How did you get your first job in Canada?
#31
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 26,319
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
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#32
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2007
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 184
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I actually contacted a recruiter through Facebook. She then passed it to her boss who in turn got in touch. I am now working for that company.
I would highly recommend Facebook or linked-in
I would highly recommend Facebook or linked-in
#34
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2007
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 184
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I know,
It actually infuriates me at times, but it is a great resource for networking when it comes to jobs.
It actually infuriates me at times, but it is a great resource for networking when it comes to jobs.
#35
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I got my formal re-hire offer for my current job through facebook
#36
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I got my first job through Monster.ca where the Govt. agency advertised...went down for 2 interviews and then got a Job. Well, it is a sad story I didn't stick to that monotonous job and moved on to private consulting...
In GTA, I think it is still the WWW remain a good source of Jobs.... My wife also got the job through internet postings...
In GTA, I think it is still the WWW remain a good source of Jobs.... My wife also got the job through internet postings...
#37
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I was pretty shocked actually; the first company I sent my resume to (at the beginning of December) called me in for an interview last week, said straight after the interview that they expected to make me an offer and offered me a job this afternoon. The only issue is that I have to get a security clearance, but I'm hoping that won't be a problem since it's not a Top Secret one that requires a full background check and vetting.
Which was good, because of all the companies I know of here that was my first choice, and I was going to see what happened with them before applying elsewhere. But that means the total length of my job hunt was roughly two and a half weeks and one interview, mostly spent doing other things .
Which was good, because of all the companies I know of here that was my first choice, and I was going to see what happened with them before applying elsewhere. But that means the total length of my job hunt was roughly two and a half weeks and one interview, mostly spent doing other things .
#38
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 476
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I got mine from craigslist, faxed resume, next day interview, offered job straightaway.
#39
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
Workopolis... After 8 months of search and 2 months from the first call. [I don't count some temp things doing in meantime.]
#40
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
We'd been really job hunting for about a week, spending whole days trolling through job sites. OH had been offered a job in Ottawa, but he was feeling that Ottawa wasn't the place for us, so he turned it down (I agreed).
I was starting to go through the phone book and then going to websites of any company advertising as software/computing (I was a software tester), and if the websites didn't look like they were put together by a 3 year old I'd apply directly through the website.
I was branching the search outwards, moving out to the Kitchener/Waterloo area, and had an interview for a company in Kitchener on the Monday. I got a call on the Tuesday about an interview in Cambridge (and booked a second interview for the first place for the Friday), which I went to on the Wednesday. I loved the company the minute I walked in the door. The interview went well, and the woman who was to be my boss phoned me at 8pm that night (after her kids had gone to sleep) to offer me the job, at a higher salary than expected.
In the meantime, my OH had been hitting the jobsites hard, and had had 2 interviews for a company in Mississauga. He got offered a job on the same day I did, starting the following Wednesday.
So...we each had a job lined up, so what do you do before starting a new job? Go out and buy a new house and a second car of course!
Turns out OH's job was at a horrible company with a wretched little man who believed that his staff should work 24/7 with minimal benefits and no overtime. OH was miserable and wanted out. Some (minor) strings were pulled by me, and he managed to get a job at my company (the string pulling was me giving his resume to my boss's boss and saying "you know that role you were thinking about in 2007? How about starting with this guy about now?". He interviewed over sushi, was offered the position and has now been there for a couple of months, so technically although the position was also advertised on Monster, and they interviewed 2 internal candidates, it was achieved by networking.
I was starting to go through the phone book and then going to websites of any company advertising as software/computing (I was a software tester), and if the websites didn't look like they were put together by a 3 year old I'd apply directly through the website.
I was branching the search outwards, moving out to the Kitchener/Waterloo area, and had an interview for a company in Kitchener on the Monday. I got a call on the Tuesday about an interview in Cambridge (and booked a second interview for the first place for the Friday), which I went to on the Wednesday. I loved the company the minute I walked in the door. The interview went well, and the woman who was to be my boss phoned me at 8pm that night (after her kids had gone to sleep) to offer me the job, at a higher salary than expected.
In the meantime, my OH had been hitting the jobsites hard, and had had 2 interviews for a company in Mississauga. He got offered a job on the same day I did, starting the following Wednesday.
So...we each had a job lined up, so what do you do before starting a new job? Go out and buy a new house and a second car of course!
Turns out OH's job was at a horrible company with a wretched little man who believed that his staff should work 24/7 with minimal benefits and no overtime. OH was miserable and wanted out. Some (minor) strings were pulled by me, and he managed to get a job at my company (the string pulling was me giving his resume to my boss's boss and saying "you know that role you were thinking about in 2007? How about starting with this guy about now?". He interviewed over sushi, was offered the position and has now been there for a couple of months, so technically although the position was also advertised on Monster, and they interviewed 2 internal candidates, it was achieved by networking.
#41
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
Went into Zellers and filled in a form - started work the next day. Left by the end of the week! Next job, I got through next door neighbour. Current job wandered into the mall, somehow ended up filling out an application
Hubby got his job through the realtor knowing someone who knows someone!
Hubby got his job through the realtor knowing someone who knows someone!
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Newmarket Ontario
Posts: 194
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
i applied for 4 months for all types of jobs , and i got no replies , so i read a thread by Judy in Calgary and i dumbed down my resume and made it look like i was not so qualified and i had 5 interviews in 1 week and i eventually ended up doing the same type of job i did in the uk. Crazy !!!
but my son applied for 10 jobs , got 8 interviews , 5 job offers and people still ringing him offering him different jobs.
he is 18 and a cnc operator , i am 45 and a director of a company ( or was ) administrator and a PA.
but my son applied for 10 jobs , got 8 interviews , 5 job offers and people still ringing him offering him different jobs.
he is 18 and a cnc operator , i am 45 and a director of a company ( or was ) administrator and a PA.
#43
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
If things are not booming and you are overqualified, you will have difficulty persuading employers that you will take the job seriously. You can prove this by dumbing down the resume. What better way to show you are serious! Some employers are smart and far-sighted about the added value you could offer but others seem to forget the imperative to pay the bills is a great incentive to employees who are trying to start a new life.
I got my job answering an ad. The job offer I didn't accept came about from networking, just after I'd started my first job.
Last edited by acer rose; Dec 23rd 2007 at 7:40 pm. Reason: Forgetfulness
#44
Re: How did you get your first job in Canada?
I went to the best temp agency I could find in Toronto (or is that the least worst?) I put on the English charm, waved my North-Americanized resume at them and blagged my way into a good admin job at a swish downtown company.
That didn't work out and I thought my luck was up. I'd worked really hard and thought I had impressed everyone, but whatever. Stuff 'em. A few weeks later the agency sent me to another job with a top Canadian company. Got offered the job full-time and am hopefuly going to be working for them in Halifax soon! Easy peasy.
Just make sure you have a kick-ass, well presented resume and go heavy on the English accent, works a treat. Take everyone's business card that may be of use, don't be afraid to network.
Oh yeah, and never wait for HR/recruiter to get back to you! They can be very slow here. Follow up with phone calls, e-mails, just keep pestering (nicely) or nothing will get done.
That didn't work out and I thought my luck was up. I'd worked really hard and thought I had impressed everyone, but whatever. Stuff 'em. A few weeks later the agency sent me to another job with a top Canadian company. Got offered the job full-time and am hopefuly going to be working for them in Halifax soon! Easy peasy.
Just make sure you have a kick-ass, well presented resume and go heavy on the English accent, works a treat. Take everyone's business card that may be of use, don't be afraid to network.
Oh yeah, and never wait for HR/recruiter to get back to you! They can be very slow here. Follow up with phone calls, e-mails, just keep pestering (nicely) or nothing will get done.