Canada, a 3rd level degree only zone?

bamblam

Hi expats!

Those of you in Canada, is it a degree only zone? looking at some of the threads here, a lot of you there and a lot of you thinking of going seem to have a degree at a minimum and sometimes phds and more.

I'm currently a mature student undergrad but I'm getting impatient and thinking of just heading off to Canada, is it a waste of time without a qualification? isn't there work there, say, in a newsagents for example

Thanks

Martyn1989

Yes there is, but what then? Finish your degree, you'll regret it if you don't.

IrishIrish

May as well finish your degree, will regret it for ever if you don't. A lot of people are going back to do degrees now so will be even more competition in next few years.

I'm in Vancouver for the past 2 years with degree and MBA. I've been lucky enough to get work for 2 of the most prestigious companies in the area but its not easy. I've had friends here with no degrees and they have found it difficult. If you were going to one of the smaller towns or cities you might have a chance of newsagent type job but not a hope in a major city imo.

If you have good (maybe very good) computer skills on Microsoft Office like Excel, word and outlook with good typing skills and some experience it is easy enough to find temping jobs in offices for a couple weeks that often lead to several extensions if you prove yourself.

But overall, having a degree would give you big advantage over here so I'd definitely recommend finishing!

bamblam

I agree with you guys but I'm just a bit worried that places like Canada and Australia will become saturated with Irish by the time I get my degree making job hunting hard either way

Thanks for the advice

COYVB

bamblam wrote: »

I agree with you guys but I'm just a bit worried that places like Canada and Australia will become saturated with Irish by the time I get my degree making job hunting hard either way

Thanks for the advice

Sure the majority of Irish coming to Canada will be sent packing when their work permits have expired

Jonty

?? Australia is already saturated.

Martyn1989

bamblam wrote: »

I agree with you guys but I'm just a bit worried that places like Canada and Australia will become saturated with Irish by the time I get my degree making job hunting hard either way

Thanks for the advice

So you want to move to Canada for 2 years and work in a newsagents? I'd say your best option is to finish your education.

bamblam

OK I don't mean to literally work in a newsagents, I was using that as an example of a job where a degree isn't needed. I'm just fishing to see if the jobs market in Canada is anything like it was in Ireland before the recession , if there is work I was thinking of going getting set up and a little further on finishing my education in Canada

COYVB

Finish your education first. If you come to canada without it you'll be back on a plane in 2 years with no prospect of ever coming back. If you come with an education there's a chance you might be able to stay through an LMO or CEC

dobsy89

ya i'm in the same situation...going over with two of my mates who have degrees but i'm unqualified, hoping its not too hard to get work out there, ive some experience working in computer programming so a job in that field would be nice but hoping work in bars or as you said newsagents is not too hard to get if i need the money?

COYVB

dobsy89 wrote: »

ya i'm in the same situation...going over with two of my mates who have degrees but i'm unqualified, hoping its not too hard to get work out there, ive some experience working in computer programming so a job in that field would be nice but hoping work in bars or as you said newsagents is not too hard to get if i need the money?

Get yourself sorted at Tim Horton's or Walmart and go from there

a posse ad esse

bamblam wrote: »

Hi expats!

Those of you in Canada, is it a degree only zone? looking at some of the threads here, a lot of you there and a lot of you thinking of going seem to have a degree at a minimum and sometimes phds and more.

I'm currently a mature student undergrad but I'm getting impatient and thinking of just heading off to Canada, is it a waste of time without a qualification? isn't there work there, say, in a newsagents for example

Thanks

Yes it is if you want the honest truth. Canada's Immigration is based on a point system and education is one of the top requirements on the list. Unless you are working in a trade that is in high demand (you must be qualified with all the certificates) than you can bypass the university degree route.

As far as unqualified work, it is not all that difficult to find. But don't think you are going to come out rich. All your wages are going to go towards living expenses as things here can get expensive. The only thing where I can think you can make loads of money is in Fort McMurray on the oil rigs. But from what I have been told it is hard labour and a very boring isolated place to live in. They have the highest level of drug and alcohol addiction in the country. Due to making too much money and having little else to see or do. Isolation in Ireland is nothing compared to Canada. Because at least in Ireland you can drive to a bigger town or city in no time. Most of these oil rigs you have to fly in or out and flights are not cheap.

The three major cities: Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are more competitive for work. Most inhabitants are well educated and the unqualified work is not as easy to come by compared to Alberta. Probably the boom in Alberta along with the high demands of workers speeds things up a bit.

If I were in your shoes, I would complete my degree in Ireland first before embarking over here. For starters, in case you do decide to settle you are going to need it. Or if things do not work out for you over here than you at least have a degree in hand when you return to Ireland.

NewsMeQuick

a posse ad esse wrote: »

...

I would complete my degree in Ireland first before embarking over here. For starters, in case you do decide to settle you are going to need it. Or if things do not work out for you over here than you at least have a degree in hand when you return to Ireland.

How do graduates fare? I've just graduated and can't get any work experience, so in all liklihood I will arrive the same - good business degree with only part-time jobs experience. Is there much chance for grads to get off the ground?

Thanks

ManFromCheese

NewsMeQuick wrote: »

How do graduates fare? I've just graduated and can't get any work experience, so in all liklihood I will arrive the same - good business degree with only part-time jobs experience. Is there much chance for grads to get off the ground?

Thanks

lie on your cv to get your foot in the door, use a bit of inititave!!

a posse ad esse

NewsMeQuick wrote: »

How do graduates fare? I've just graduated and can't get any work experience, so in all liklihood I will arrive the same - good business degree with only part-time jobs experience. Is there much chance for grads to get off the ground?

Thanks

Your best bet is looking for internships or starting entry level somewhere. You can have a look through Canadian unis online (look for ones that have exchange programmes with yours) A good example is the Queens in Kingston and QUB. They offer academic and work exchange programmes. AFAIK,interships (at least in Quebec) have to be paid.

You can also look for employment through job agencies once you arrive. This is highly recommended for Toronto. I suggest checking to see what the market is like before deciding to trek over here. Do you have any friends in Canada that you can put their home address and phone number on your CV to test the waters? See if you get a response? This can help see if they are interested.

NewsMeQuick

Thanks a lot, that's helpful info. I don't speak French so would avoid Quebec. I speak other languages but would prefer to do business in English. I'm aiming for Vanouver or Toronto. A Canadian friend (Nova Scotia) told me for business, head there. I'm not sure if I should use her address though, it would be quite far from Vancouver for example!

I did have a look at online newspapers in those cities, I did see a few companies taking on college graduates for interns. 2013's IEC visas went in 2 days I believe, have to wait until 2014 but at least preparation and savings will benefit.

a posse ad esse

NewsMeQuick wrote: »

Thanks a lot, that's helpful info. I don't speak French so would avoid Quebec. I speak other languages but would prefer to do business in English. I'm aiming for Vanouver or Toronto. A Canadian friend (Nova Scotia) told me for business, head there. I'm not sure if I should use her address though, it would be quite far from Vancouver for example!

I did have a look at online newspapers in those cities, I did see a few companies taking on college graduates for interns. 2013's IEC visas went in 2 days I believe, have to wait until 2014 but at least preparation and savings will benefit.

Believe me there are people who are fluent in French and avoid Quebec altogether. There is an influx of French from France who are immigrating to Quebec in the thousands and those who are fluent in English end up moving over to Toronto for better work opportunities. The thing with Montreal, incomes are lower and taxes are among the highest in the country. I count my lucky starts that my husband and I got lucky in Montreal. Because comparing Toronto with Montreal, we prefer Montreal more. The only thing Toronto is better at is accepting and appreciating immigrants more and the people over there are friendlier in general compared to Montrealers. But if anyone is lucky enough to get "the job" one with good salary and opportunities for growth, I would say Montreal is the best city to live in Canada. It is easier to get around, in thirty minutes you are in the countryside, it is multicultural, better accessibility for all, more pleasing to the eye, exceptionally ideal for families (cheap and excellent daycare), affordable housing, and has a strong European influence.

Why not give Nova Scotia a try? Halifax is wonderful, strong Celtic cultural influence, the people are super friendly, the city is beautiful, close by the ocean (which I miss dearly to be honest) and the economy is doing quite well in fact.

NewsMeQuick

That's interesting about Quebec. I can see there is a lot of politics between Canadians on French Canada! To be honest, I've never considered Montreal or Quebec because, it is entirely French spoken isn't it? I know English is on par as the two national languages but I thought Mont. was just French? Congrats on getting set up there though, you sound happy.

By the way, if you haven't seen this film (set in Toronto, but plenty of charm and culture ) then I recommend it to you: Take this Waltz

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592281/?ref_=sr_1

I haven't considered Nova Scotia either. My degree is in international business and languages (Italian), I'm really hoping to get stuck into a good business career and I thought I should stick to the biggest business centers. I just read that about 70-80% of immigrants go straight to Toronto because it's the 'economic backbone' supposedly.

retalivity

NewsMeQuick wrote: »

That's interesting about Quebec. I can see there is a lot of politics between Canadians on French Canada! To be honest, I've never considered Montreal or Quebec because, it is entirely French spoken isn't it? I know English is on par as the two national languages but I thought Mont. was just French? Congrats on getting set up there though, you sound happy.

Its majority french, not totally. I know a few people working in Montreal who cannot speak a word of french. They are working for large multinationals so it would be a lot different to, say, a service job or something where you are interacting with the public a lot, where I think French is then a requirement.