Find a Job

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If you are a new immigrant, you really have to find a job soon. You don’t want to wait till you finsh spending the money you brought from your country. So….the best thing is to try to find a job right from the begining. 

Some people are lucky. They can find a job suitable to their qualifications within two or three months of their arrival here. For some people, it might take a year or two. Or for some people, this might take forever. So……be prepared to face the challenge. Be positive. Work hard. I am sure, you can find a job you want.

Job won’t come to you. You have to go and hunt for it. Also…..don’t brag about what you did in your country, and expect the same here in Canada. There are all sorts of reasons why we should not expect it at the beginning. It might take time to get a job you are looking for. Be prepared for any situation. Be humble. Be prepared to present your qualifications and talents in an impressive way. Also…take it as your responsibility to brush up your knowledge to a Canadian standard or Canadian situation.

Anyway, here is what you can do.  You start with a low paying job; I call it as an odd job. It is easy to find such a job. You can try out restaurants, supermarkets, telemarketing companies, hotels, fast-food outlets, farms and places like that.  Based on my experience, I think it is easy to find such a job here in Saskatoon. How do you find these jobs? Well….you can directly go to these places with a resume and talk to the manager. That might work. I think it is worth to try this out. You don’t lose anything except gaining something insight about job situation. Also….you can try paper advertisements, or job posting websites (I’ll give you some of these web sites later).  Also….you can ask one of your friends to refer you to a place he/she knows. Try all theoptions. Your effort will be paid off soon. You need this kind of job first to survive. 
 
Next step is to work hard to find the job you want.  You want to find a job that you like and matches with your knowledge and experience. Here are some simple advices. I am not an expert for this, but, I hope this will help you a bit.

 

1. Prepare your resume to the Canadian standards and style. What you used in your country might not be good or attractive enough for a job here. So think about this and take some time to prepare your resume. That is your first tool for job hunting. If you need help with this, please go to following web links and see how it is done systematically.

If you need professional assistance to build your resume and find which job is suitable for you, contact Regional Employment Development  Inc. Their mission is to assis their clients in searching their full potential by providing carrier planning and employment readiness services based on each client’s individual need in an atmosphere of dignity and respect, where growth, learning and empowerment can be achieved. This is a free service. Once you have SIN number, phone them and book an appointment. They will assist you with your resume, job search and interview skills.

 
2. When your resume is ready, find available positions suitable for you in your area. Use following job search links to find available positions in different institutions.

The other effective way to hunt for a job is talking to people from different companies. Find a company related to your field of interest, go there and talk to the manager or someone in that category. His Department or Division should be relevant to the area of your interest. Think about the positive side of this method. You can show them your enthusiasm, interest and you get a chance to talk to people and sell yourself in an effective way. Further, talking to these people will educate you what they are looking for, what you should do to get in, and things like that. I know that this worked for some of my friends who moved to Saskatoon as immigrants. 

 

3. If you cannot find a job yet, think about adding a Canadian qualification to your resume. This is a guaranteed way to find a job. You can do a part-time or full-time program such as a PhD, M.Sc., Certificate or Diploma programme, or a training programme to add cream to your basic qualification. You can try following academic/training institutions for different programs available for you.

If you want to go for a Master or PhD program, you can talk to a professor who does research in your area of interest for a possible opening for a M.Sc. or PhD opportunity. He/she will direct you for the rest of the process, if he/she has funding. This is very effective, I must say.

If you are a foreign-trained doctor, click here for information on your practice here in Canada. If you are a foreign-trained dentist/dental surgeon, click here for your information. If you are a foreign-trained veterinarian, click here for your information.

 

4. Think about doing a volunteer work for sometime in the university or in any other institution you like. This will help you to understand the canadian working environment, to find a reference for your job application, and find a job you want. Reference for a job is very important. It is tough to find a Canadian referee for your job application if you are new to this country. So….think about volunteer work. Sometime, references from your original country might not work because of the language barrier, different time zone and other issues.

 

5. Keep trying until you get the job you want. Keep perseverance. Improve your marketability by improving your English, ability to work with computers, and adding Canadian qualifications.

6. If someone call you  for an interview, WORK HARD AND BE PREPARED FOR THAT. DON’T JUST GO THERE. Here are some of my advices for that.

  • Understand the position you applied for, requirements they are asking for. This is very important.  Think hard about your experience and qualifications. And then, relate them to the requirements they are asking for in the job advertisement.
  • Read about the company you applied for. Go to their website, read and read. You must have a good understanding what they do and how you can contribute to the company before you go to the interview.
  • Understand what you have put in your resume before you go to the interview. You should be very confident about what you have put in your resume.
  • Always be positive, show your enthusiasm, have positive attitudes, show your flexibility and adaptability. If you have negative aspects, think about how you can covert that to positive aspects. Be prepared for your answer. 
  • Relax and be friendly.
  • Do your homework before you go. Go to youtube, type “interview preparation” and watch few videos. There are lots of information out there. Browse internet on how to prepare for an interview and possible interview questions. Be prepared for your answers well in advance.

 

Places you can get help to find a job:

  • Adecco: helps thousands of individuals every year to find full time jobs in Canada through temporary assignments that evolve into full time positions. Visit their office at 135 21st Street East, Suite 200, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 0B4. Tel: 975-7170
  • Saskjobs: provides a variety of tools and resources to assist people looking to find a job, make a change in careers or market their skills and abilities to prospective employers. Visit them at 225 1st Avenue North, SK, Saskatoon, S7K 2H6. Tel: 933-6281

Good Luck!

If you need any other information or help, let me know.

Dr. Sumith Priyashantha
priyashantha@yahoo.com

 

Other Important Job Related Websites;

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