Andy18913

Looking for some tips and advice please. But firstly a bit of info for anyone else in case it helps.

I want to get to Ottawa on a TWP ASAP. I went down the road of looking for various jobs and sending resume’s and emails. After applying for 15 jobs this way and not having a single reply. To say I was depressed in an under statement.

Two weeks ago rather than feeling sorry for myself I remembered the info on the Wiki pages to do with job hunting and how Canadians like the verbal communication rather than the email option.

I picked two companies in Ottawa in the same industry as I am in here in the UK and telephoned them. I ended up making 5-6 phone calls to get the through to the right person. But so worth while. spoke to some very helpful people.

One call in particular was and still seems too good to be true. The company is expanding between now and next spring and is looking for people with experience to fill the new roles. I have worked in my current industry (Construction supplies) for 22 years and fitted the description they are looking for. I now fly out in July for an Interview that week.

So don’t give up if you put in the work you can make things happen. A little luck can go a long way also but you can help make your own luck. I have a very long way to go but this is a step forward for now at least.


This is where I am now looking for any tips or advice please.

I am flying into Ottawa on the Monday for the Interview the Tuesday. I have planned the interview the Tuesday because I want to also cold call or drop into other companies the remainder of the week. I don’t want to waste time when over there and the trip be just about the interview just in case that goes no where. I then fly back the following Monday so I will have the weekend to see a few sights while there.

Any help or advice on the interview or the trip is greatly appreciated please. Also any tips on the TWP/LMO I will have to speak to the company I’m going to the interview with please.

Thanks

Andy

furries

Good luck with the interview next week!

I flew out last week for one ... now in the process of fingers crossed awaiting to hear

It sounds like you have been quite lucky - I am not sure how competitive the market is that you are in, but to have applied for 15 posts and one interview from the UK, without being an 'easy' candidate sounds pretty good strike rate to me!

If you are seeking a TWP, you will need to have a job offer, and the company will need to complete an LMO, which, from other threads on the forum can take several months at best ... more at worst, and there is no guarantee. It is likely that the TWP will be restricted to the job that the LMO/TWP applies to and of course, will be temporary - I understand the max is 3 years.

You don't offer too much info in your post as to why you want to go out, why ottawa and so on ... so its hard to suggest what you should be doing to make the most of your time, but seeking other employers and having a realistic look to see if you could live there - rather than simply be a tourist - were the things we did over several reccie trips to the TO area (our destination later this year). There are several threads on here about interviews - its worth trawling through the forum to find them as there is some good info!

Best of luck.

JB0591

Take copies of the your resume with you to the interview. If you have copies of any qualification then have those with you. If you have company references then take those.
Also do u think the company understands the offer--LMO--TWP route? If not I would suggest making up a simple handout/flowchart that shows the route.....this might help them understand the process.

Are you going to have access to a car or do you need some advice about best ways to get round? For example you can get from the airport to downtown hotels for $3.25 on the bus

Do you have a list of companies you are looking at or do you need some help identifying some?

I am based in Ottawa, it is great city.....weather has been nice lately. We did miss all of the storm that hit the other day, missed the west of the city.

JonboyE

Very good advice.

For the interview itself you can expect questions like, "describe a situation where you had a difficult customer to deal with and what you did to resolve this." Or maybe, "describe a situation where you had to change a process or system and what you did to ensure this happened." There are many variations of this type of questions and you should prepare to answer at least four or five of them. Your answer should briefly include an analysis of the situation, options available, how you chose the best option, and how you followed up to make sure everything was OK.

Don't be backward in emphasizing your proactive role in resolving these issues. If you were in a leadership role it is good to say that you discussed the issues with your team and took the best of their ideas on board. However, you made the decisions. If you were not in a leadership role describe how you influenced your team to make the right decisions.

No one likes a braggart but false modesty will get you nowhere. Quiet, approachable confidence is probably the best attitude to project.

Also be aware that hiring foreigners is a new and risky venture for many companies. Will they fit into Canadian work culture? Will they get homesick after a few months and return to the UK? I don't suggest you wear a Team Canada hockey shirt to the interview but keep this in the back of your mind. As the opportunity arises mention what you like about Canada and Canadians, positive reasons for moving here (not because Britain is "going to the dogs"), your plans to settle permanently in Canada and so on.

Do a lot of research on the company. Have some positive reasons why you want to work for them - not just because you need a job. Make sure you can ask a couple of intelligent questions about the company and their future plans that demonstrates you have learned enough about them to validate your reasons for wanting to work there.

Finally, never ever badmouth any of your previous employers.

JB0591

Answer questions thinking STAR....Situation Task Action Result

If you PM me your email address I could send you a pile of interview questions that I was given by a rep at one of the Ottawa Employment Service centres. They list a question then leave half page blank so you can prep your answer underneath. I used them in some telephone interviews.

A good question (i think) is "what is your companies/department/teams biggest challenge?"......let them answer and if you have experience or a background that matches the challenge they face then you can explain how you could help them succeed in it.

Andy18913

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll try answer some of the things i missed.

Its not next week i fly out. Its 11th July.

The reason i am wanting to head out and why Ottawa:

Wanted to move there for many years but never had the chance. Changes in my personal and professional life now give me the chance to try make it happen.

Why Ottawa? The woman i am heading over to try and develop our relationship with lives there. I know, women the root of all evil eh? . only joking of course.

Does the company understand the LMO? Honestly im not sure but i want to be ready for anything they may ask. So im taking it they dont.

Yes i am hiring a car for the week. Driving on the right side of the road is going to be fun

JB0591. Thanks for the question examples. i have pm'd my email address.

Thanks everyone for the help. I am both extremely excited and nervous at the same time.

JB0591

The main thing I would say that is different in driving is being able to turn right on red lights {provided there is not a sign prohibiting it}. I raise this as the main difference as people can be impatient and start to beep you for not turning. You must come to a stop before making the turn.

The other thing is stop signs, you must stop then give way based on who was there first. If you get to a stop sign and there is no other traffic u still must still stop.

You will like the petrol prices, around $1.25 at moment.