Explaining the Canadian market and relevant social interaction

[cec1985]

Guys- In your experience, During the job search process, are you receiving the right guidance on how to Canadianize the resume, answer questions, art of conversation- how to carry on coffee chats etc?

Looks like there are lots of good resource out there for all type of settlement issues etc. , but does not appear to me that the Canadian job market or subtleties are explained properly to people who move to this country ? and it takes months if not years, to really grasp the basics, and we lose some precious years of our lives in the process

Agree? Would love to hear thoughts ?

 

[canuck78]

Guys- In your experience, During the job search process, are you receiving the right guidance on how to Canadianize the resume, answer questions, art of conversation- how to carry on coffee chats etc?

Looks like there are lots of good resource out there for all type of settlement issues etc. , but does not appear to me that the Canadian job market or subtleties are explained properly to people who move to this country ? and it takes months if not years, to really grasp the basics, and we lose some precious years of our lives in the process

Agree? Would love to hear thoughts ?

Everyone moving to Canada comes with such varied backgrounds, experiences, cultural norms, etc. For some the transition is easier than others. Canadianizing your resume is the easy part. Entry into the job market also depends on the industry, background of other international work and whether you have any connections. Much easier to get a job in IT where your ability to interact in a social setting is not highly valued compared to your abilities. Those abilities are also much easier to assess and rely on more universal languages. Things like heavier accents and language skills are much bigger issues in other industries. Then there is the issue of women being a huge part of the work force which may be a adjustment for some people more than others. In terms of employers and coworkers some may have had little experience with some cultures, may have not travelled a lit and may also need to adjust to cultural norms, religious needs, dietary restrictions, etc. of new employees. The cafeteria or break room is one of the highest conflict zones in many offices. Things like bringing in some food or snacks from your home country one day (lIke a Friday or a holiday) is always a way to introduce coworkers to things you may enjoy and start some interesting conversations. Canadians can adjust to employees moving from other countries but employers and colleagues can also learn new ways of doing things from other countries.

Many employers are unfamiliar with universities in other countries and their education standards so unless someone has experience working for a large well known comoany it will always be up to the person to prove their abilities. It is not unlike any new employee but with many more challenges. I am sure every new person to Canada will agree that getting their first job in their field will be the hardest job to get. Getting your first job in your field has become pretty challenging for many graduating from Canadian post secondary education. If an employee works hard, is a good employee and puts in effort they will likely do well. Even if people don’t get a job in their field right away being a reliable and hard working employee at any job goes a long way to show other employers that you may be a good candidate. Don’t discount survival jobs, a good reference from a Canadian employer can go a long way. In Canada you don’t have to become friends with your colleagues in or outside the office but only keeping to yourself will be considered rude. Try to participate in some social activities or conversations in the office and be friendly in the office. Doesn’t have to be too personal. What your plans are on the weekend, a new picture of your child, a new restaurant you enjoyed, etc. The last things is that office cultures is very different dependent on where you live, who you work for and what industry you work in. One of the good things is that most Canadians respect all jobs. You will not be looked down on if you are not a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, dentist, accountant or engineer Don’t want to paint too rosy a picture. There are still issues in every office place.

 

[cec1985]

Very good points canuck78

Agreed that getting into IT relatively speaking less challenging, but to your other points, if you want to move up the ladder, a lot of things (other than technical skills) come into play. I don't think there are resources for bridging this gap, and a lot of times immigrants are basically left to themselves on what's working at workplace or what to avoid...For say a 35 yr old adult, this could be very frustrating and they could lose some very valuable productive years of their lives.

No hesitation in saying that i think a good majority of us are here for a good life- and a good life in any country not be sustained without a high paying job...Entry level job while may makes sense for sometime, but no avg/educated immigrant has left their country to be doing this type of job, but reality is a very good majority are stuck in survival jobs or doing jobs for which they are way over-qualified/experienced.


We can blame the CDN market, but all the data suggest that economic or other immigrants continue to target Canada for settlements etc. Onus is mostly on newcomer to figure this gap out and we lack those sophisticated resources here. What i mean is that yes, there are plenty of resources on how to get your driving license, SIN, finding a house or school.

For eg. everybody talks about networking and going for coffee chats- somebody who has moved here 3-6 months back, would very likely struggle to have a good conversation with a local, let alone asking for a job in a way that is subtle and is not too "odd" ( i have seen and experienced this first hand)!

While there is some stuff on this out there, but now that i look back, i cannot think of one solid resource that could walk thru these things that i think matters more in this society. Even CDN international students after spending times/$ on their CDN degrees continue to get this part wrong, unfortunately..

 

[canuck78]

Very good points canuck78

Agreed that getting into IT relatively speaking less challenging, but to your other points, if you want to move up the ladder, a lot of things (other than technical skills) come into play. I don't think there are resources for bridging this gap, and a lot of times immigrants are basically left to themselves on what's working at workplace or what to avoid...For say a 35 yr old adult, this could be very frustrating and they could lose some very valuable productive years of their lives.

No hesitation in saying that i think a good majority of us are here for a good life- and a good life in any country not be sustained without a high paying job...Entry level job while may makes sense for sometime, but no avg/educated immigrant has left their country to be doing this type of job, but reality is a very good majority are stuck in survival jobs or doing jobs for which they are way over-qualified/experienced.


We can blame the CDN market, but all the data suggest that economic or other immigrants continue to target Canada for settlements etc. Onus is mostly on newcomer to figure this gap out and we lack those sophisticated resources here. What i mean is that yes, there are plenty of resources on how to get your driving license, SIN, finding a house or school.

For eg. everybody talks about networking and going for coffee chats- somebody who has moved here 3-6 months back, would very likely struggle to have a good conversation with a local, let alone asking for a job in a way that is subtle and is not too "odd" ( i have seen and experienced this first hand)!

While there is some stuff on this out there, but now that i look back, i cannot think of one solid resource that could walk thru these things that i think matters more in this society. Even CDN international students after spending times/$ on their CDN degrees continue to get this part wrong, unfortunately..

Not every educated immigrant is stuck in survival jobs. Canada tries to recruit immigrants but immigrants, especially highly educated, need to do their own research about whether moving to Canada is the right option. On this forum we see highly skilled people worried about qualifying to immigrate and not worried about whether they should immigrate. Some haven’t discovered that they will have to repeat all their training before applying. It boggles my mind that some do so little research before making such a huge life decision but I blame that on family and community pressure. The better the job you have a home and the older you are, the risk becomes bigger that immigrating may not be the right decision. There also has to be research about whether their skills are needed in Canada. You can’t put it all on Canada. There is also a big difference in the quality of the educated immigrants. Some arriving with 50 backlogs, from degree mills, have “convinced” teachers to pass them, etc. There are also very talented people from very good schools. I don’t think many immigrants hadn’t considered immigrating somewhere before seeing any information from Canada. There also is a misunderstanding that nobody struggles in Canada. The level of poverty can’t be compared to other countries but there are certainly those who struggle in Canada and not only immigrants. Families who have been in Canada for generations can struggle.