CRITICAL STEPS TO FINDING AND KEEPING YOUR JOB
Job Quiz
Check your answers below.
1. Easy Question:
Having Canadian education guarantees you a job in Canada.
a) True b) False
2. Easy Question:
Young people graduating from college/university face the same problem as immigrants: lack of Canadian experience.
a) True b) False
3. More Difficult:
To get promoted in Canada, you need to
a) work hard b) have a good relationship with the management c) have good customer service skills
4. More Difficult:
Being a good member of a team in Canada means
a) working faster than most co-workers b) working at the same speed as everyone c) working slower than some co-workers
5. Difficult:
During a job interview, Canadian employers are checking
a) your hard skills b) your soft skills c) the right balance of hard and soft skills d) mostly your soft skills
6. Difficult:
Number one way people find jobs in Canada is
a) job websites b) networking c) friends and relatives e) getting university degree
Check your answers below:
New immigrants coming to Canada soon learn that looking for a job in Canada is different from looking for a job in other countries.
Canada does not have a centralized government system where jobs are ‘given’ to people. In some countries, with certain jobs, like teachers and doctors, the government sends people to fill the positions. The situation is different in Canada – you are responsible for finding your own job.
Also, the fact that you finished college or university and have a diploma or a licence to practice your profession does not automatically mean that you will get a job. Again, you are responsible for finding it. Immigrants often make a mistake of thinking “I cannot find a job because I don’t have Canadian education.” This is not exactly true. For some jobs you do need Canadian licence. But even after you get your licence, the job is not yet yours – you have to look for it.
Younger people who finished their education in Canada and the new immigrants face the same problem: most Canadian employers are asking for Canadian experience (usually the minimum of one or two years).You can get Canadian experience by volunteering. Also, there are other ways of getting experience, such as Internship, Co-op programs, Practice Firms and Targeted Wage Subsidy (for those who are eligible for EI). Another way some immigrants deal with no-Canadian-experience issue is starting their own business.
After you find a job, keeping it (not loosing it) may be another challenge. Most jobs have a probation period (can be two weeks, two months, three months, sometimes six months). This is a ‘test time’ when the employer is looking at the worker and deciding whether to keep that person or not. How you work and behave during the probation period is very important. Your relationship with co-workers, management and, most importantly, customers and clients will either help you keep the job. In Canada, building good relationship with management, and not just hard work, is the key to getting promoted.
Most immigrants work hard. In Canada, people believe in “work smarter, not harder”. When you look at how people in Canada work, you might think one of two things: a) Canadians are too slow (if you think this way, you are probably an immigrant from China or neighbouring countries); b) Canadian are always in a rush (if you think this way, you are probably from a country with a hotter climate than Canada). In Canada, people adjust the speed of their work to their team. To be a successful ‘team player’ – work successfully in a team – you will need to change your speed (work faster or work slower!)
You will need to have a Canadian style resume and learn how to write cover letters when applying for jobs.
When you go for a job interview, you need to be ready to answer most common interview questions. During the job interview, the employer will be assessing two sets of skills that you have – your hard skills and your soft skills. Many immigrants have 90% hard skills and only 10% soft skills. Canadian employers are usually asking for 50% – 50% balance. Because the manager has already seen your resume before the interview and determined you have matching hard skills, during the interview they will be mostly checking your soft skills (also called ‘people skills’).
Because 80% of all jobs are in the ‘Hidden Job Market’, the number one way how people find jobs in Canada is networking. In simple words, networking is meeting people who can tell you where and when there’s a job opening so can apply. Immigrants leave their old network in their fist countries, and need to start building a new network as soon as possible. The more people you know, the easier your life will be in Canada. However, networking in Canada doesn’t mean asking everyone for a job – it’s a process of building relationships with people.
There are two excellent books from Oxford University Press that a new immigrant will find very helpful: “How to Find a Job in Canada – Common Problems and Effective Solutions” by Efim Cheinis and Dale Sproule; and “You’re Hired… Now What? An immigrant’s Guide to Success in the Canadian Workplace” by Lynda Goldman.
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