Canada Job Bank: A comprehensive tool for newcomers

Did you know that “Over one million new jobs in the private and public sectors are advertised on Job Bank every year, and thousands every day.” The Canada job bank is an essential tool to research your profession or trade in Canada. And when you conduct research before you arrive, you’ll be assured that you can resume your career in Canada. With this in mind, discover how to use the Canada job bank to resume your career in Canada!

Quote source: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/intro/findajob

Researching about Profession

Moving to a new country is a major life decision. While it can be a overwhelming but you may also feel uncertain. You may be asking:

• Will I find a job in my field?

• Will I be fairly compensated ?

• What locations are best for my profession?

These are key questions that you need to research. The answers that you find will make you more certain about how you can successfully continue your career in Canada.

Because the labour market in Canada varies, you need to know that your job skills align with the labour market needs. For example, locating in the Atlantic region of Canada when you have experience in the oil and gas sector wouldn’t be wise. Instead, you would want to consider Alberta where there is a strong oil and gas sector. And the best way to match your skills is to discover where your skills are in demand.

Fortunately, the Canada job bank can provide you with the information you need to make your important career decisions.

What is the Canada Job Bank?

Job Bank is Canada’s national employment service, available as a website and mobile app. We help Canadians and foreign workers to find work and plan their careers, and we make it easier for employers to recruit and hire across the country.

Employment and Social Development Canada delivers Job Bank on behalf of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments.

Canada Job bank also :

• Research market trends for occupations, wages, and job prospects

• Learn about different occupations using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code

• Identify what skills and experience Canadian employers want.

Canada job bank is a free resource that the Canadian government manages in partnership with provinces and territories. You’ll discover that both the website and mobile app are simple to use, convenient, and provide information that you can trust.

Questions to Consider:

When researching the trends, consider these questions:

• Is the outlook strong for my occupation?

• What changes are happening that will impact my career decisions?

• Which provinces have the greatest job prospects?

• What cities have the greatest job prospects?
• Considering the trends, what skills, knowledge and experience are in high demand?

Using Canada Job Bank Wage Information

Another section of the Canada Job Bank that is useful is the information you can find about wages. You can find the average wages per hour for your occupation including the:

• National median wage in Canada

• Provincial wages per hour ranging from low, median, and high
• Community/area wages (i.e city level)

This information can help you identify what you can expect to earn in Canada. For example, some sectors such as technology generate strong incomes. It’s a high wage sector that also attracts highly skilled immigrants. However, when you consider average wages it’s also important to consider the cost of living and housing affordability versus salaries.

For example, British Columbia has a strong technology sector. And while technology wages are high, so too is the cost of living and housing in Vancouver, BC. So when choosing a city to locate it’s helpful to consider the cost of living versus average wages. Or, you may want to explore job prospects in a small or medium-sized city. Because while the average wages may be lower, you’ll likely discover that it’s also more affordable than a larger city such as Vancouver or Toronto.

Questions to Consider

• How do wages compare across Canada for my occupation?

• What are the job prospects?

• What is the cost of living versus salary in the region that I want to locate?

With more than 80,000 jobs listed on the job bank, you can browse jobs based on:

• Job category (management, finance, health, sales and service, and more)

• Location (province and city)

• Employment groups including newcomers to Canada.

The Canada job bank search tool is quite helpful if you are currently located in Canada and ready to work. This is because employers want to fill vacant jobs as quickly as possible. So, if you’re still in your home country, this will not be convenient for a company looking to hire quickly. Also, most employers will ask if you are authorized to work in Canada before they consider your job application. This means that you:

• Are a permanent resident of Canada

However, the Canada job bank search tool can give you an idea of the types of jobs available, job duties, and requirements including:

• Education (University, College, job-specific training)

This information, can help you assess if you have the skills that employers require. Or, you can identify the skills that you need to gain.

Questions to Consider When Using the Job Bank Search Tool

• Do I have the skills and experience that Canadian employers are seeking?

• What skill gaps do I have? How can I close the gaps? (ie; more training, licensing, etc)

Researching the Canadian job market is an essential first step to ensure that there is a strong job market for your profession, skillset, education, and experience. A good place to start is with the job bank to ensure you can build your career in Canada!