stuartm

Hi all,

I, like many, am feeling increasingly frustrated at the apparent obsession with approriate qualifications in order to secure employment in Canada, but is this a wholly accurate picture?

At the end of the day, a qualification gives no indication as to ability, character, responsiveness, skills etc.

Currently i am employed as a senior officer in local government within the social care field. I have no social work / health-related qualification, only a history degree to my name. However, what i do have is a proven track-record in project management over the past 8 years and have demonstrated an ability to adapt and gel in any sector.

So there are you are, a Canadian employer looking for your ideal member of staff. You have the canadian candidate, maybe just qualified with the relevant MSc etc. and then you have the humble immmigrant who can demonstrate:

1. Drive - to up and move stick in your 30s to start a new life takes a certain strength of character, committment, enthusiasm and positive mental attitude
2. A wealth of work experience from a different country which allows him/her to share different practices, outlooks and approaches to a field of work
3. Many years experience in the sector which they are applying to
4. Excellent testemonials from previous employers
5. Clearly a willingness to readily accept change and challenge

So there you are, with all these skills, ideal for the job, all the work experience...............but you dont have the parallel qualification

Are you seriously telling me that a Canadian employer with this perfect candidate before him would really be so naive as to wholly disgard them??

Maybe im the eternal optimist, but my ability as a manager has been learnt in the workplace and from the people i have worked with. My degree has been a means to an which equipped me the basic skills. I do appreciate that if you are in IT, a nurse or technical area it might be slightly different, but come on...........the Canadians are an intelligent people, I am convinced that in a great many areas common sense prevails, otherwise many of us might as well give up now !!!! :scared:

Stu

MarkG

Not really in IT: most of the best programmers I know are self-taught. After all, if they'd taken a computer science degree fifteen years ago there's not much that would still be of any relevance today other than the basic theory.

stuartm

Lets hope there are a few grounded employers in Canada then who can see quality, calibre candidates not just a piece of paper which is quite often meaningless !

MarkG

Unfortunately most of the IT job ads I've seen in Canada do want computer science degrees, even though there isn't a great demand for Pascal and VMS these days (which seems to be what many of the people taking degrees when I was at university were using).

Fortunately I can always do contract work over the web if I have to.

Atlantic Xpat

IMHO The Canadian experience thing is way overblown on these boards. I have been successful in getting two jobs here largely based on my 15 yrs of work experience along with my personal skills and commitment. Yes it helps that a fair proportion of that experience was gained for a globally recognised company (Ford) but at the end of the day my take is that if you come along with some good experience and are the right fit, you can get on. Certainly I dont think my degree in Marine Studies from a Polytechnic is a major factor, other than the fact I have a degree. Its the work experience, history of achievement and skills gained that counts.

And (blowing my own trumpet slightly) this is in a very small employment market here in NL. In ON, AB or BC with greater opportunities I would expect to have similar success.

Admittably this is in 'industry' rather than govt where things are different. Those cushy provincial or federal govt jobs are very sought after by some for their security and dare I say less stressful work environment.

A lot of the negativity around equivalency of experience/qualifications comes from those in 'professions' from truckers to lawyers. Reading folks experiences, I have to agree that there is a huge disconnect between a programme to attract skilled workers and recognising the skills and qualifications they have. Unfortunately I dont see that changing in a hurry so its something the immigrant has to live with for now.

You seem to be demonstrating the right attitude. Not sure whether you are job hunting on the ground in Canada yet but it is possible to get the job you want through perseverence and determination. Good Luck!

AX

Lapsed Canuck

I'm so glad you posted this! I've been dealing with the same anxieties as an experienced manager in the voluntary sector. I am Canadian but all of my work experience has been in England. I don't have any professional qualifications other than a social science degree which qualifies me for absolutely nothing! I have been worried about the Canadian experience and qualifications issues for quite some time and have even put off going back to Canada for many years as a practitioner because of it. However, I can't help thinking that being a manager is a much better bet due to the transferable skills and that you have demonstrated an ability in your field due to the level you are now at.

So, I am also hoping that Canadian employers view the experienced professional (without Canadian experience or qualifications) as a better bet than the MSW graduate. I have noticed that in many of the job descriptions I have looked at in both government and the voluntary sector the requirements are often post grad degree OR commensurate experience so I am feeling very hopeful. I am also realistic that the first job I get over there may not be my ideal job but I can move on from it later having gained that much loved Canadian experience....

By the way, I am also now investigating the jargon of the sector which you might want to do in terms of putting forward your resume - if you don't have the Canadian experience, you can at least sound like you do! For example, over here those that don't have sufficient access to services are called 'hard to reach' or 'socially excluded' and over in Canada it appears they are 'under served'... Knowing this stuff should make the journey easier I reckon. Blag it!

stuartm

Hi Lapsed,

Thanks for the helpful reply, although youcould also say that the reverse is true. ie the fact that you have an experience from another country, a fresh set of eyes is more valuable than just the Canadian experience ! So whether it learning disability, developmental delay, its all about experience!

My line has always been simple, show an emplyer from the outset that they can not even consider letting you go, and that you are absolutely the person for the job. You can't do more than that !

Stu

Lapsed Canuck

Absolutely! In fact, I have read a couple of articles about the Canadian government wanting more people with 'more worldly knowledge' involved in helping to deal with social problems. I personally feel that work experience in Britain with its high level of poverty and complex social issues can only be of benefit to anyone wanting to acquire a job in social services/health services. It's a key strength which can be pushed. But, like I said, I'm trying to do my homework on Canada's social problems in order to speak with some idea as to how the international experience can be useful within Canada as well. Just like you, I have the attitude that they WILL hire me - eventually....

stuartm

From what i gather the not-for-profit / benevolent sector is a pretty big one in Canada, and the general culture of the country is favourable towards philanthropism. i hope it all works out for you mate!

Grah

Stu,
You also forgetting that as an immigrant you are just as likely to up sticks again as you have done it already. ( homesick, area, greener grass )

You also less likely to have a managerial knowledge of local legal and work place political structures, i.e. union, acceptted office politics.
You are also more than likely not got a friend of a cousin that you used to work with that you could be asked about.

I would think however your proven Project Management skill would be in greater demand than a government manager. Perhaps concentrate on that get in to a job and then move up. example from tech support to VP in 5 years for a UK trained Manager here. So it is possible.


Where abouts are you heading for ?

AnyaT

Well, I have a BA in Russian Studies, which qualifies me for precisely nothing. However, I have worked in financial publishing, conference coordination, and government policy analysis in health and now childrens' services. To most Canadian employers, the mere fact of possessing a degree is what really matters and the subject is pretty much irrelevant. As Lapsed Canuk said, industry experience tends to be more valuable than whatever your degree subject is. More and more ads are now stating their ideal qualifications, then following up with something like "or commensurate qualifications and experience." I don't think you should worry about lacking the idea degree with your years of work experience.

dingbat

It doesn't matter if its the "whole picture", your resume may present you with challenges, even though it is a very good one by the sounds of it. If someone wants to work in the social service sector in BC you cannot work as either a Social Worker or a Manager in the field without at least a BSW/CYC now. (This is not IT btw, I know nothing about that!). Managerial positions are filled by those with experience, but after the Gove report they all have had to go back and get their degrees regardless. Even the voluntary sector is demanding relevant degrees here. I worked in a Transition Society for two years and now work for the provincial government here. I don't know anyone (literally) without relevant degrees and experience. Its quite sad as there are many brilliant practitioners out there who have the skills to deal with the horrors that I see, but are prevented from doing so without that bit of paper.

stuartm

Hi Dingbat,

Thanks for your response - what is a CYC, and what qualification would you go for in my position???

Alberta_Rose

Althought there are some jobs where the exact piece of paper is mandatory, and maybe others where canadian experience is just as mandatory, at the end of the day it might be down to the discretion of the hiring manager as much as anything.

The person who seems happiest to hire me, has looked mostly at my experience and sees how it may be applied in similar situations in Canada. She says my profile EXACTLY fits what she is looking for and in her opinion the exam I need to pass is a formality (unfortunately it is a formality that cannot be bypassed though!)

I think it also helps that she herself moved to Canada (from the states) and that her daughter is currently establishing herself in Australia, so maybe that makes her more sympathetic to my case.

In any event, I think the cover letter emphasising your strengths and how your experience IS relevant to the Canadian Job market is paramount!

frankieforehead

Hi Stu,

I hear where you are coming from...but if you were an employer....would you employ an immigrant with no qualifications in the sector he or she wished to work in, but they had lots of experience in their country?

Many immigrants come to Canada, and say that they can do something well...But actually have no clue how the Canadian system works, and fall flat on their faces.

No doubt there are employers who will take you on as soon as they meet with you, and more or less thats how it works in the area that I'm employed in. You do put yourself across well so I think you'll have no problems.