Oscardon

We are moving to Kamloops next year and I have sent out a few E-mails to companies about work but have not had any replies, well why would they we are not out till 2011.

My question is what is the best way to put us on the map in order to secure work as quickly as possible.
Rich reccomeneded Venture which is a Kamloops website but I have E-mailed them and got no reply.

We want people to know we are ready for work as soon as we get out there, what have other people done that has been successful? I was thinking of sending out our CVs then phoning to check they had them, then doingt he same in a few months or will this get on perspective employers nerves.
Casey and Mat.

christmasoompa

That's pretty much it, but make sure it's a Canadianized resume and wait until nearer the time.

It would appear that you haven't read the Job Hunting section of the Wiki (on blue bar at the top of the page) which will tell you exactly how to go about it (and why to never bother just sending emails!) so grab a cuppa and have a read of that.

Oscardon

I have already had my CV converted into a Canadian friendly way, and I have just scan read the Wiki which is helpful, may sit down tonight and make some calls.

DigitalGhost

If I'm looking at a move to Toronto at the end of January then is it a good idea to email employers before Christmas or start a couple of weeks before landing?

After reading a lot of forum posts and the wiki on here I was thinking that it would be best to just start once I've arrived but I've seen a couple of jobs online that I quite like the look of.

Oscardon

Good luck, its difficult isn't it, we want the job security but how can you make someone interested in you when the move isn't till next year.

Bit of a brain teaser I think.

Tripitaka

What a lot of folks don't realise is that being successful, especially in job hunting, isn't about being the one they want, it is about avoiding being one of the ones they don't want. Let me explain the concept of "the dump list"...

I'm involved in a couple of initiatives educating people on business and related matters. One of my favourite exercises is in a discussion group, asking people how they think I would go about choosing the right person for a job from 200 applicants. Eventually, I tell them; I take all the applications and I sit with a waste basket on my right hand side. I then look at each CV or letter and if I don't like it in 5 seconds, it goes in the bin. At first pass, I might have 10 left out of 200 and I will either run another pass or invite them in for interview.

People don't like that reality but that is very much how it happens because the employer holds all the cards.

The question isn't so much about where you are but what you are. Oscardon comes close with his question above except there is a slight difference in approach; it isn't how you make them interested, it is about how you stop them being UNinterested. How do you avoid the dump list?

Oscardon

Your right, and Oscardon is a girl (well Oscar is the name of my dog). I was thinking in the new year of calling people and just asking them about the local plumbing market (on behalf of my other half, Im the better talker) and see if I can get an idea of how things are but if Im nice enough they may accept his CV and rember us when we are out there, I think I might try local building merchants etc as well, do people think this might work?

Tripitaka

LOL! Well, I had a 50% chance of getting it right without looking in the profile!

I would be looking to research the market; is there a shortage of plumbers? There usually is in cities. What about working as a temp - are there options to do that to start with, filling in for companies that have taken on short term contracts? What about self-employed then you could look for contracts with companies rather than employment?

You become INFINITELY more employable once the company has reliable info on you. Can you do the job? Are you reliable? Will you win me business or lose it for me?

Can you afford to do 1 month probation unpaid so they get the measure of you? If your are good, they will want you and it is no risk to them. You could spend a month looking for work anyway and you don't get paid for that so you could be doing something constructive with the time.

JonboyE

By printing your resume on pink paper and the creative use of as many font sizes and typefaces as you can?

For the OP keep in mind that networking and job hunting might have the same objective but are very different activities. At the moment you are networking. Job hunting doesn't happen until you are ready, willing and able to start work tomorrow. I am not saying it is completely impossible to find an employer who will say, "great, we'd love to have you on board, we'll keep your job open for a few months until you make it over here." Not impossible, but so unlikely that it is not really worth thinking about.

The best you will get is, "give us a call when you get here." Most likely you will get nothing. The vast majority of employers will not reply to unsolicited employment requests.

At the moment you are networking. The essence of good networking when you are job hunting is not to ask for a job. You put people in a difficult position if you ask them for something they cannot give you. They will avoid you to save on embarrassment.

So, ask them for something they can give you: information. What is the job market like? What sort of skills are in short supply? what sort of resumes do they like to get? If they were recruiting right now what would be the best way for you to present your skills and experience? (This is getting a bit close to the bone so back off) Are there any professional/trade associations that would be good for you to join? Is there a source for expected salary levels in the area/industry? What sort of salary do they think a newcomer should ask for? And so on and so on ... Dion't grill them but keep the conversation light. The final question is can they suggest anyone else you could/should talk to?

Most people like to take the opportunity to be helpful when they can. The average Canadian more so than the average Brit.

Another thing to keep in mind is that good networking is a two way thing. Try and think of something you can offer the people you talk to. This is not always easy but, for example, if you have read an interesting article relevant to their business in a publication they will not have seen you could offer to email it to them.

JonboyE

I would think carefully about this. I work with a lot of trades and subtrades and they are a pretty macho lot. I am sure they will enjoy talking to you but a good number of them will wonder what sort of a man gets his wife to find him a job.

I agree with a lot of what Tripitaka says in the post above. Networking helps a lot. If your OH can start a conversation with, "I was talking to Fred at Interior Plumbing and Heating and he suggested that I give you a call," then you establish instant credibility.

I am not too sure about looking specifically for temporary work. The nature of the Canadian workplace is that everyone is temporary. Some people temp for the same company for 45 years, but there is not such a distinction between temporary and permanent workers as there is in the UK.

Also (and this is just an opinion not backed by any rationale) I wouldn't work for free. Your OH has valuable skills that are worth something to an employer. In my experience people don't value what they don't pay for. That said, offering to work at a substantial discount to the market rate for a probationary period would interest many employers. It is better to be gaining Canadian experience earning a little than being at home spending a lot.

dbd33

The computer business is not especially one rippling with machismo. Nonetheless, when I did that the existing staff threatened my life. They correctly guessed that the employer would offer to keep me at the discounted rate, I'd take it and they'd been out on their arses. That was, perhaps, my most satisfyingly "immigrant" experience.

I don't say don't do it but don't do it blindly.

Tripitaka

Normally, I would agree and certainly support the "no cost = no value" position but you can't go fishing without bait. I should make clear that it is a last resort, the tactic you would take when you have no other options to pursue. Unfortunately, I think many would find themselves in that position when looking for work as a new arrival.

The proposal to work for a discounted rate serves the same purpose in any event; it is the big, fat bait to temp the company to take a chance on you. if or when they bite, you need to work your ass off to make them think..."Bloody Hell! We want this guy!" The advantage of doing it this way is that you get to negotiate your rate/salary AFTER you have proved your worth, thus putting you in a much stronger position. Of course, the other advantage is that you get to check them out as a company before you make a commitment.

I will caveat all this with a clear statement that I have no experience of the Canadian jobs market; I'm still in the UK and moving there in my current role so even after I arrive, my experience will be based on my wifes job-hunting.

I do agree 100% with the comments on networking though; I started cultivating my Canadian network maybe 2 months ago and already there are 2 people that want to meet my wife when we land to discuss opportunities. It is very much "who you know" rather than "what you know" in any country so you need to be building a network like mad. If you aren't on Facebook and LinkedIn then start with that as soon as possible. Send me a PM and I'll add you to my LinkedIn profile.

Tripitaka

The plan is not to stay on the discounted rate...

dbd33

Worked for me and for the employer. The two guys I undercut were each billing more than I was and $18/hr was a lot to me at the time. I think you will find that India has since built an entire industry on the same approach.

Suppose the going rate for some job now is $80/hr, your man there gets off the boat and offers to work for a month for 40. That works for the employer, if he has faith, as he can dump an employee and save 40/hour but, after the month, he's not going to put the new guy's rate up to 80. If he wanted to pay that, he'd not have risked trying the immigrant. 60, maybe.

Be aware, of course, that if you go this way someone from a poorer country will be along, Indians in my case, looking to work for 30. If you're going to race to the bottom be sure you can go lower than anyone else.

JonboyE

There are a lot of plumbing contractors around. After a few months proving he is competent and reliable he can ask for the market rate. If it is refused he is in a much stronger position to seek employment, at the right pay, elsewhere.