Jo636

Hi
My husband and I have a dream of moving to Canada and have kept putting off doing anything about it like so many others because we just wouldn't have a clue where to begin!

My husband's now been forced to look round for another job (he's an engineer) due to the company he's with unable to keep him on financially so we've been registering with recruitment agencies left right and centre and he's also registered with a few overseas. We've received an email today from a jobs group regarding EXPO events in London and Manchester this month regarding opportunities in New Zealand, Australia and Canada where there'll apparently be recruiters from companies over from the countries and apparently it''l be the perfect opportunity to find out more about making the move.

We live in the north of Scotland so the nearest even in Manchester is a good 800 mile round trip so really want to know if anyone has had experiences with EXPO? If this would really be an opportunity not to miss? Any other info regarding EXPO anyone has would be greatly appreciated (don't want to spend out hundreds of pounds on travelling and accomodation to find its really not worth going!!

Thanks in advance
Jo

Jo636

Hi
Sorry have found the search icon so notice lots of replies to posts like this before!! I'm guessing it wouldn't be worth spending out on gettin there!!!?

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
The two EXPO's I have been to have been at Sandown and to be perfectly honest, they were a waste of time and money.

The first time we went was to have a good look around to see what was there. It was more like a trade fair. A rew representative from relocation firms, removals and Currency exchange. There was a Job board, but not a lot on it really. At the time we felt it helped us to build the excitement, but other than that, not much use.

The second time we went was specifically to look at the job board and Calgary Police were the only career we saw represented personally, but just a stand manned by uniformed officers to discuss joining the Police there, you didn't do any form filling...they just gave out contact details for you then to apply.

I think you will get more information on here and from the comfort of your own armchair. There are plenty of Canadian Jobsites to look at, so in a nutshell....save your money
Hope this helps
Stef

md5037

I would agree you could find out more from on here, we did.

I would also add i think there is an event on in Glasgow this weekend or next it is the same event that was at sandown last weekend.

Might be a bit easier to get there than Manchester.

I have never been to these ones but i did go to one run by "working In..." and i wouldnt go back if it was in my front room and they were paying me.

mandymoochops

I want to be your new best friend in the whole wide world

TheThornes

Hi. We did one of the shows at Sandown a few years back too. I agree, that if you're going to find out about job opportunities then it probably won't meet your expectations. We were already a step ahead of that in that the job was already covered and it was therefore a good place for us to gather lots of information about removals companies, pet transport, housing, transferring funds, blah, blah, blah. Also just good to get chatting to other people who were in a similar position etc. Yes, there is a show at Glasgow this weekend (Emigrate 2010). As it's not local to you, I probably wouldn't bother at this stage; maybe better to go to one of these further down the line when the job situation is already sorted. The shows are held every year.

Zhanna

This year's Opportunities Expo in London's Novotel was awful - if you are looking to move to Canada anyway. We only found 2 stands dedicated to Canada (there could have been a third one, but we didn't see it), and they were occupied by the immigration lawyers. And only one seminar! We spent there about 5 minutes and were £30 poorer (booked tickets online in advance, but it turned out you can buy 2 for 1 at the door). Very, very disappointed.
On the other hand, Emigrate expo in Sandown was much more useful, with a lot of presentations, including provincial governments, representatives of many potentially useful companies - Canadian mortgage advisers, realtors, relocators, pet movers, pension and investment advisers, etc.

stokesey

Waste of time, we got nothing out of it.

SunshineSeeker

I went to the London Expo on the Saturday, expecting different areas for the different countries, and was so disappointed with how few stalls there were in total I wrote a letter of complaint as soon as I got home and asked for a refund! I had also bought the tickets earlier when the were £15 each with no buy-one-get-one-free. They've replied and agreed to give me a refund, which is good. If I'd known what it was going to be like I would not have gone!

Dave+Jules

For New Brunswick Jobs (in Atlantic Canada) try NBJOBS.CA

I think we attended two at Sandown and at the time we had not discovered BE site. You will probably get more from here. But that said we were able to talk with Canadian Immigration officials for NB and listen to presentations by the Canadian High Commission

hellcats

Went to both the glasgow one last week which was poor but spoke to some people and travelled the 500 miles round trip to the manchester one today which was beyond poor, only 3 immigration consultant and the movers. Stayed about 1/2 hour. That was all there was for Canada. If I had wanted to go to Australia or New Zealand then I could have walked out of there with a job. Very disappointed.

DandL

Hi..yes we went today and very disappointed as there was only 3 stands for Canada and the rest for New Zealand/Aus...why don't they have seperate events for the countries and delicate it one to Canada. There is another Expo on next weekend in Leeds for NZ'/Aus...is someone trying to tell us something.

We did learn somethings but not worth the money or the travelling time.

Sort it out Expo!

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
I would think the answer to your question is easy. Individually each country would not have enough participants for a venue of their own. It is shocking that EXPO organisers hype it up to be something great when it clearly is not. It is about time they stopped taking money under false pretences and actually try to provide what people want.
Sadly the Expo's are fast losing any credibility.
Stef

SunshineSeeker

I wouldn't say that each country wouldn't have enough for a venue of their own - I went to an Australia & New Zealand (okay, I know that's technically two countries) event in Jan and there were more than enough stands for the venue, and enough people to visit. I think the problem is that Australia and New Zealand seem to be the 'main' focus of the Expo, and the Canada, Singapore and Health just sem to be tagged on as an afterthought. If they marketed it as a multi-country expo they'd have a lot less disappointed customers (but then they'd also have less customers!)

nwtrucker

Waste of time!