IT job - can it be found for 6/12 months

[redondo_mk7]

Hello dear Canadians and non-Canadians!

I'm headed to Canada with Working Holiday Visa which allows me to work in Canada for up to 1 year. I have 3 years of experiences in mixed fields. My skills: C/C++, Java, Perl, Java, Python, MySQL, Bash (also .NET but I hate it and don't won't to do this anymore, never ever again), perhaps something else that I don't remember right now. Also some certifications: RHCE, VCP, CCNP.
I would love to work with Linux - sys. admin or any kind of development on Linux/*nix (except web, I also hate php, javascript). Respect to those who like to do this things, unfortunately I don't

My question is, how hard will it be to find a job for 6 or 12 months anywhere in Canada? I arrive in October and I plan to search in Vancouver first but of course, I'm ready to go anywhere if the things that I would work on, suit me. If not, I prefer to find myself a job in a store or something, experience Canadian life for 3 months and go to try my luck in New Zealand.
Probably the companies prefer to hire someone for the long term? No?

Any kind of feedback would be more then welcomed!

 

[Alirezasajjadi]

Coming to Canada on a 6-month work holiday visa and hoping to get a quality job is like going to Los Angeles with a 6-month tourist visa and hoping to get married to a Hollywood celebrity within 6 months.
Jokes aside, it will be deadly difficult. Even for many permanent residents with no work restrictions it normally takes years of low-skill menial jobs and persistent applications before they can even get interview (yes, there are folks here that claim they got quality jobs within days of landing, but I never met them in person). In your case, you have an additional burden of no work authorization in the long term, meaning you need to impress the recruiter so much that they will go through the process of getting work permit for you.
But I am not saying you should not give it a try. Job hunting nowadays depends on luck so much that you never know how it ends. Your persistence will be rewarded. I was a customer service agent for 2 years, struggling to pay bills with low salary but applying to jobs in my field nevertheless, and was convinced I will spend all my life like this before a nice interviewer (who is now my manager) virtually picked me up from garbage and gave me a job corresponding to my education and previous experience. You just need one person's favourable attitude to break through.
However, my general advice is to target less desirable provinces and cities, as competition in Vancouver/Toronto/Montreal is crazy. They have a large pool of applicants with Canadian passports or PR to choose from and they are unlikely to bother with work-holiday applicants.

Hello dear Canadians and non-Canadians!

I'm headed to Canada with Working Holiday Visa which allows me to work in Canada for up to 1 year. I have 3 years of experiences in mixed fields. My skills: C/C++, Java, Perl, Java, Python, MySQL, Bash (also .NET but I hate it and don't won't to do this anymore, never ever again), perhaps something else that I don't remember right now. Also some certifications: RHCE, VCP, CCNP.
I would love to work with Linux - sys. admin or any kind of development on Linux/*nix (except web, I also hate php, javascript). Respect to those who like to do this things, unfortunately I don't

My question is, how hard will it be to find a job for 6 or 12 months anywhere in Canada? I arrive in October and I plan to search in Vancouver first but of course, I'm ready to go anywhere if the things that I would work on, suit me. If not, I prefer to find myself a job in a store or something, experience Canadian life for 3 months and go to try my luck in New Zealand.
Probably the companies prefer to hire someone for the long term? No?

Any kind of feedback would be more then welcomed!

 

[redondo_mk7]

Thanks for this advice!

Its quite interesting that getting some feedback in the last days, I get quite different opinions...of course people still searching the job they want are saying its gonna be a big problem and then the other group of people who got lucky somehow or for any other reason found a job very fast, saying that I won't have a problem.
I'll see how it goes in my case, I have this visa for 1 year, and I intend to pursue the job that fulfill me as long as I get some job of having minimum level of salary to cover my life expenses...if it doesn't turn out as I hoped, at least I'll experience a bit of Canadian life.

Whats is for sure is the fact that I'll be with an attitude of Sofia
"Sofía: But I just think good things will happen, if you are a good person with a good attitude, don't you think?", Vanilla Sky.

 

[Alirezasajjadi]

It is good to hope for good things, but I suggest you be prepared for the most pessimistic scenario to avoid disappointment. Meaning stuff your pockets to the top with cash before landing. Finding a good job nowadays in such a competitive and saturated job market as this is like climbing Kilimanjaro with two bare hands. It is not possible to make it to the top with a beer in one hand and a sausage in the other.

Thanks for this advice!

Its quite interesting that getting some feedback in the last days, I get quite different opinions...of course people still searching the job they want are saying its gonna be a big problem and then the other group of people who got lucky somehow or for any other reason found a job very fast, saying that I won't have a problem.
I'll see how it goes in my case, I have this visa for 1 year, and I intend to pursue the job that fulfill me as long as I get some job of having minimum level of salary to cover my life expenses...if it doesn't turn out as I hoped, at least I'll experience a bit of Canadian life.

Whats is for sure is the fact that I'll be with an attitude of Sofia
"Sofía: But I just think good things will happen, if you are a good person with a good attitude, don't you think?", Vanilla Sky.

 

[redondo_mk7]

I agree with the beer in one hand and a sausage in the other while climbing. But the thing is that there was no sausage and beer in my past while doing the climbing and if you don't like the mountains where you are climbing and want to go on the ones that are present in the bigger country with more then couple of millions of people, then the right way is to go for it and give your best shot, hope for the best and expect the worst. That way you can feel good even in case of failure, have no regrets, be with peace while you sit down and have a real beer and a sausage

 

[mikenz]

Good luck, there is only one way to find out!!

Once you choose hope, anything's possible. ~Christopher Reeve

 

[ashwooddream]

I'll try to give you the optimistic viewpoint; I got a job in IT in my area of expertise (business analysis), within 4 months of landing in Edmonton (if anyone wants to meet me in person, I live in the west end of the city and am ready with my business card ). I'm not saying it's easy, maybe I was lucky, but I am, in principle, against sowing seeds of hopelessness in all forms. So I can tell you IT jobs are around, you just need to know how to find them, be brave and resourceful enough to network as quickly as possible, and make job searching your full-time job for the first couple of months.

Seriously though, with the recent crackdown on TFWs, LICs, and other non-resident statuses, I do concur with the other posters that you may have a hard time applying for a paying job right away. That being said, maybe try for internships or entry level jobs, something that maybe fits under the Canada Experience Class (CEC) immigration stream? That may be your easy way in, but I'm just guessing here.

 

[Jalex23]

Any job? Easy to find.

Terms for 6 to 12 months are abundant.

I wouldn't try Vancouver though, neither Toronto, they are too crowded and employers have too many candidates to chose from.

Look in monster.ca for roles like the ones you look for, then annotate the cities where these jobs are offered and you can get an idea where the industry is booming now and can give you better prospects.

 

[emamabd]

Hello dear Canadians and non-Canadians!

I'm headed to Canada with Working Holiday Visa which allows me to work in Canada for up to 1 year. I have 3 years of experiences in mixed fields. My skills: C/C++, Java, Perl, Java, Python, MySQL, Bash (also .NET but I hate it and don't won't to do this anymore, never ever again), perhaps something else that I don't remember right now. Also some certifications: RHCE, VCP, CCNP.
I would love to work with Linux - sys. admin or any kind of development on Linux/*nix (except web, I also hate php, javascript). Respect to those who like to do this things, unfortunately I don't

My question is, how hard will it be to find a job for 6 or 12 months anywhere in Canada? I arrive in October and I plan to search in Vancouver first but of course, I'm ready to go anywhere if the things that I would work on, suit me. If not, I prefer to find myself a job in a store or something, experience Canadian life for 3 months and go to try my luck in New Zealand.
Probably the companies prefer to hire someone for the long term? No?

Any kind of feedback would be more then welcomed!

Programming/SW development skills are generally in demand, if you are really good you will be able to compete and will get interviews. Only 3 years of experience however is not an advantage...as you wouldn't have the "luxury" of competing for different profiles (i.e. entry level, mid level and senior) - those who have many years of experience can downgrade and tweak their resumes to fit a large range of positions thereby increasing their chances.

My advise would be to target short term contracts.