Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppurtns?

[boss2009]

I landed in canada about a month back.
I have opened a bank A/C in TD bank ( but credit card has not yet come )
Applied for SIN card , got the number the same day , but card has yet not come ,, How long does it take ?
Applied for PR card at airport , not yet come
Passed my G1 license , now preparing for G2.
I am based in GTA

I have work experience in Oil & Gas field, So i am planning to move to calgary, my queries are :

1) How cold is calgary as compared to GTA , is the difference small or is it a big difference ?
2) I have applied for more than 200 jobs online , NOT a single reply/interview !! Someone told me the reason could be that most of employers are in Alberta , so they wont bother for a person in GTA if they can find one in alberta , so these people advice me to go to alberta and try for job. I have some relatives in GTA , none in Alberta. So please advice me that will it be right for me to go to calgary and start looking for a job OR wait here and keep on applying online and move if & when i get one.
3)Will my G2 license be valid in Alberta or do i have to go thru the process again.
4) In general how is the job scene in Calgary as compared to GTA , is it easy to find suvival jobs...

 

[qorax]

Re: Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppur

Wow-wow! Many queries there...

A. Cr. Card usually comes in 20-25 days from TD. After couple of days visit your branch.

B. SIN card comes in 7-14 days. Ditto as Cr. Card, visit them.

C. Even if u r a Chemical/Petroleum Engr, it'll be tough to get any job in your field unless u further your quals in Canadian. Initial jobs could be any, in any field. Don't wait for the best opportunity - take/grab any job... That'll commence your Canadian exp. V.V. Imp here. As u settle down, say 4-6 months - then start filing resumes in your field.

D. Yes, starter jobs r usually called for province wise. Say if u apply to a Calgary based co. from Toronto - the chances r dim that they'd call u. Start your search in Toronto itself for the initial ones. Move to Calgary later.

E. Yes, it'll be tough for u to start afresh in Calgary w/out any friend/relatives. Your best bet, for the initial days is here - where your contacts r.

F. Calgary is very cold - compared to Toronto. It usually goes below -25C to -40C there. Unlike Toronto, where the max usually is -15C to -25C.

G. No, the Ontario DL isn't valid after 2 months in Alberta. But, it's SWAPPABLE imdtly. Not a problem there.

H. Job wise Calgary is no bad. There r many starter jobs there as well. They also pay higher than Ontario, but it's costlier to live in Calgary than here. Besides, Calgary is a very small place vis-a-vis Toronto... So, the jobs r lesser as well. The basket is bigger here.

I hope I answered all your points/questions.

Good Luck!

Qorax

Ps.: Replied same to your PM as well.

 

[cheguevera]

Qorax answered many of your questions.
If you got your SIN dont worry about your PR or SIN cards. You will receive them on time.
Your credit card will arrive in about 20 days if your lucky and made a deposit against it. It took me a month and a half to get mine. My credit card was approved the day following my application, but I received the credit card billing before receiving the card itself.

I dont mean to scary you, what I will describe here IS THE REALITY on the ground.
Alberta is very very cold as Qorax mentioned. If you want to move there get ready for a lot of it cold.

Regarding the job prospect, it seems that there are a lot of jobs related to geology in Alberta. However, the job situation is Canada is very bad especially for new immigrant (unemployment rate is now 8.1%). There are a lot of people without jobs.So, If you apply for 100 companies and get one interview consider yourself lucky. There are lot of reasons to that. The basic idea of getting jobs through networking makes it much harder for newcomers and open doors to favoritism (over skills). A company is more likely to hire you if they know you or just like you. Your skills come in second or third place.
One of the two following things will likely to happen to you. Your are highly skilled and trying a position for your level. Result: you will never get it simply because "you do not have Canadian experience " or you are trying an entry position and run the risk of being labeled "over qualified".
My advice: keep fate in your skills and make lot of friends across the racial lines. Sometimes, you will feel depressed and down, but dont give up. If you could fulfill the immigration requirements set by the government, you have a place here.

cheers

 

[soarer]

Hi,
I am also from petroleum industry background. My immigration application is under process. I mentioned the city Calgary for living. I heard that alberta and saskachewan provinces have a lot of petroeum industry jobs. Is it true. Is it possible to get a canadian petroleum industry job with a overseas experience or it is necessary to get a canadain degree before entering into canadian petroeum industry. What about starter jobs in these provinces?

 

[calgary3]

hi
i am in oil and gas too but after staying for a month in calgary and applying i dd nt get a single interview or job still jobless and life is very expensive all ur savings will get exhausted till u find a job so just grab anyoffer u get well this was my experience till now

 

[qorax]

Re: Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppur

@Soarer / Calgary3

Time & again I opine here that the worst thing any newcomer would do is to wait for the right opportunity in one's own field of expertise. Which is pretty difficult to get in the initial phases of our Canadian life. In the bargain we start depleting our funds, so also our self-confidence.

It'd be always wise to grab any offer, any job, in any field, be it in any wage bracket, even if it's on minimum wage. That'd start our 2 important aspects of settlement here, viz:
1. Canadian Experience,
2. Payment of our Daily Bills (saving our landing funds).

And those starter jobs r not hard to find. Every major city has volumes of such openings, be it Toronto, Calgary, Montreal et all. Yes, the pay would be less, but at least the foregoing 2 factors r taken care-off. And once we stick to it for (say) 6-8 months, things start to get prettier here.

Qorax

 

[Leon]

The coldness of Alberta is somewhat overstated. -40 seems like a lot but it's a dry cold. -40 when it is dry can feel like -20 when it's humid. Apart from that, it doesn't get to -40 that often. Usually no more than a couple of days a couple of times every winter.

However, you don't want to be in the situation that you would have to walk long distances in weather like that or stay outside for a long time. That means you have to either live close to shopping and public transport or have a car.

 

[soarer]

Thanks a lot Qorax for your valuable information. I would help me making a decision in future.

 

[boss2009]

Hi qorax ,

I agree that taking up ANY job starts your income , But how does it add to your experience . I have 15 years experience as a engineer in Oil & gas and if i start working in a warehouse here , how will that add to my experience. The employers here in canada will ask me to provide them with canadain work experience in Engineering field , work experience in mcdonalds/warehouuse will not be treated as canadian work experience for a engineering job.
Presently things are so bad that even after passing the canadian licencing exams for engineer i am unable even to get a single interview call!
I am moving to alberta in the hope that i can find something.
I dont mean to offend/discourage anyone , but THINGS ARE BAD here.

Leon ,

How does edmonton compare with calgary. Which city has more field jobs , someone told me that calgary has all the offices and most of the field jobs are in edmonton or up north. Is that right.


Leon and qorax , you have guided me thru the process , i am thankful to you seniors for helping me.

 

[Leon]

Leon ,

How does edmonton compare with calgary. Which city has more field jobs , someone told me that calgary has all the offices and most of the field jobs are in edmonton or up north. Is that right.

Someone told me that too. Calgary is more offices, Edmonton is more blue collar, trades etc. I have known some people who have gone up to Fort McMurray to work in the actual oil fields. They make a lot of money, then come to town and spend like crazy.

 

[qorax]

Re: Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppur

Hi qorax ,

I agree that taking up ANY job starts your income , But how does it add to your experience . I have 15 years experience as a engineer in Oil & gas and if i start working in a warehouse here , how will that add to my experience. The employers here in canada will ask me to provide them with canadain work experience in Engineering field , work experience in mcdonalds/warehouuse will not be treated as canadian work experience for a engineering job.

There's more to that "canadian experience" thing than what meets the eye.
If I were an Engineer 'overseas' & worked with some fine organizations, the employers here would notice that. They might not have much qualms about my technical prowess. But, what they'd like to know more about is my disposition, affability to Canadian work ethics & local references towards a Canadian b/ground check.

Yes, times r tough today... but not damning, as yet!

Qorax

 

[qorax]

Re: Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppur

Edmonton, AB

I'm aware that this is off topic... I yet pen it here - just to provide a perspective.
Also, sorry Leon - as I'm aware that u know much better!

To: Boss2009
This is an excerpt from a dissertation project my wife presented at her college:-

...Once you've seen the world's largest shopping mall in Edmonton, expect the unexpected in the towns and villages of central Alberta! Take a one-day drive through the scenic countryside northeast of Edmonton to view five of the world's BIGGEST roadside attractions. You will find unique features such as the world's largest:
-Easter Egg (Pysanka) in Vegreville
-Mallard Duck in Andrew
-Mushrooms in Vilna
-Perogy in Glendon
-The biggest land mammal native to North America, the wood bison at Elk Island National Park
-The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
-The world's first UFO Landing Pad in St. Paul

West Edmonton Mall (WEM)
North America's largest indoor shopping and entertainment centre offers visitors an abundance of possibilities. Water-slides, an amusement park, an ice-skating rink, restaurants, and excellent shopping are some of the featured attractions of Edmonton's famous Mall. WEM is easily accessible from City Centre by any mode of transportation, and Edmonton Transit offers a Super Express Bus-Route 100.

High Level Street Car to Whyte Avenue
Departing from the Legislature, this historic Edmonton streetcar crosses the High Level Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River en route to the Old Strathcona neighbourhood and Whyte Avenue. See some spectacular sights and enjoy a leisurely trip from downtown to the vibrant Whyte Avenue art and retail district. The streetcar runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. A round trip costs $3 and the streetcar is accessible from the Grandin LRT station.

The car uses one of the oldest bridges in Edmonton, completed in 1913 and renovated in 1995. Initially it had four types of traffic on it: motorcars, streetcars, trains, and pedestrians. The speed limit was 6 miles an hour. It also has the honour of having the first vehicular accident in Edmonton upon it. Now only pedestrians, bicycles, a streetcar and several single occupant vehicles use it. At the south end of the bridge are several fine restaurants and the Garneau Theatre, which is one of Edmonton's independent, international, film theatres.

University of Alberta
Created in 1906, the site was purchased in 1907 and operational September 23, 1908. Situated in Strathcona by Premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford, who was a resident of Strathcona, the University has the Timms Centre for the Arts, HUB Mall, and Rutherford House, which are all marvelous places to visit. The Rutherford House is of particular interest as it was built in 1911, in the Jacobethan revival style that marks end of pioneer style (which is presumably sod shacks and tents). Robbie Burns day (a Scottish celebration involving Haggis on January 25) is celebrated here in rather a grand fashion.

Fort Edmonton
7000–143 St. (shares a parking lot with John Janzen Nature Centre)
Fort Edmonton Park is a living history museum that traces the growth and development of Edmonton through four historical periods represented by: The Fort, 1885 Street, 1905 Street and 1920 Street. Interpreters in historical costume bring scenes from the past to life and answer all your questions. Join in activities for all ages: antique vehicle rides, pioneer children's games, bread baking and even 1920s style miniature golf.

Wow!!!

Qorax

 

[boss2009]

i did not mean to offend you qorax.

I have worked in a fortune 500 company back home for 15 years , i have passed the licensing exam here , but still NO calls.
That is the bitter truth , i hope i get something , i really hope.
When i call and try an find out , i get the same reply " no canadian experience" , some of the good recruiters ( example randstad ) did not even accept my resume due to the lack of NORTH AMERICAN experience.
I can get a job in middle east within no time... , but here things are bad , at least in my case .
I pray and hope that things change.

 

[qorax]

Re: Senirs please Help :How cold is calgary , planiing to move there , job oppur

i did not mean to offend you qorax.

I have worked in a fortune 500 company back home for 15 years , i have passed the licensing exam here , but still NO calls.
That is the bitter truth , i hope i get something , i really hope.
When i call and try an find out , i get the same reply " no canadian experience" , some of the good recruiters ( example randstad ) did not even accept my resume due to the lack of NORTH AMERICAN experience.
I can get a job in middle east within no time... , but here things are bad , at least in my case .
I pray and hope that things change.

The North American system is such that getting employment in one's field of expertise, for a newcomer, is tough. Generally u'd get a satisfactory job in your field after 6-8 months. And that too would be in the lower levels. The current position that we held abroad (before landing) would seem to match here only after a yr++.

Nonetheless, I know scores-n-scores of ppl who have got a Job in their Field in a couple of months of landing. And those examples r as latest as of this yr. But, definitely luck plays it's part. Keeping the faith alive is a necessity!

However, the more u delay commencing a starter job - the more distant the Canadian dream would be. Remember, there r GMs here who had started as burger-flippers! And I also have a Correspondent friend who begun as a newsprint deliveryman.

Keep the faith, brother!!!

Qorax

 

[Robins]

work experience in mcdonalds/warehouuse will not be treated as canadian work experience for a engineering job.

You have received good advice from everyone here. Just thought I would point out that your above statement is so wrong. If you cannot get a minimum wage job, volunteering in a charitable organization helps with the "Canadian experience" part.

Canadian hiring managers are very specific in what they want, and they will not waste time and money to train you to learn the job. For example, some jobs require a good knowledge of ECLIPSE. Even if you tell them you can master this software within a short period, they will not give you a chance.

You prolly know this job site already, I'll post it here for others who may find it useful.
http://oilandgasjobsonline.com/category/canada-canadian-oil-and-gas-jobs-companies.html

Good luck .