Applicant from PhD program after 5 Nov, 2011 connect here to get status

[Houra]

I got the rejection email today too...

"I am not satisfied that you meet these requirements. Your letters of reference from your employer did not list job duties or responsibilities that match the actions described in the lead statement and a substantial number of the main duties described in the NOC codes you selected. "

Just for your information, here are what my supervisor provided regarding my RA duties.

"XXX has been conducting laboratory-based state-of-the-art research in the area of Environmental Engineering, specializing in drinking water disinfection by-products. More specifically, she is discovering details concerning the formation of certain by-products that may be formed during drinking water disinfection such that their formation may be reduced or avoided in the future. She designs and performs the experiments, and we discuss both the experimental design and results. She writes project reports to funding partners when requested. She has given several presentations on her work at local, national and international conferences. This is all in addition to writing up her work so that it can be published in peer-reviewed journals (xx papers published in the major journal in this topic area so far)."

Anyways, I'm not too surprising given the number of rejections got recently due to similar reasons. As much as I'm a bit upset right now, I guess they just made the decision for me in this regard and I'm not planning on appeal (I know it's pointless at this level anyways) nor reapplication for now. There are more to life than PR application for me at the moments and I think I'll put my focus and effort on other things. Maybe I'll give it a try later through other streams when the timing is right.

Thanks all for putting all the effort to this forum and wish the rest of you good luck!

So sorry to hear this. Which NOC code did you select?

 

[Luigiovemma]

What do they want then? It is even more complete than my 2nd reference letter . They are kidding us! Did you show number of hours worked as an RA? Did your letter clearly state that you work as an Research Assistant at ***** university.

Yes my supervisor wrote 37.5 hr/week for about 3.5 years, but according to the CAIPS I was only given 1-yr equivalent continuous full-time work experience. I guess that was at the Sydney level, and now Ottawa is not satisfied...Anyways, who knows exactly what they are looking for...As someone else mentioned, they can always find a reason to reject you if they want...

 

[Luigiovemma]

So sorry to hear this. Which NOC code did you select?

4012-Graduate Research Assistant. I understand the newer version is 4022 but I think the duty descriptions are the same.

 

[hany001]

Wow! I think it is getting harder and harder to satisfy the officers! You may be doing the exact same duties listed in the NOC, but it is a matter of how you list it to the officer to convince him that you are actually doing that!
Sorry to hear about the rejection, it's a waste of time, effort and money...

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

Yes my supervisor wrote 37.5 hr/week for about 3.5 years, but according to the CAIPS I was only given 1-yr equivalent continuous full-time work experience. I guess that was at the Sydney level, and now Ottawa is not satisfied...Anyways, who knows exactly what they are looking for...As someone else mentioned, they can always find a reason to reject you if they want...

Well, yeah they can always find...
By the way, Can you provide us with your full RA letter?
I'm suspecting there is one officer there who works like this.
I know many people who got accepted with shorter RA letters.

 

[TyrusX]

Wow! I think it is getting harder and harder to satisfy the officers! You may be doing the exact same duties listed in the NOC, but it is a matter of how you list it to the officer to convince him that you are actually doing that!
Sorry to hear about the rejection, it's a waste of time, effort and money...

It is really hard . In this life, there is more luck than merit for sure.

 

[hany001]

I need to ask if there is anyone here who applied with only TA work experience (without RA)?
and were they accepted or rejected based on that?

Thanks!

 

[hany001]

It is really hard . In this life, there is more luck than merit for sure.

Well, I just wish I could say reply to that with more optimism that the worthy have better chance that the lucky! But from what I am seeing in these days, it seems quite a naive statement :'(...

 

[neuron]

it is an exerllent jor descroption, but sorry to hear that. I guess for TA/RA work experience, no matter how you write in detail, there are some chances they will think it is nor sufficient, because after all, RA/TA work is not a regular job unfortunately.

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

I got the rejection email today too...

"I am not satisfied that you meet these requirements. Your letters of reference from your employer did not list job duties or responsibilities that match the actions described in the lead statement and a substantial number of the main duties described in the NOC codes you selected. "

Just for your information, here are what my supervisor provided regarding my RA duties.

"XXX has been conducting laboratory-based state-of-the-art research in the area of Environmental Engineering, specializing in drinking water disinfection by-products. More specifically, she is discovering details concerning the formation of certain by-products that may be formed during drinking water disinfection such that their formation may be reduced or avoided in the future. She designs and performs the experiments, and we discuss both the experimental design and results. She writes project reports to funding partners when requested. She has given several presentations on her work at local, national and international conferences. This is all in addition to writing up her work so that it can be published in peer-reviewed journals (xx papers published in the major journal in this topic area so far)."

Anyways, I'm not too surprising given the number of rejections got recently due to similar reasons. As much as I'm a bit upset right now, I guess they just made the decision for me in this regard and I'm not planning on appeal (I know it's pointless at this level anyways) nor reapplication for now. There are more to life than PR application for me at the moments and I think I'll put my focus and effort on other things. Maybe I'll give it a try later through other streams when the timing is right.

Thanks all for putting all the effort to this forum and wish the rest of you good luck!

NOC 4012:
Research assistants perform some or all of the following duties:

Conduct literature reviews, surveys, laboratory experiments and other research for use in scholarly publications.

Compile research results and assist professors in the analysis of results and the preparation of journal articles or papers.


Guys, I'm seriously asking. Maybe the RA letter is complete, but do you agree that the wording does not make a good sense in the officer's mind?
I still think this is unfair, but thinking about picky officers...

 

[aidina]

RA/TA reference letters must in a clear way contain this lead statement :

"Post-secondary teaching and research assistants assist university professors, community college and CEGEP teachers and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at universities and colleges."

It is not just listing the duties!

 

[hamed_hamed_hamed]

RA/TA reference letters must in a clear way contain this lead statement :

"Post-secondary teaching and research assistants assist university professors, community college and CEGEP teachers and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at universities and colleges."

It is not just listing the duties!

I've noticed this, but look, it is clearly written in her letter that she does the work WITH her supervisor, meaning an assistant-ship.

 

[neuron]

That's true, the NOC description is very general, who can garantee that his jobs are written as the same as this unless we copy these sentences...

 

[indusvision]

YNS, what was the NOC code you selected in your application ?

it is clearly mentioned that "...he cooperated as a software designer and programmer in many software projects including xxx, xxx, xxxx.... "

 

[aidina]

I've noticed this, but look, it is clearly written in her letter that she does the work WITH her supervisor, meaning an assistant-ship.

Reading again her reference letter, it is just listing two of many duties listed under the NOC code: conducting laboratory experiments and writing journal papers.

These are not duties listed by NOC:

1. Writing reports
2. Conference presentations
3. Discussing the results

What do you think?