halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
Aug 16th 2010, 7:45 pm
#31
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
So which is it? Some say if employers that drag their heels they have an attitude, or are the ones that respond quickly desperate. On the other hand it could be just good timing when you send your resume in, or it could be they are efficient. No one actually has any idea, merely speculation founded on nothing.
Aug 16th 2010, 7:49 pm
#32
New Scotland Girl
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 187
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
So which is it? Some say if employers that drag their heels they have an attitude, or are the ones that respond quickly desperate. On the other hand it could be just good timing when you send your resume in, or it could be they are efficient. No one actually has any idea, merely speculation founded on nothing.
Aug 16th 2010, 7:51 pm
#33
ModerĪ±tor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Aug 16th 2010, 7:51 pm
#34
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2010
Location: Inverness Scotland & Vancouver Island.
Posts: 172
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
moved here july 1st with so much confidence and hope for the future.gave up good jobs and a nice house in the uk too.moved here with job agencies and people saying you can easily get a job with your experience.partner has applied for job after job and if they do ring you back and give you an interview you never here back from them again ,always having to chase them.ive even applied for a job shelf stacking that i can walk into in the uk ,got an interview and then nothing.what do you have to do to get a job.we cant carry on like this for much longer as we can only afford to use so much money trying before we have to decide whats next.do we call it quits say we tried and go back to the uk? at least we would get dole and help with rent there.did anybody else find it difficult to get employment here? we even did a test visit in june trying job agenices etc all said you will have no problem with work just come in when you arrive.now we are here its a different story-they dont bother to answerthe phone or get back to you
its so frustrating all we want to do is get jobs and settle down here.never knew it would be this hard though.we are seriously thinking of going back tothe uk now!
its so frustrating all we want to do is get jobs and settle down here.never knew it would be this hard though.we are seriously thinking of going back tothe uk now!
Aug 16th 2010, 7:53 pm
#35
ModerĪ±tor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
It's true, it can be speculation, but I have had two employers get back to me the day I sent them their resumes. And in both cases they were desperate, and the job description was hugely misleading. They advertised for a full-time position and it turned out to be full time, but on a 6-month contract. Companies that aren't trying to pull one over will advertise that it is a 6-month contract position.
I dont see that as misleading particularly. Im not sure I would up sticks and move across the country for it either mind you...
Aug 16th 2010, 7:53 pm
#36
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 30
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
Just wanted to say that this thread has been most useful.
My husband last week approached an organisation's HR department regarding a possible meeting during our recce to discuss potential future opportunities. He previously emailed them his resume. They were really positive and extremelly polite and helpful.... but were supposed to have come back by the end of the week with the availability to arrange the meeting and have not.
We were a bit gutted as we are waiting on the date to book the recce. He called them today but didn't have any luck getting hold of the right person (but again the receptionist was apparently lovely/helpful etc)
Reading this has reminded me that we are dealing with a different culture where things are well, different.
We will have to learn a bit of patience
My husband last week approached an organisation's HR department regarding a possible meeting during our recce to discuss potential future opportunities. He previously emailed them his resume. They were really positive and extremelly polite and helpful.... but were supposed to have come back by the end of the week with the availability to arrange the meeting and have not.
We were a bit gutted as we are waiting on the date to book the recce. He called them today but didn't have any luck getting hold of the right person (but again the receptionist was apparently lovely/helpful etc)
Reading this has reminded me that we are dealing with a different culture where things are well, different.
We will have to learn a bit of patience
Aug 16th 2010, 7:53 pm
#37
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2010
Location: Inverness Scotland & Vancouver Island.
Posts: 172
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
You've only been there 6 weeks. The employment process if retarded in Canada so if i were you i'd hang on for a while longer to see what happens.
If you can't afford to do that, i'd have to question your sanity in your decision to emigrate
In fact, as a sanity check, other than the dole, do you think you could return to the UK and be in a job within 6 weeks? By that i mean begin the search, apply, interview, receive confirmation, and start work, in those 6 weeks? I would doubt many occupations would be.
Also, triple check your CV format, Cover Letter wording and content, follow-up technique, etc etc.
If you can't afford to do that, i'd have to question your sanity in your decision to emigrate
In fact, as a sanity check, other than the dole, do you think you could return to the UK and be in a job within 6 weeks? By that i mean begin the search, apply, interview, receive confirmation, and start work, in those 6 weeks? I would doubt many occupations would be.
Also, triple check your CV format, Cover Letter wording and content, follow-up technique, etc etc.
This may be another pig in a poke.
Aug 16th 2010, 7:54 pm
#38
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2010
Location: Inverness Scotland & Vancouver Island.
Posts: 172
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
Just wanted to say that this thread has been most useful.
My husband last week approached an organisation's HR department regarding a possible meeting during our recce to discuss potential future opportunities. He previously emailed them his resume. They were really positive and extremelly polite and helpful.... but were supposed to have come back by the end of the week with the availability to arrange the meeting and have not.
We were a bit gutted as we are waiting on the date to book the recce. He called them today but didn't have any luck getting hold of the right person (but again the receptionist was apparently lovely/helpful etc)
Reading this has reminded me that we are dealing with a different culture where things are well, different.
We will have to learn a bit of patience
My husband last week approached an organisation's HR department regarding a possible meeting during our recce to discuss potential future opportunities. He previously emailed them his resume. They were really positive and extremelly polite and helpful.... but were supposed to have come back by the end of the week with the availability to arrange the meeting and have not.
We were a bit gutted as we are waiting on the date to book the recce. He called them today but didn't have any luck getting hold of the right person (but again the receptionist was apparently lovely/helpful etc)
Reading this has reminded me that we are dealing with a different culture where things are well, different.
We will have to learn a bit of patience
Aug 16th 2010, 7:54 pm
#39
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
It's true, it can be speculation, but I have had two employers get back to me the day I sent them their resumes. And in both cases they were desperate, and the job description was hugely misleading. They advertised for a full-time position and it turned out to be full time, but on a 6-month contract. Companies that aren't trying to pull one over will advertise that it is a 6-month contract position.
How did your find out it was a six month position, if they told you, how is that misleading? If the ad did not say full time permanent, it could have been anything, you interpreted it one way, maybe they meant it another. What were they trying to pull over? No employer wants to hire someone on misinformation only to have them leave, it is a waste of time and money.
Aug 16th 2010, 8:17 pm
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 30
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
I was going to say that is hardly specific to Canadians! I would hope that we are now experienced enough to know when an employer is not interested but time will tell - if we have not made any progress by the end of the week that may well be the case - I hope not 
Aug 16th 2010, 8:20 pm
#43
not wired right
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: NB ... nearer to keanu than i was!
Posts: 871
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
how about in the meantime while your applying for jobs why not do some voluntary work ... that is a good way to network yourself when it comes to finding work one of the best ways so i've been advised, i wont be able to work for at least 6 months when we get to nb so thats what i'm gonna do, plus it'd stop you going stir crazy! you're there so you've got to stick it out now .... good luck
Aug 16th 2010, 8:26 pm
#44
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
So difficult to judge. I had a job offer years ago, heard nothing for weeks, turned into a fun job.
Aug 16th 2010, 8:30 pm
#45
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Cowichan Bay, B.C. - Originally Basingstoke UK
Posts: 193
Re: halifax unsure wether to stay or go back to uk
Kevin & John. (Long post sorry!).
Just thought i'd send a post to you to help keep your chin up. (I don't want to preach)
I had the same feelings as you when I first arrived here. There were jobs to be had and I thought i'd breeze them. I even thought that if I didn't get the jobs I wanted, I would get one that I didn't - no problemo!
I have to say, I had to change my thinking. I have realised that where I am (Vancouver Island, rural) it is jobs for those you know first. I got so disheartened after 3 months of applying for everything (and I mean everything) and not hearing back, or hearing that I was over qualified (what? surely its value for money then?), you get my drift. There were on average 150 people applying for posts that I was applying for.
In the end I had to take my resume into the office locations and force myself to speak face to face to people. Totally out of my comfort zone. (I'd just spent the last 4 years working from home via email/phone with no human interaction whatsoever). This particular job wasn't what I had hoped i'd be applying for when back in the UK but a jobs a job and Timmies wouldn't even sniff at my resume.
I got the job by being persistent - whilst I was at the office dropping of my Resume (which I'd put in the Canadian format) another lady turned up to do the same thing. This p'd me off because I didn't get chance to complete my chat and left. So when I got home I followed it with an email and another copy of my Resume, thanking him for his time and how I could see myself being of help to him. He rang me straight back and asked me to do a shift "to see how it goes" the next morning.
I was there 11 months and was running the business in the end (all of it!). The income to start with was minimum wage which had doubled by the time I left. I only left because the equivalent of my UK employer here in Canada contacted me to say there was a spot (i'd kept in contact with her all year!) and I jumped. I am very lucky but often think of those times when I was desperately unhappy being knocked back!
Some people will see this as waffle and this here >> V << is my two fingers if they don't like my spelling, grammar or paragraphs - I just wanted to let you know the change in thought process I went through - because reading your post reminds me of the dispair I felt when being turned down all the time!
Chin up! Go into the offices, be remembered, follow things up with a thank you note. Ask WHY you didn't get short listed. I did this and got some excellent feedback (from some!).
There is work, you just have to work so hard to get in. I also want to mention that having a social circle will help you immensely. After the first 10 months I had 3 offers of work coming my way. Believe it or not my mortgage broker rang me and said "I remember you saying you didn't like your job - well we have one going are you interested" - wow...didn't expect that. Another was through a friend who's friend was hiring.
So whilst you are trying to find work, get yourself out there making new friends in sports clubs or teams or whatever you like to do - it will all help!
Well enough of my piffle - GO GET 'EM AND GOOD LUCK
Natalie
Just thought i'd send a post to you to help keep your chin up. (I don't want to preach)
I had the same feelings as you when I first arrived here. There were jobs to be had and I thought i'd breeze them. I even thought that if I didn't get the jobs I wanted, I would get one that I didn't - no problemo!
I have to say, I had to change my thinking. I have realised that where I am (Vancouver Island, rural) it is jobs for those you know first. I got so disheartened after 3 months of applying for everything (and I mean everything) and not hearing back, or hearing that I was over qualified (what? surely its value for money then?), you get my drift. There were on average 150 people applying for posts that I was applying for.
In the end I had to take my resume into the office locations and force myself to speak face to face to people. Totally out of my comfort zone. (I'd just spent the last 4 years working from home via email/phone with no human interaction whatsoever). This particular job wasn't what I had hoped i'd be applying for when back in the UK but a jobs a job and Timmies wouldn't even sniff at my resume.
I got the job by being persistent - whilst I was at the office dropping of my Resume (which I'd put in the Canadian format) another lady turned up to do the same thing. This p'd me off because I didn't get chance to complete my chat and left. So when I got home I followed it with an email and another copy of my Resume, thanking him for his time and how I could see myself being of help to him. He rang me straight back and asked me to do a shift "to see how it goes" the next morning.
I was there 11 months and was running the business in the end (all of it!). The income to start with was minimum wage which had doubled by the time I left. I only left because the equivalent of my UK employer here in Canada contacted me to say there was a spot (i'd kept in contact with her all year!) and I jumped. I am very lucky but often think of those times when I was desperately unhappy being knocked back!
Some people will see this as waffle and this here >> V << is my two fingers if they don't like my spelling, grammar or paragraphs - I just wanted to let you know the change in thought process I went through - because reading your post reminds me of the dispair I felt when being turned down all the time!
Chin up! Go into the offices, be remembered, follow things up with a thank you note. Ask WHY you didn't get short listed. I did this and got some excellent feedback (from some!).
There is work, you just have to work so hard to get in. I also want to mention that having a social circle will help you immensely. After the first 10 months I had 3 offers of work coming my way. Believe it or not my mortgage broker rang me and said "I remember you saying you didn't like your job - well we have one going are you interested" - wow...didn't expect that. Another was through a friend who's friend was hiring.
So whilst you are trying to find work, get yourself out there making new friends in sports clubs or teams or whatever you like to do - it will all help!
Well enough of my piffle - GO GET 'EM AND GOOD LUCK
Natalie