phat-dave

hi guys

i've been in canada six months now and am having a sensational time. i'm from australia on an unrestricted work permit (two years renewable) and decided to pack in my banking job (equipment finance/leasing) at home to come and see north america and see the snow.

so my question is... i've been working for the past five months in a ski resort however, this canadian employment experience is not relevant to my resume now that i've decided to look for roles within the banking industry.

should i include this role i presently have so it doesn't look like i've been sitting around twiddling my thumbs or should i just leave it off? (i had a look on the wiki's and did a search but couldn't find anything)

also, if anyone knows of any sales account manager roles or banking roles available - i'd really appreciate a heads up.

thanks
dave

Aviator

Any gaps in your resume may raise questions or worse still speculation.

ga1lf

I was told to take any job, so I can add it to my resume to show canadian experience.

david_oz

hi dave

i went through almost exactly the same experience as you this time last year. i skied for 2 months (didn't have a job), then moved to calgary and started looking for a job in accounting. here's what i found

1. canadian experience is (unfortunately) a big thing here. out of approx 60 applications i sent in, i only got 2 replies. they both offered me jobs though. recruiters were generally unhelpful as soon as they found out i didnt have canadian experience. if you want a decent job, be prepared to spend about 2-3 months looking for it (it took me just under 2 months)

2. put your visa situation last on your resume. at first i had it on top, and got nowhere. but then as soon as i switched it to the end i got my two interviews. both the companies i interviewed with asked me about it, and i told them i have a 2 year visa, i can extend it, and in the meantime i'll be applying for PR anyway. they both understood

3. as for what you've been doing for the last 5 months... i dont know that it really matters if you've been working in a ski resort, or doing nothing... but who knows, there's nothing to lose by putting it on your resume

where are you btw? If you're in calgary / banff then give me a yell, i'd be happy to meet up and ski with you. I live in Calgary, but I'm at sunshine / louise almost every weekend

cheers

Dave

phat-dave

thanks guys, appreciate the replies - i think i'm going to start putting it on my applications.

dave: funny you mention sunshine - i live and work there. next time you're up we should catch up for a beer or three

david_oz

that will be this saturday. i've PM'd you my number so if you're free come for a ski and we'll have a chat eh?