It is exciting! A new country, new environment, fresh re-start to your life. You decided to move to Canada and re-create your life here from scratch. After you’ve landed in Canada and recovered from jet lag, if you are a working professional, you will start thinking about new opportunities. This article is meant to give direction to the many immigrants seeking new employment in Canada.
Option 1: Get to Know Your Community
Pros: more employability
Cons: none, so you got nothing
to lose!
a) Join a Community Center
What you know matters, but who you know also matters. It’s important that you get out there and get to know your community! The best way to do so is to join a community center. If you’re in Toronto, the city has a list of all of its community centers here. You might wonder, what exactly is a community center? Just as the term would imply, a community center is a place that holds events and classes for its community.
They also provide information to the members of its locality regarding events and opportunities that are set to take place. As such, some community centers may hold classes to enhance your employability, such as lessons on how to use Linkedin. Additionally, there are always job postings at the community centers. It is free of charge to walk into a community center and ask about their job postings, so you’ve got nothing to lose in checking these out! If you would like to attend any classes, they usually charge a very low rate.
b) Join an Ethnic Community
Having just landed in a new country, you might be thinking of whether there is any place you can go to meet other immigrants from your home country. Luckily, many cities in Canada will have different ethnic associations. For example, in Mississauga, there is a Chinese Association (https://www.torontocentralhealthline.ca/displayService.aspx?id=91138).
They hold cultural events throughout the year — so make sure to stop by and say hello! As well, you may also find job postings at these ethnic community centers. Additionally, it may be fruitful to get to know other immigrants from your home country and share tips on what they’ve done to secure employment.
When my family and I first immigrated to Canada, we relied heavily on the Chinese community in our city. Not only did the people we met help us to navigate through our new life in Canada, but they also shared with us job openings they had heard of. Indeed, grateful for the help that my parents received when we first immigrated, my parents now help other new immigrates find jobs within their own respective fields.
Again, what you know matters, but who you know also matters.
Option 2: Increase Your Online Presence
Pros: more employability
Cons: none, so you got nothing to lose!
a) Where to find jobs online?
In this new digital age, it’s important to use the internet to your advantage. There are web pages dedicated to job hunting, such as Indeed and Linkedin. Indeed is a common platform used by employers to publish job posting. It allowed you to filter your selection based on city, job title, and even salary. Once you’ve located a job that you’d like to apply to, simply submit your resume and cover letter online and you’re done! Now, all you have to do is wait.
As for Linkedin, it is probably the most popular web page geared towards everything that has to do with your career. You can search for jobs by job title, location, and educational background. Additionally, you can also message managers at a company you’d like to work for and see if they have any openings for you. One caveat to Linkedin is that while you get to apply for jobs without any fees, it may cost you to message people. They do offer a free trial, so I would opt for that and see how it works out for you. If you feel that a paid membership is worth the investment, then go right ahead!
b) Create Your Own Website
If you’re in the services industry, then try creating your own website where you can showcase your work for the public to see. For example, if you’re a graphic designer or an artist, then creating your own website can help you showcase your work. Creating your own website is neither difficult nor costly. There are many website building and hostings companies that have options to create your website for free. Try it out! You have nothing to lose!
Option 3: Going Back to School
Pros: more employability
Cons: $$$
Going back to school can be great for three kinds of people.
First, if you’re already trained in a particular discipline (for example, engineering) but your degree is, for whatever reason, not recognized in Canada, then going back to school can be a great way to boost your employability.
Second, if you’re already trained in a particular discipline but you want to learn more skills/hone your existing skills, then going back to school may also help.
Finally, if you want to switch to a completely different career than the one you had in your home country, then going back to school can help you achieve that goal. Perhaps the career you had in your home country isn’t in great demand here in Canada.
There are many options when it comes to going back to school. For example, you may go back for a full undergraduate degree, or you may choose to complete a certificate at a college/trades school. However, whatever option you end up choosing, make sure that it corresponds with the field you want to work in. For example, if you want to work as an electrician, getting a bachelor’s degree at a university will not be worth it or necessary. Alternatively, if you want to become a lawyer, then you’ll need to complete at least four years at a university for an undergraduate degree, and then another three years in law school. If you want to know what the educational requirements are for the particular field you want to enter, Google is at your service!
The most obvious con to going back to school is that it is expensive, and it might take a while to see any dividends. If you feel like it’ll be a worthwhile investment and you currently don’t have the funds to go to school, there are two kinds of financing options: a loan from a bank and the Ontario Student Assistant Program (a government-funded loan program for students). For information on the former, visit any branch of any of the banks in Canada and a representative will give you more information. For information on the latter, please visit here.
Conclusion
Navigating a new country can be challenging, especially if you have a family to support. Always remember that it takes time to find the right opportunity f, and you might even have to go through a couple of different jobs to find the one that is just right for you. When my family and I first immigrated to Canada, both my parents were working minimum wage jobs before my dad (who has a Ph.D. from China) found an engineering position that matched his educational background. It took several years for him to land the position! Patience is key. Always remember to reach out and get involved with your community.
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