop/bar windows that you wouldn't really stand a chance. All they do is ask if you have a resume and say that they'll get back to you when they have a look at it, which they rarely do. I've tried recruitement agencies too, as a last resort. They've been promising me the world and getting me nowhere. It's just so frustrating at this stage.

yeah i went to a recruitment place yesterday and they showed me the door cause i dont have any previous experience in an office environment/call centre. they said i need 2 yrs min experience which is a feckin joke imo. i even have the business degree but i guess its not worth much!
can i ask how much your boyfriend is getting paid? is it cash in hand?

Cazlou

Happyduck02 wrote: »

Hi Caroline,

My boyfriend and I have been here in Vancouver for over 5 weeks. We're here for a year to begin with, and we'll see how it goes after that. We're living downtown, whereabouts are you? He has found work, I haven't yet, but I'm trying not to lose hope. You're right - work is quite hard to find over here. I didn't come over with the intention of making a fortune either, but the cost of living is higher than I expected and the savings won't last forever!!! I've applied to up on 200 places, have had about 7 interviews, and thats it! Pretty disheartening eh?! Well done you on your 2 part time jobs with room for a 3rd - you're a busy lady!

Heya, I'm living downtown too. So handy!!!
Yep it is expensive alright, I've had to figure out what groceries to buy from which stores in order to curb unneccessary spending- which then goes on nights out..:pac: I really had to swallow my pride and apply for stuff I wouldn't have done at home. Have you applied to many in person?? what areas (job and location-wise) have you been looking??

Mimikyu

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mindlet

Hi all, check monster. there are office admin jobs that is what I have done for 10 years-so here;s hoping..anyone around to meet up when i get there? Im going solo,

Mimikyu

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mindlet

I am heading in Oct, 5 oct and just checking jobs now, reckon hostelling is thw way to make friends and cost effective. Wher you heading again?

Mimikyu

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Táck

handed in my notice in work today so the shackles are off, finally i can tell the world, well, boards i'm going to canada!

been reading the numerous threads for months now.

im going over in july, 20th to be precise. first stop toronto. not sure what work il get but from looking at things i think it'll be whatever i can. my girlfriend is a barwoman here and im a salesman. she'll do anyhting but bar work and i feel the same about sales!

my main aim was to be in vancouver for the w.olympics, thats the dream. all i can do now is hope!

even if someone told me there was only a 5% chance i'd get a job, i'm still going.

the whole year inn

wont there be loads of jobs for the W O .Im heading over in december so a good while to go yet

soccermad1

so im still in toronto 2.5 months now, have just applied for another 12 jobs over the last 2 days,im gettin really frustrated at this stage .have just paid rent which takes me up to august and if i have no job by then its back to ireland for me.man i never thought it would be this hard but the job situation is really bad craigs list and kwijji are just full of people lookin for work as appose to offering work.was on irish jobs .ie last night for nostalga and saw a few jobs with my experience and started to think i shouldnt have left.if you are coming over looking for general labour or anything in that area forget it ,ive applied for everything and no word back ,even the 9.50 and 10.00 doller an hour jobs im applying for are not gettin back and i thought they would be desperate.so august 1st it is and then august 2nd it into my local dole office in cork.but i wont be the first ,ive already heard of 2 couples who went home after 3 months due to lack of work .

Táck

would you not go anywhere else? im heading to toronto in 3 weeks and although at first your post worried me, im now thinking that i wont be in toronto for longer then a month.

montreal? i'm even gonna make my way to halifax if need be. anyhting but ****ing coming home.

soccermad1

cant really move on have paid first and last months rent,going home is a last option,but if i do decided to go home next month its because i would have been here 3.5 months without a days work ,there is only so long the savings can last the cost of living is just to high.i mean 7 dollers + 1 dooler tip for a magners the other night.an 8 doller pint a lot if your making 10/11 dollers an hour

Táck

well we get there and we've 3 nights in a hostel, i think we might make a fortnight of it and feic off somewhere else smaller or with more of a chance of work and a cheaper standard of living.

ANYTHING but here. i'm here, your there. dont do it.

wait for me. i'll buy you a pint!!!

mac123

soccermad1 wrote: »

cant really move on have paid first and last months rent,going home is a last option,but if i do decided to go home next month its because i would have been here 3.5 months without a days work ,there is only so long the savings can last the cost of living is just to high.i mean 7 dollers + 1 dooler tip for a magners the other night.an 8 doller pint a lot if your making 10/11 dollers an hour

are you just trying online? have you gone to any recruitment places? or went to bars/restaurants in person and spoken to the manager? maybe try visiting the hostels and speaking to people with jobs and see if they can get you one, i know a few ppl who got work that way! have you tried fast food places?
i wouldnt give up just yet, even if you took min wage work in some fast food place it would keep you ticking over until the ski season, then you could do some resort work.

Mst

If you have a bit of French it might be worth trying Quebec city, I've friends there who say the unemployment rate is still low 2/3%, probably cos foreigners are put off going there because of the french language, its a lovely city though. From looking at the job bank website you dont even need more than basic french for a lot of the jobs.

kod137

For anyone new to Toronto or is thinking of going, check out this site, it has loads of info for moving and settling into Toronto. I was in Vancouver for the past 6 months, work is kinda slow over there, not much better here in Toronto but going to stick it out anyway.

www.torontoincolour.ca