I have a robotics degree, and over 2 years electrical engineering experience, so will mainly be applying for electrical engineering jobs but can also do software engineering, has anyone else gone over on working holiday looking for skilled work in either of those fields?

How were your experiences looking for skilled work? Are companies more likely to hire permanent Canada residents?

Planning on staying permanently via express entry once i have 1+ years Canada work experience, should have over 500 points by then. Any advice welcome!

Your biggest hurdle is likely to be convincing an employer to take on a temporary employee - no matter what your long term intentions might be, your IEC visa (and social insurance number) indicates temporary status. Investment in staff is expensive, so you'll need to consider how you measure up against permanent residents and citizens.

That is understandable, but surely not impossible still. Might it help to wait until the interview stage to lay out my visa status, so I can explain my determination to make it permanent in person?

I will contact some companies and recruiters ahead of time to see what they recommend.

You might find it useful to look at the Wiki about job hunting in Canada:
Quick Job Hunting Instructions-Canada : British Expat Wiki

AND the Wiki about recognition of your qualifications (there's a link to that in the Wiki I posted ^^)

Thanks, some good advice in there

If a candidate did that to me as an employer, the interview would terminate immediately and they would be asked to close the door on the way out. Be honest & up front, don't try and be cute to get an interview. If I was not interested in hiring TFW and someone tried this on, they just wasted a huge amount of our time.

That's a shame, you sound like a really fun employer :P

Your point is well taken though, I'm not out to waste people's time. It just seems like a piece of info that seen in a cover letter whilst sorting applications could lead to someone trashing mine, whereas the same person might be less concerned if I'm there to answer questions about it.

I'll take your advice on board and at the very least sort it out on the phone first.

My employees think so, but then I am very picky who I employ.

Guess that is a chance you have to decide is worth taking or not. Only one way to find out!

Aviator, follow up question if you wouldn't mind me stealing more of your time

If I was able to produce a letter from an immigration lawyer, stating that I'd qualify for multiple routes to a more permanent visa at the end of my temporary one, in theory allowing me to work uninterrupted beyond 2 years, at no expense/effort to my employer, would that allay your concerns at all?

Obviously this is assuming a lawyer would agree with me on these points, and it's more aimed at employers who are less familiar with the immigration process than yourself.

You're going to find most employers don't have a clue about the immigration process, or give a rat's ass. What you propose above doesn't guarantee any loyalty from you to your employer, nor can it take into account any potential change in immigration legislation or process during the 2 years you're trying to improve your long term prospects, which could render your desire to gain PR null and void.

Oh yeah, I'm aware it's not something anyone can promise, and I'm sure a lawyer would word it that way. But I think it would help show that I'm not ****ing about.

Not as worried about these ones

I hired an employee last month who holds an IEC visa. I hired based on her skills and experience. Long term intent can be discussed, but in reality she can leave and go elsewhere whenever she pleases. Candidates will say what they think will get them a job, not necessarily what reality is. A lawyer's statement wouldn't offer any additional value to me.

Of 50+ IEC visa holders I've employed, only a handful have followed through with PR intentions.

They're going to be in the majority, because the reality is that most job vacancies can be filled by PR's and citizens.

Thanks, need to get as clear a picture of what I'm up against as possible. Out of interest what type of work did you hire the IEC person for?

Also, of the ones who planned to stay, but when home. Was it just that they had enough of Canada, or PR was more difficult than they expected?

In this instance healthcare.

I previously owned a catering related business.

Think of the issue from an employer's perspective - you're new to the country, no family or ties here, relatively young with just a couple of years experience. You may not settle easily, may find all sorts of things about Canada that niggle you, may get homesick for the UK etc etc. You're a much higher risk to hire than someone with workplace/cultural experience here.

I'm guessing the 50ish people who didn't stay after the 2 years were working in catering then. Did they have any skills needed for FSW, or was the main reason they didn't stay despite wanting to?