When I moved from New Zealand to Canada in 2018, it was a life-changing experience.and challenging initially but over time things settled down pretty quickly. There was a lot of planning done on banking, healthcare, finding a community, schools and the most important one was to find a job.

Luckily, I had support from my brother’s family in this transition yet finding a decent job was a big task. Canadian job market is unique and success in your job search depends on your ability to discover what Canadian employers are looking for and leveraging your knowledge and skills to make the best of available opportunities.

Here are 5 tips to help you transition into the Canadian workforce.

Create a Canadian-style resume

Employers across Canada are accustomed to seeing personal information and work background being presented in a particular way, so it’s important to format your resumé  in the Canadian style.

Check out 10 tips on writing Canadian style resume for detailed information.

Improve your communication skills

Soft skills are highly valued in the Canadian workplace and will not only help you get a job but also with career progression. Continue to work on your oral and written communication which are requirements listed in nearly every job description. I will highly recommend to join Toastmasters which free platform to collaborate and practice your public speaking skills.

Create account on professional network sites account

LinkedIn and Indeed.ca are top websites that could help to find faster. As soon as you have moved to Canada, change your location on your LinkedIn profile. There is an option to show recruiters that you Open to work. Recruiters will contact you based on your preferred job titles.

Remember, recruiters looking for candidates on LinkedIn will favour local candidates over those who are overseas. Always keep your profile up to date. If your budget allows you to learn new skills then enrol yourself in courses on Udemy, Coursera and other online platforms. 

Engaging in volunteer opportunities

A proven way to expand your local network of contacts and get that all-important Canadian work experience on your resumé is to volunteer. Pick volunteer opportunities that are relevant to your skill set and career. You don’t need to dedicate the entire work week to volunteer work, as you need to focus on your job search. Dedicating a few hours a week can help you understand the Canadian work culture, and practise your technical and communication skills.

It’s also a good opportunity to get Canadian references. You can find more information and volunteering and opportunities on websites such as volunteer.ca.

Government programs

The Canadian government offers free programs to help you find work faster. You can also register online for free employment services with government-funded organizations like JVS, Access Employment, JobStart, NextStopCanada and many others. These organizations offer services to connect skilled newcomer professionals from all around the world to employment specialists to offer support in navigating the Canadian job market.

You will get much better results when you use the information they provide to implement practical job search strategies. Many participants have used these services to find jobs as soon as they have arrived.

You can also find internships or join co-op programs that are funded by the government to offer newcomers valuable experience.

Conclusion

If you have experience and qualification. Finding a job wouldn’t take too long. I personally believe that networking can help you significantly. Be patient, the transition might take longer than you expect but never lose faith that you will be successful!

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