TheBestUsername

Early next year, I hope to be going to Canada with the BUNAC Work Canada Open Working Visa. I just thought I would enquire to former or current users of this visa, or those who are simply knowledgeable about the subject, of how long it took you/takes to acquire work. I will merely be looking for casual work: any work which pays adequately. So, any assistance on this matter will be appreciated.

Also, I read the Wiki article on Canadian equivalents to British qualifications. Presumably because they would probably not be adequate for a standard Working Visa, A-Levels were not discussed in the article which I read. Currently, I have labelled them as 'GCE A-Level'. Thanks again for any help.

roguetide

Hey.

I'm currently on my year long trek into Canada. It is completely relative on where you're planning on going in my experience. I came out with the BUNAC group and split at Vancouver. I had a job in Banff AB within about 2 weeks of landing and a place in 3. Wasn't too bad at all. I know of people who've got a job in a matter of days in Banff! But, Banff is a very touristy town and gets hundreds of young-folk through each year so the employee turnover is so high.
Some of the guys from Vancouver, however, have experienced the complete opposite. Three of them have gone home due to lack of work.

So it's completely dependant on where you're choosing to go.

About the qualifications; I literally put 'educated in/have qualifications in' on my resume. If they need to know more, they'll ask in the interview or call you for clairification. Generally, unless you're after a specific position while you're here, they'll mostly overlook the qualifications and check out your experience.

Where are you planning on going, and what work do you aim to get?

RT

worldfairy

Hi

My fiance and I have been in Toronto for three months on the BUNAC visa. I found work as a journalist within a week - although I'd made contact while in the UK - and my fiance has just accepted a job as a physiotherapist.
Our experience has been with professional work, but fellow BUNAC visa holders, who also arrived in September, struggled to find casual work initially. I think most of them have found something now, so bringing enough money to see you through three or four months, just in case, would be a bonus.

Hope that helps : )

Rodge9

[QUOTE=TheBestUsername;8158836]Early next year, I hope to be going to Canada with the BUNAC Work Canada Open Working Visa. I just thought I would enquire to former or current users of this visa, or those who are simply knowledgeable about the subject, of how long it took you/takes to acquire work. I will merely be looking for casual work: any work which pays adequately. So, any assistance on this matter will be appreciated.[QUOTE=TheBestUsername;8158836]

Depends entirely on where you go and your attributes/attitude, as has been said - those who make contact with a lot of people, have a good resume, relevant experience and can take rejection well, in a place with lots of (for example) seasonal jobs going will obviously fair better than someone for whom one of more of these elements isn't true. You've said it'll be casual work, any idea roughly which sector and where you might be going?

'High School Equivalent' is probably your best bet as Canadians won't know what 'GCE A-Level' means, for the most part. The wiki article on resumes on this website, as well as BUNAC's job finding tips in the pack that they send you both mention this.

I presume what you mean is that, if you were applying for (say) a job as a server, then experience in doing that would be more relevant than, for example, the engineering degree you have. In which case that makes perfect sense, though if you meant for 'career' work I'm not so sure - I've read on here before that in certain sectors Canadians value qualifications very highly, and as a young professional having a good standard, and relevant, degree would be of reasonable importance as well.