Job hunt strategy - what worked for you?

[winterdiva]

Hello everyone,
We have started preparing for the move next spring/summer. All very exciting but extremely worried about finding a job esp with all the negativity around not having "Canadian experience"
I'm starting this thread to gather strategies that worked for others. What is it that I can do in the next 5-8 months that can help improve my chances of getting a job? Do certifications help in getting interviews?

Is UK experience (IT- Financial Services) valued in Canada?

 

[navinball]

you dont need canadian exp for IT.

 

[winterdiva]

Thanks Navin.
We are not into hard core programming/dev. Ours is Business/Data Analysis/PM kind of work.

 

[navinball]

certifications are a must.
get a strong linked in profile with a clear title and a few references.
keep resume to 1 page or 2 max, keep only required skills and achievements in resume and remove junk like 'strong communication skills' out. mention your current canadian location in the header under email and phone number, ex: Toronto, ON. this will indicate your currently located in canada and will help.
apply to all jobs with a cover letter highlighting your experience and why you are a strong candidate. if possible message the recruiter or hiring manager directly on linked in.

good luck.

 

[Kumuluswolken]

Having a precise resume with 1-2 pages is very important. That is what gets a recruiters attention.
If you want to do something before landing I would also think getting certifications is the best way there. It's difficult to get into the Canadian market from outside Canada, already applying for jobs doesn't make much sense. But of course you can try, doesn't hurt.

I work in computational linguistics and it worked for me to just send out hundreds of resumes after arriving in Canada. After 3 months I landed an internship with an employer that was interested in my profile of programming skills and knowledge of my native language. I was a fresh graduate from my home country, so I didn't expect to get a permanent position right away. After the internship ended I got an offer for a permanent position with a competitor of theirs.

If you want to do more than just throw around your resume: Networking, networking, networking. Get in contact with people. The more people you know, the more likely you are to stumble upon this one lead that will land you a job.
"Coffee talks" are a common thing in Canada where someone working for a company and a job seeker meet up for an informal chat to check each other out. That way you can find out more about the company, potential fits, hints for dos and donts of applications etc. and if you want to apply you directly have someone you can reference in your application. To get a coffee talk you can just send connection requests on LinkedIn and ask them in a message. Many people are okay doing this. Or you can go to meet ups from people of your field, conferences, discussions, etc. and get in small talks there.

 

[francaispourquebec]

Some great points have already been made but here are my two cents:
1.Customize your resume to the job description. Add in some keywords but don't overdo it.
2.Attend job fairs.
3.Create/update your linkedin profile and connect with recruiters.
4.Create a list of your top 20 preferred companies, search for relevant jobs in their career section, and apply. This brute force technique sometimes works.
5.Attend free webinars about tips and tricks, do's and don't etc. There are several available online.

In my opinion, no Canadian experience is necessary to break through the job market. Yes, it may take a longer time to find a job but a lack of this experience is not an absolute deterrent.

 

[xylene]

IT, business analysis, data analysis work doesn't require any Canadian experience. You should look for available jobs on LinkedIn and reach out to recruiters. That will give you many leads.
Keep in mind that Canadian employers are laid back in hiring especially for full time employees. So if you apply today expect a call back only in 2-3 weeks and another 2-3 weeks for second round and another to finalize on the offer.

 

[canuck78]

Coming from the UK or other large financial centres people also have to remember that Canada is a small market. There are lots of people coming from the UK due to Brexit, HK due to unrest, US because of difficulty getting citizenship on top of Canadians returning from abroad. Lots of people moving, likely to Toronto, all competing for similar employment opportunities. Please have realistic expectations and if you are leaving a very lucrative career consider trying to find employment before relocating.

Same thing for all the foreign trained dentists and pharmacists immigrating. If there is currently a surplus and Canadian graduates are having difficulty finding employment and salaries are decreasing people need to be aware that licensing may not be the big hurdle.