Looking for work after Landing

[britincanada]

I "landed" on 29th Sept 2010 and have got my SIN, Now I am looking for work in Canada..

When writing a Cover letter to an employer to accompany a resume would you include the fact that you are a new immigrant to Canada? Or in which country you gained your experience? I am having trouble writing my cover letters, I have spent 5 years in Canada without being able to work, so the last time I had a job was in the UK 5 years ago as a Supervisor in a Grocery store. Should I include a paragraph explaining why there is a 5 year gap??

Thank you

 

[scylla]

britincanada -

Congrats on the landing! I'm very sorry I've been missing in action. I just started a new job a few weeks ago and the change has been somewhat overwhelming. Between that and being in school part time - I'm a little burnt out. I should be in better shape in a couple of weeks and will provide you with the cv info as soon as I can.

For your cover letter - I would address the gap openly. However I think there are good ways you can phrase this which focus on the positives of this time off and send the right message. You could say something along the following lines (apologies - this is going to be very very rough and way too long and I probably don't have some of your dates/facts right, but hopefully you will get the idea): "In 2005 I was faced with a personal challenge. I was a British citizen but my future husband was Canadian. In order to be with him, I would have to move to Canada and stop working for a period of time (as a visitor, you are not permitted to work in Canada). It was a difficult decision to make. However I chose to commit to my relationship with my husband - and sacrificed my job. After being out of the work-force for several years, I have now obtained permanent resident status in Canada and am looking to re-enter the workforce. I am ready to focus once again on my career and I am eager to demonstrate my commitment to the right job."

Anyway - guess what I'm trying to say is that there are ways of taking what you think is negative and spinning it into a positive. You showed commitment to your relationship by leaving the workforce - you are now ready to show that same level of commitment to a job once again. (Message = you are a committed person.) You could also refer to the decision you made as a "challenge" and then talk about the fact that you are now looking for a role that will challenge you. (Message - you deal well with challenges). Hope this makes sense. I'm tired and not thinking quite straight.

You might also want to look at the following link for more suggestions (I sent this link to a friend of mine a while back who was facing a similar challenge):

http://www.sampleresumetemplates.com/articles/article19.htm

Hope this helps! Congrats again on landing!

 

[HoneyBird]

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumes/a/resumegap.htm
Many of us take time off, for one reason or another, from working. Sometimes, it's by choice. In other cases, it can take time to find a new job. What the best way to explain an employment gap on your resume? It depends on the situation and what you did while you weren't employed.

Cover the Gaps
When listing dates on your resume you don't need to list the month/year if you were in a position for over a year or if your position spans multiple years. For example, you could say 2004 - 2008 (rather than May, 2004 - April, 2008) which would give you some room to cover the gaps:

Store Manager, XYZ Store
2004 – 2008

Sales Associate, ABC Store
2002 – 2004

As you can see, the resume doesn't specifically say when the candidate started and ended employment, which can cover an employment gap.

Check Your Format
You can format your resume to minimize the gaps in your employment history. For example, don't bold the dates and/or use a smaller font than the one you use for the company name or job title. Start your resume with a Summary Statement and Career Highlights section so you are highlighting your skills and accomplishments, rather than when you did what.

Omit a Job (or Two)
You don't need to include all your experience on your resume, especially if you have been in the workforce for years. It's acceptable to limit the years of experience you include on your resume to fifteen years when seeking a managerial or professional position and ten years when looking for technical or high-tech job.

Other Experience
What did you do while you weren't employed? Did you freelance or consult? How about volunteering? All those experiences count as work and can be included on your resume. List them as you would list your other jobs - with job title, company name, job description, and dates of employment. If you took a class, you can list that in the Education section of your resume.

Use Your Cover Letter
When you have employment gaps that don't fit on your resume (you took time off to care for an aged parent or to raise a child) use your cover letter to explain the gap. That way, the employer will know that there's an explanation for you being out of the workforce.

Tell the Truth
What's most important, is to tell the truth. If you lie on your resume, it will probably come back to haunt you. Employers verify work history and if you put incorrect information on your resume, I can guarantee that they'll find out. In fact, most of the job seekers who answer or comment on our survey Would you Lie on Your Resume? say that they'd never lie. That answer makes really good sense when job searching.
Resume and Cover Letter Guide

* Resume and Cover Letter Guide
* Sample Resumes and Letters
* Letter Samples

 

[HoneyBird]

Do You Have Employment Gaps In Your Resume?
By Canadajobs.com Staff

A major challenge faced by job seekers is how to explain a gap in their work history. Taking time away from the workforce can happen for a variety of reasons such as raising a family, an illness, taking time off to upgrade your skills, or travel.

The main point you want to get across to a potential employer is that your absence from the workforce is not negative. One of the best ways to do that is to not make it an obvious or major point on your resume.

If this is the first job you are looking for since taking time off, you can, if you wish, mention it in your cover letter. One or two lines should suffice. You do not need to go into any detail. If you took time off to raise your family, you could get the point across simply by saying something like you took some personal time to spend with your family and now you are excited and ready to return to the workforce.

In your resume itself, you do not need to mention you've taken time off. Just write up your resume as you normally would, placing strong emphasis on your skills and experience.

If your absence from the workforce comes up during the interview, re-state exactly what you mentioned in your cover letter.

If you've had an employment gap in the past, and you've since been employed, there is no need to mention anything in your cover letter. Just write up your resume as you normally would and be truthful in the dates you list on your resume.

Another way to relieve some interviewer anxiety about gaps in your employment history, is to provide reference letters. If you can show your potential employer that you left your past position on good terms and that your skills had nothing to do with no longer being employed at that job, it will go a long way towards helping to minimize the impact of an employment gap.

By understanding what employers fear from a work history gap, you can address their anxiety. Many employers are concerned that by having gaps in your employment history, you will be prone to leaving or quitting your new job. By making sure your potential employer understands your desire to return to the workforce and your strong work ethic, it will go a long way towards instilling confidence in your potential employer.

Other employers may be concerned about your skill sets and how you've kept current in your field if you've taken time off. By focussing on your skills, highlighting positive achievements in your past work, and by adapting skills you've learned in your time off to this new position, you can help alleviate some of those fears.

Essentially, you want to get across that though you've taken time off, you are now ready to return to the workforce, with a strong set of skills, a good attitude, and the ability to do the job.


This article is exclusive to Canadajobs.com.
Copyright © 2005-2010, Farfan.
Reproduction of this article in whole or in part is prohibited.

 

[confusednscared]

I "landed" on 29th Sept 2010 and have got my SIN, Now I am looking for work in Canada..

When writing a Cover letter to an employer to accompany a resume would you include the fact that you are a new immigrant to Canada? Or in which country you gained your experience? I am having trouble writing my cover letters, I have spent 5 years in Canada without being able to work, so the last time I had a job was in the UK 5 years ago as a Supervisor in a Grocery store. Should I include a paragraph explaining why there is a 5 year gap??

Thank you

No love, you do not make it known to them that you are a new immigrant because first thing they think is "person who is ESL and knows absolutely nothing about the lifestyle in Canada" so I would definitely keep away from doing that. Your employer really doesn't need to know how long you have been living in Canada or ask about your legal status at an interview or upon submission of a CV unless it's with the Government who only care to know if you are a CC or PR of Canada.

Including where you have gained your experiences do show them that you are not only keen about one specific type of culture. Applicants stand out a little more when they include on their CVs that they have traveled for a few months to a year working in a different environment, etc. You also don't need to account for every year of your life. Not because you were in Canada doesn't necessarily indicate that you did nothing for 5 years... you must have done something or the other like volunteer or worked for some place or company. If not, just BS some minor stuff leading more towards community service ... like a religious group or a church or a yard sale ..... just something you can elaborate on to indicate that you have the skills needed for the job. Just don't make it too obvious that you have BS something

I am no HR here so don't take everything I have just mentioned to you by heart. These are just from my own personal experience working in Canada with a Work Permit.

Good luck on your job hunt

 

[HoneyBird]

sample cover letters for moms..

http://www.momsbacktowork.com/cover-letter-samples.html

 

[britincanada]

Thank you guys, I am worried employers will see that there is a 5 year gap in my resume and toss it aside because they are wondering what the heck I have done for the past 5 years..

I came over here October 2005 with the intention to find work, I found an employer that submitted an application to HRSDC and got on a flight back to England..to discover I was pregnant! So that went out the window! The job was door to door sales with a lot of walking around for hours so decided to give it a miss! Instead I came back to Canada to raise my family! I have been a stay-at-home-mom that was not allowed to work in Canada!

 

[Leon]

If you were a stay at home mom, write that you were a stay at home mom. No law against that.

If the job search doesn't go well, you may want to think about taking a 1 year course to train for some specific job or volunteer somewhere to get yourself out and about.

 

[britincanada]

I guess the only advantage I do have is that I am not New to Canada..I have lived here for 5 years so I am accustomed to Canadian culture and views on things etc. I have been thinking of looking for voluntary work too. And want to find a computer course and learn French..I did learn it at school, but didn't really take it all in..I have been told Arcadian French is not the same as French Canadian?

 

[plumosa]

I guess the only advantage I do have is that I am not New to Canada..I have lived here for 5 years so I am accustomed to Canadian culture and views on things etc. I have been thinking of looking for voluntary work too. And want to find a computer course and learn French..I did learn it at school, but didn't really take it all in..I have been told Arcadian French is not the same as French Canadian?

there are some differences, especially with slang, but if you learn proper France French everyone will be able to understand you and then once you're familiar with their dialect you can start merging them together in your own speech!

 

[britincanada]

Lol..so thats what the French do.. I guess its like English..I have noticed differences between the English used in Canada and the UK..for example

If the time is ten past three in England..its ten after three in Canada..or..in England we Park in a Car Park..in Canada its a Parking Lot..

Even after 5 years I still say words that my Husband gives a funny response to..usually a confused look..lol..

I am guessing its much the same in any language that is spoken in different countries..?

 

[MissyIffy]

You should visit the centre in your city responsible for assisting new immigrants in the job search process. You can find the info on service Canada's website.

E.g. in Ottawa, it's the YMCA/YWCA who hold free seminars, CV/CL writing workshops, etc. to help those new to the whole job search thing in Canada.

Goodluck!

 

[HoneyBird]

i think you should just apply and see what happens then you can gauge what you need to do training wise..

 

[dair2dv8103100]

Sorry if someone mentioned this already but I am fighting a cold and reading paragraphs is difficult at the moment...

I used to work in a resource centre that assisted many new Canadians with job searches.

My best advice would be ... concentrate on skills and experience over explaining a gap when first applying. You have many transferable skills from being a mum that can work well with many jobs ie time management, organizational etc

As well...as much as possible...apply in person and ask to speak with the person that is accepting and reviewing the resumes. This gives you an opportunity to talk directly to them and sometimes even an interview on the spot (rare but happens!!)

You will have to eventually explain the gap but if they like your skills and personality this is a better "in" to an interview where you can have the time to explain. I believe more people now a days are understanding of people in your situation and often admire someone that is willing to make the sacrifice you did for your family.

All the best in your search and congratulations on your PR!!

 

[Cdagal]

Britincanada: Where is it that you are living? My community grocer is hiring