My expriences so far ... first two days in Toronto!!!

[CharlotteJ]

I had a fairly positive job interview at Ritz Carlton hotel the other day and am now also invited for another job offer at another luxuary famous brand and hotel but by far not like the Ritz that is the trend setter number one worldwide and am hoping to hear them telling me " you got the position"

I also have had 3 other job interviews as well as two volunteer positions that need to be filled and one is an Francophone environment that allows me to improve my language skills and my French and I sure am going to say "yes" to them.

I keep though doing volunteering at the Nursing home which is also a good opportunity as to learn more and do useful things and given the fact I am more so into the office assistance than working with elderly itself.

If any one of you needs to work in retail, or gain some experience, the Tuk Shop in the nursing home, is looking for somebody who can work there every Friday morning. It is a real shop where you can learn to work with register etc and process money and inventory etc. It isn't that bad.

Let me know I can introduce you to the volunteer coordinator, but they require a Tuberclosis test that cost you $20 dollar as well as a Police check that cost you $16 dollar! It is a luxuary nursing home and not just any.

They also need and are looking for an accountant for a few days in the week in a limited time frame due to vacation.

IF anyone of you wants to acquire some real good job experience and/or have it on your resume and that is not just any silly place you might end up being nobody or nobody who knows it, this one is widely known and recognized by employers in Toronto.

I am going to have two more job interviews very soon and just wish me luck!

Who knows... before the end of February I will have a job or otherwise, my bf will.

I sent his resume to an IT recruiter and within 2 hours a new appointment was set! I was shocked how fast it did go. While I had to call them myself all the time to listen to my story and have me come over for an interview.

Adecco in the meantime has rejected my candidacy because my knowledge of Excel, Access and PowerPoint didn't appear to match the 90% they need or prop. seek for. So, who cares! ... I find a job myself anyway ...

They were just keeping me busy and wasting my precious time by completing these silly Excel and Access online assessments that is used almost nowhere but maybe in only smaller companies and if you are an accountant and not a receptionist which was the position I had applied for.

Someday I will walk into their office and say" Big Mistake" ...I have my own office, and need to recruit, but you know what I got all these beautiful wonferful skilled people here who I am going to hire and so I won't use your "service" .. BYE BYE!!!!

 

[CharlotteJ]

Hi Rubyalabar and Charlote,

Charlotte, I have really really enjoyed reading abt your ups and downs in Toronto. I am sure one day you will get the right job, never give up. I am currently living in London, UK, and I am an immigrant there since 2008, March. Maybe if I shared my experience, it may help motivate u a bit. I moved here from Zimbabwe, and obviously, I thought that England was going to be my little heaven on earth. We arrived in March 2008, I began looking for a job immediately, whilst my rental agent found me a property to rent and charged us 6 months rentals all at once. Lucky enough, we had enough to pay for it all. Job hunting- it took me 5 months to get a job, my 1st job; my husband-6 months to get his first job...but thankfully, these were office jobs. I left my job after 5 months because it was too far from home thinking that i could get a new job soon, but unfortunately, until now, i have not got a job. And here its really tough to live on one income especially with 3 children. Luckily, I joined this organisation, Arise, Jan 2008, and they subcontract my company to provide call centre work. They pay me £0.80 per call, and the average call takes about 3.85 minutes. So they have helped me to sustain my livehood to date. And just when i have obtained a CSQ, they have also moved to Canada, what a blessing for me, coz as soon as i get there, i will register a company, do the client training and start earning while i look for an office job. So if u guys may be interested in self employment, search for Arise.com. I hope this information is helpful.

wonderful!

Am sure you will survive anywhere ... Gosh, girl, how did you choose to move to UK during such harsh times? ... 2008?! ... that was the year the recession really started to take off across UK and I know that by mid 2009 many immigrants in UK were leaving for home or to NL or Germany.

But you did survive it so far and you will prevail. ... We should all start our own business, competing with EVERYBODY else out there, asking for the least and providing service excellence nobody ever has seen or heard before but something that is unique to Kings and Queens and Ritz Carlton hotel!

And if you need the etiquette trainer, call me! I charge enough to pay my rent only! hahahahahaha + a few hamburgers and kentucky fried chickens! hahahaha... kidding...

 

[CharlotteJ]

references:

People, this is a real time experience, I was for an interview at Home Depot and had given them my job references, email addresses of two supervisors, and they have now sent them emails from a third party with a questionnaire and apparently there are quite a few questions to answer accordingly and gosh, one of my supervisors isn't that happy now with me having caused him so much trouble. He is travelling now and he says that he wants to help me, but he will be doing this only now and this time, because if in Canada the companies are going to send him such long emails and so many questions to answer exactly with who, what, which date, what tasks etc, then he can't guarantee to answer any of them while being on a business trip and travelling.

So, I had to send him my resume in English immediately, (yep, working now as his former assistant again) and explain to him all that is ongoing now, did a skype session (which was funny) and did apologize and also told him how to answer them and just be patient and help me out.

So, if you are going to a job interview, please please please be careful with the references you use and give them rather an email address than phone number, I am now so glad I didn't give them the phone numbers but only email addresses and not the business mail address but private mail address.

At least he has the time to check the mails when he is at home or at hotel room and answer them in his spare time which he is going to do later today he promised me! (let's hope he will too do so, I know he sometimes forget to finish things and/or reply to mails! ... I was working for him for no reason! )

So, put the exact dates of your previous jobs and work experiences on your resume, also if you can put attach some references like I 've done as to make it easier for the employer and/or recruiter or head hunter to immediately access your references if needed and that is also a sign of self confidence.

But be careful and do contact them, luckily, they did know in my case that they might be approached by employers in Canada, but not that they are going to receive questionnaires and long lists of questions to answer properly as if he or she is applying for the job!

yep!!!

in many regards, Canada is a pretty good example of a "Banana Republic", but when it comes to hiring, they suddenly appear to be very professional!

 

[netsaig]

wonderful!

Am sure you will survive anywhere ... Gosh, girl, how did you choose to move to UK during such harsh times? ... 2008?! ... that was the year the recession really started to take off across UK and I know that by mid 2009 many immigrants in UK were leaving for home or to NL or Germany.

But you did survive it so far and you will prevail. ... We should all start our own business, competing with EVERYBODY else out there, asking for the least and providing service excellence nobody ever has seen or heard before but something that is unique to Kings and Queens and Ritz Carlton hotel!

And if you need the etiquette trainer, call me! I charge enough to pay my rent only! hahahahahaha + a few hamburgers and kentucky fried chickens! hahahaha... kidding...

Hey Charlotte-

Don't worry about his reaction, just be determined to get what you want and it will be well with you.

Rubyalabar,

I had no idea it would be worse than even my country. The inflation was extremely high in Zim, but at least we had very good jobs and were doing so well. Well, at least we didn't get too comfortable here, as soon as we landed, we decided to move to CA. I just hope we won't be bumping into a similar problem. But thank God for people like Charlotte here, not selfish and willing to take her time to share her experiences so we may knw the ups and downs before we even get there.

So viva Charlotte. God bless you for sharing!

 

[niwrrehs]

Guys i would like to share this one quoted from our friend here in the forum prsh_patel. The very purpose is to motivate everybody here. Check below....

Hello everyone, this is for all to boost your moral and raising the high spirit to think positively. Well, i landed on sunday, and got the job by wednesday and that too in my own field i.e IT......i dont know what to say, i owe big thank you to almighty, my belief for him are now much much stronger then before....

i'm posting this thread just to share my happiness with you all fellow members, my sole intention to share this news is to make you all think in positive way...my prayers and good wishes are with you all....

by: prsh_patel

 

[CharlotteJ]

congratulations to Mr. Patel ... yeah! he went get 'em eh? ... so nice ...

My bf will be here next week and I already have set a meeting with an IT recruiter for him. Who knows, he will find a job as fast as Patel too.

I know that soon the job market will start to pick up, Winter is not only a depressing time of the year, but also so slow. But soon, people start to see blossoms and more sun rays and warmer days and we wake up, companies wake up and sales will start to pick up and then there will be jobs again.

 

[CharlotteJ]

I really have to update you guys with some more news from my side.

I am taking lessons and am going to obtain a certificate in Leadership in communication at Centennial College that is offered to me by a friend who is the founder and chairman of an association in Ontario and am also busy applying for jobs and having a few upcoming job interviews which I hope, at least one of them, may result in a job so I can start making future plans.

My bf will be here next week and is going to look for a job in IT. I 've contacted a few IT recruiters so far to see if they can find him jobs, but if any of you have links or better idea's and personal experience with a head hunter or anywhere anything anybody who might help, let me know.

I am sure going to see with my bf if he can convert his foreign credentials and upgrade his degree's here right next door.

Anyway ...

Thank you all in advance

 

[peanuts]

good luck to you and your boyfriend charlotte..... hope and pray everything goes well for both of you. it's good that your boyfriend is coming, he will be your source of inspiration and vice versa. cheers!

 

[spacey]

Charlotte,
I stumbled on your thread this evening looking for landing information for my husband who lands on feb 24. Two hours and a few distractions later I have finally read to the end of the thread
I have been laughing out loud at some of your observations of Toronto. I am not a city girl at heart so the four days I spend down there at the end of next month will be enough for me...
You said you were willing to move for work. I am wondering if you tried sending your application into some business that are a little further up the 400 like Barrie or even Sudbury if you are willing to risk the cold. They are both cities that despite the recession are on the rise. Barrie is growing so quickly you can hardly see difference in urban sprawl between there and TO anymore.
I do agree with your observations about walking into places and applying in person. Every job I have ever gotten here is because I walked in and asked to speak with HR or the owner shook their hand and told them what I was looking for. I had a hard time with blindly sending in applications in the UK.
Anyways I really just wanted to thank you for continuing to update. I worry about what my husband will do for work when he lands and getting him that all important work experience and reading your ups and downs has made me realise that he will eventually get something. Soon rather than later I hope
Wishing you all the best!

 

[CharlotteJ]

Hello Spacey,

Welcome to my "thread-o-blog" and am glad you have been reading all the way thorough to the end and didn't get bored!

I have not tried Barrie or other cities than Toronto to be honest and I won't mind to go to somewhere more rural, closer to nature, see trees, lakes, hills and rivers and have more space to run around and enjoy life and working as well, in fact one of the cities I liked a lot when I was visiting friends was Hudson, Quebec and I loved the fact it was so rural and so close to nature, nothing wrong with a big city such as Toronto, but either you like it or hate it or learn to live with it. I like you rather live in a smaller town, but spend a shopping holiday or something similar in a bigger city such as Toronto and believe it or not, I might sound fancy, but I hardly wear dresses or skirts and look more like a cowgirl than one of the fabglam city girls.

So, yes, I am sure going to take your advice to the heart and try Barrie and other cities as well.

...

I guess I need to indeed start walking-in more often and ask for jobs. Sending out applications online and doing so blindly, won't help much here as it appears. I found my Hudson Bay job by walking-in too.

But then again, at least a company such as Home Depot did call me and invited me in for an interview and is going to invite me for a second interview and they have so far given me thumps up for a second interview in an E-mail and also a company in Mississauga has done so and even set up a second meeting and I hope that these second interviews are not meant to just show the government they are inviting people for interviews while they already know whom they are going to assign to the available positions as I have heard from many here.

Yes, they post an ad online, they invite a few applicants too, but they don't hire one because they give away the job to somebody from inside the company after all, but they do so just to avoid penalties by government or lawsuits as I 've understood. Very stupid and very unfair to be honest. This way the companies are really discriminating and keeping the family all together unless you are OK working for a minimum wage and way below your level at a restaurant or a driver having a great expertise.

All my hope is now on a few job interviews I have had and whether they are going to hire me such as Ritz Carlton Hotel and Royal York Fairmont, but I guess I better understand I might have been subject to the same unfair game that is being played here in Canada which has quite shocked me and I don't believe any new immigrant should consider this country at all. Let them learn a lesson in near future when things start to pick up and when USA and all other countries are going to surpass this nation that is openly discriminating on new skilled work labour and many those like you and I and all of us out there who is skilled, has a great attitude and expertise and is willing to establish himself or herself here but is clearly rejected and that far in advance and without being given the benefit of doubt and/or a second chance.

Things will change and will not be the same in the future, there will be a day that many people worldwide will realise that Canada is not the promised land and is only good for those who know the people inside the companies that are willing to give them a job or else, you will only loose all your money, patience, positive mood and attitude and a few years of your youth and life running after an ideal that is not true.

I start to realise that as somebody once said here, all the companies, all the public agencies and who ever is dealing with new immigrants and/or public services is just there to get your money and get away with it, leaving you empty handed. They all want your money, not YOU!

No wonder why this country did get away quite nicely from the most severe recession that ever hit the planet, because there are lots of stupid people like me who come here each year and bring in their money and savings in the hope to find work and establish a new life but once they find a job at an entry level, all they will see is their savings and all their money being rubbed and given away and you still need to pay huge taxes and all not to mention the years you loose in search for jobs and to get yourself together again.

This is why I shall not mourne or regret me going back to the Netherlands and even be happy if I have to do so if I am proven right, unless I am proven wrong and that I can say that there is hope for this nation and for this "immigrant" country!

So, yes, another 2 months and then it will be too bad for those who thought I am going to be stupid enough to believe in their goodwill here and spend my last penny on their policies and public figures and parties etc. No WAY!

And to make it even worse for them, I shall not even consider coming to Canada as a tourist, but only visit their far better Southern neighbour with excellent customer service, more friendly people and a system that is at least justified here and there and have more fun in a place that is warmer and better like California!

Anyway ...

I am going to see what will happen AFTER my second interviews and a new job interview planned for this week and I hope that none of these jobs is really set to mislead me and the government of Canada and to avoid their penalties!

After all, life in many of our countries might seem to be boring and not as colourful and vibrant as here, but I now do understand why many Canadians I encounter or speak with do envy those like me from Europe and wished they were having a Dutch or German passport!

I wish I had never come to Canada!

That is all I can say about this country at this moment, or perhaps about Toronto!

Let's hope other places such as Barrie or I don't know, Saint John's, NFL, are more friendly, more open, more fair and with a better justice and common sense and approach towards new comers like many of us with their excellent service and expertise!

To you all, please note this day and this note of mine, this is a special one, according to my observations so far, this city is going to down the hill right now and is just started to roll down the hill ... its glorious ages are kissed goodbye and I suppose and am sure the golden age of Toronto, is already behind us.

They are trying to give it a bit of a new glamour and all by building all these new condo towers and 5 star hotels, but this is just the facade as the city planners and all those in charge of the local economy already know they are going to, if not already, compete with many other cities and that this new decade will mean setting new trends for other setting to arise and for Toronto to decline in popularity and why not, it is way too expensive, it has become way too vast and if you walk around downtown, you notice this city is in diar need of renovation and mainenance, but no, nothing is going to happen.

There will be a finanicial district and a few new satelite cities such as Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Markham and Mississuaga or Ethobicoke and all that is in between will simply disappear into a nobody's land and out of control! subject to boredom and chaos.

Same happened to Montreal ... downtown Montreal is Ok, a few little neigborhoods are ok, but by large many other places aren't ... Montreal had its glorious time by early 80's and started to rapidly decline and lost competition to Toronto, not Toronto is started to decline and lose competition to Calgary and Halifax.

So ...

Yep! ... I sure will start looking around and farther beyond this city and if I can get a chance to escape this city, I gladly will do.

Otherwise I will go back to my cosy home in the rural Netherlands, living a happily ever after life and proud of myself for the steps I took to discover the world and rediscover myself and embrace and accept who I am, what I am and what I have!

All I have to loose is my bf (future husband), my pet dog and my parents, right? ... that is all we all have to loose ONLY!

The rest is not of such a big deal ...

Be good, be succesfull and be wise.

Before you come over here to really establish yourself, come over here for a few months, sit, live, look around, observe, obsorb, try and look if it is worth giving up the comfort you got and jump in the darkness of a land that is basically built on false promises and not much so on "truth".

They don't want "YOU", they want YOUR MONEY!

 

[CharlotteJ]

Oh and I forgot to share some new tips with you guys:

These days in Canada, it is all about "Behavioral Event" questions and tests with regard to job interviews.

They will call and/or both call and interview you one on one during a personal interview but unlike many at least and in my experience, European countries, that the employer simply sits in front of you and starts talking to you like a "human" and asking you questions about who you are, why you are there, what are your goals and plans, what would you achieve and what are your qualifications and simply, get to know you better and ask you rather personal questions that in pretty much all cases, people answer in honesty and with no hesitations and/or objections and once there is a good click between the employer and prospectus employee, one can be hired on spot or a day or two later, it is all about behavioral event questioning methods here and that in order to weed out the good from the bad, but I don't think that is really a good way to do so.

...

They always will ask you between 5 to 10 questions, starting with situations in which you had to act quickly, or pay attention for detail, or disagree with your supervisor or help a co-worker or deal with stress and/or show flexibility etc.

So, start to train yourself, ask yourself these questions and start to recalling real life and out of your daily work experiences in order to be prepared and write them down, practice these with your friends or family or wife, husband or anybody.

For example, they ask you:

Give me an example of a situation where you had to help a co-worker, how did you do it and what was the result?

or:

Give me an example of a situation in which you had to deal with attention to detail, how did you do it and what was the result?

or:

Give me an example of a situation in which you were done with your shift, ready to go home but you couldn't, what did you do and how did you do it and what was the result?

...

...

ETC ETC

Now, here is WHY volunteering or accepting "survival" jobs are important. I was working in the retail as sales associat for a short periode of time as you all know, I had never worked in retail before and am glad I did get that chance and do still volunteer too. Because most of these questions that are asked, do somehow, someway or another, relate to situations from my last job, and the very and first Canadian job experience so far, so I can easily come up with different real life scenario's and call in situations where I had to act fast, in timely manner and bringing it all to a good end resulting to something positive.

Having said that, I also ever since my first interviews, been starting to review all my previous jobs and different situations and believe it or not, then I re-discover myself and realise how much I have achieved, how much I have been contributing to all and everything around me in my previous jobs back home and simply due to the fact that nobody ever asks you such questions back home, we don't even notice the many positive sides of our actions and the great results we book.

Sure, that creates a self confidence and gives you a push to keep looking and if invited for an interview, to be totally honest with yourself and in line with what the new employer is seeking and yes, they are all of the same, nonetheless, the questions remains with regard to Canada, if they are really interviewing you because they want to hire you or is it to distract the "big brother" and to avoid lawsuits due to you know what I mean!

So please start to review your total employment history and ask yourself what has been your greatest achievement, where will you be down the road and what will you want to be in 5 or 10 years? how did you solve problems at work, how did you help other co-workers, how flexible you were, etc etc.

I remember the moment, very recently, while being interviewed at Ritz Carlton Hotel, soon to open in Toronto, what has been my greatest achievement so far?

Well, I got a bit emotional, (I know, very bad at an interview, these people are so receptive to such negative vibes, so never get emotional), but luckily, could put myself together very fast and stop dropping even ONE tear and said: Sitting here, in front of you Madame. ... She said "why?"
" Because back home in The Netherlands, although labour market is much opener than here and easier to find jobs, yet again, there are other rules that do not allow a person like me to ever walk in to an interview at any hotel when having no previous job experience and/or degree in hospitality industry at any hotel, but here, in Canada, I get invited for a job interview at an hotel and which hotel, wow, the NUMBER ONE Worldwide, the creme de la creme de tout ca dans le monde entiere! (yes, this country is bi-lingual, so act upon when you can! ), and well, I would, should and will consider this interview as my greatest achievement so far, to be sitting in one of the latest, most beautiful and most famous luxuary brands ever on this planet to hopefully be invited into the family, stay with them and grow bigger with them.

(off record: if they don't give me the job, believe me, then it is all true about Canada that doesn't care about talent, but only about you being referred to the job, because I truly did answer all their questions in the way I only can do, in an honest integer way and having studied my answers far in advance and thoroughly and thought about each and every word I was supposed to go and speak out!)

Anyways ...

Prepare yourself ...

Nobody does care who you are, what you do, what your family status is, but it is all about how you did handle in a certain situation and it is all about the number of stars you earn:

* or ** or ***

Situation

Reaction

Solution

Outcome

...

Golden rules: 1. Call in a situation

Actions taken:

YOUR reaction

YOUR solution

the OUTCOME

if you receive *** for each of the points wrapped in the question, you are "in".

And if you are referred to the job by a friend or somebody who works there, then you certainly will be given a job and I hopefully can be invited to your party to talk your ears off!


Good LUCK to all of you ...

;D

 

[CBI]

Hi Charlottej,

I have been reading your post on regular basis & I appreciate your efforts, ups & downs.

Here is one site, which I thought to share it with you, hope it will help you.

http://www.hrassociates.ca/elections/

Regards
CBI

 

[CharlotteJ]

Thank you CBI ...

BF has arrived, with the doggy, yeahhhhh!!!! .. been very busy since yesterday.

I had an excellently done job interview today at another luxuary hotel and one of the most classical ones in Toronto and after the interview, I was introduced to the General Manager himself and had to sit in his room and speak to him and answer a few questions and we had a great encounter and it was and in all honestly, the ONE AND VERY FIRST really lovely open great job interview I had since I started to look for a job. As of the first moment we met with each other, me and the interview takers, two gorgeous young women, we were laughing, smiling, being open and honest and I guess I scored high in all categories and let's hope they are going to give me a job soon.

And if all will go well, I might start working as of this Friday although for just like a week or maybe for 10 days only, but it will be as a receptionist at a Bank branche and after that, I hope I will get another job at a law firm given this friendly woman who called me this morning to set up a meeting for me for a client of her and let's hope I will get that job.

Anyway ... we will see ...

Wish me luck..

Now it is important that my bf will find a job and settle in nicely!

Btw, I am becoming like I became in time an expert in interviews and all back home in NL, now an expert in this field myself and in Canada!

Maybe I should start my own business.

 

[Shinygirl]

CharlotteJ

Congrats for all the good news.... arrival of ur bf/ doggy and a great job interview.
Its nice to read your posts and go over what you write.

Hope you get this job.... good luck

 

[Baloo]

Maybe I should start my own business.

Only if the company has a rule - NO EMPLOYEES WITH CANADIAN EXPERIENCE