jeka12386

Hi all,

In most of the job application forms in Canada, the applicant must specify his salary expectation. How do you cope with this given that I am getting paid 40k in the UK and I am expecting to keep the same salary in Canada for a similar position?

Is doing so may jeopardise my chance of getting a job in Canada if I sell myself on the same salary as in the UK?

Should I downgrade myself to get a better chance of getting a “first job” (let say from senior to junior)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

Former Lancastrian

What you need to do is find out the salary being paid to Canadians doing that job and use that as a guide. Just because you get paid X amount in the UK doing a job doesn't mean you will be paid the same in Canada. Actually some get paid more in Canada than they were in the UK so using the UK wage might be detrimental.

Use these links as guides
Explore Careers by Wages - Job Bank
Canadian Salary Guide, Salaries in Canada, Average Salaries | PayScale
Canadian Salary Calculator

jeka12386

Many many thanks for the links

happyhammers

Depending what you do, as a rule of thumb you should quote the same as you get in the UK. Dont sell yourself short, you can say that depending on Canadian experience you can come in at entry level for you profession as a bargaining tool.
Dont down grade yourself, after all you are doing the same job. I managed to recieve more than I'm on in the UK but I will be looking at another 20k in the next couple of years.

Howefamily

I used to say that I was getting paid X amount in the UK (give the amount) but am aware that now that I am in a different country that may not be an accurate indicator. Therefore I am flexible.
It worked well for me

helcat12

What you earned in the UK really doesn't relate to what you might earn here and be happy living on.
The cost of living here is very variable - much more so than the UK, I would say, so how much you might want to be paid depends on where you are planning to live.
I have heard it said on this forum that you need $100K minimum to live in anything other than poverty in Vancouver, and they might be right, but out here in the 'Wack, that is a Princely sum. ;')

Check out the cost of houses and suchlike where you are planning to go to give you an idea how far a salary would go.

Also, consider that if a company wants you, that might be because there isn't a Canadian who can do the job, This gives you some bargaining power.

J-A-UK

Hahahahaha in the nicest possible way - Do you currently empty litter bins in the park?

Opinions is what you get here so make you own mind up in the end - However moving to a new country in a lot of professions you Uk experiences may just as well be emptying bins in the park.

You wont even get an interview without to required "license" or "diploma"

You must do your homework and find out who gets paid what where

As said Vancouver BC or Smittsville (Somewhere north of anywhere) ? Same standard of living $100K variation on required income.

Jericho79

If I was earning my UK wage here, I would have been forced to return to the UK years ago.
As others have mentioned, find out what the local salary range is, and use that as your guide.

nikki dreaming

Ditto

Photoplex

Another good resource for scoping actual salary ranges is http://www.glassdoor.ca

Shirtback

This really REALLY annoys me.

I generally say/write something along the lines of tbd at interview/negotiable.

It also depends a lot on industry/position. Anecdote: stepson successfully negotiated a base salary equivalent to his old salary + bonus, after telling new employer to eff off when asked for details on his (then) current salary. His point: you have a budget for this position, you are interested enough to interview me, let's talk. IT. Montreal v. Calgary. /Anecdote.

As others have said, WHERE in Canada will matter. The jobs I'm looking out for, even locally, have pay scales which vary by 200%.

S

helcat12

Writing something like 'to be discussed' or 'salary negotiable' is fair. The interview is to sell yourself, so they can decide how much they think you are worth to them then.
If they asked at interview, I might still reply that, now they have seen what I have to offer, they can decide how much they think I am worth to their company.

I certainly would not sell myself purposely short in order to attract an employer, as one poster mentioned.

Shirtback

.

Know what you are worth.

S

Almost Canadian

One wonders how many that have posted on this thread have been an employer in Canada

helcat12

I would have assumed all of them, otherwise what would they have to add tothis thread?


Am I making the classic mistake if assuming people tend to post on threads they have some knowledge about?