spankysalad

Preamble - I'm currently on the search for careers in the environmental sector, primarily contaminated land remediation. I'm pretty flexible in terms of location (I will go literally anywhere!) and have a solid experience base (graduate with over 6 years in a project management position). Full disclosure i'm still in the UK, hoping to secure employment before my move (haven't quite mustered the guts yet to go un-employed in a new country!).

I've never had any difficulties in securing a job in the UK, where I have basically sent a CV to a single recruiter, and they have gone around pretty much every available employer on my behalf until a suitable role is available. I.e they have done all the leg work for me, and the whole process has been finished within a month.

From my experience so far with job hunting in Canada, this doesn't seem to be the case! I can't seem to find any dedicated recruitment consultants either on job boards (indeed) or linkedin, it all seems to be done in-house by the employers themselves, and therefore i've resorted to the age-old method of mass distribution of CVs to every applicable job posting with little luck! Is this indeed how it's done there?

My morale is faltering, and any advise/insight greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Marcus

scilly

Does indeed seem to be more individual company OR setting up as a consultant yourself and then hawking your skills when you see contracts offered.

It is VERY hard to get a job from outside Canada, especially if you do not already have your PR status.

Employers are have to hire Canadian first if there is a qualified applicant, otherwise they have to go through a 6 month process costing $1000 to advertise across Caanda and proved there is no qualified Canadian.

Have you ensured that your cv/resume is written in Canadian style (not the English style)?

spankysalad

So I have a IEC 2 year permit (looking to pursue PR once settled), entry valid until February 2019 - I assumed this put me reasonably on par with Canadians in terms of the hiring process for employers i.e. they don't have to demonstrate that they couldn't hire a Canadian native first (although obviously not quite up to par with someone with PR).

I've had a look at some sample cv's/resume's in the Canadian style and have tried to emulate, although again a dedicated recruitment consultant would help with this as well.

Dorothy

IEC is not the same as PR or citizenship. Why would a company hire someone who is on a 2 year working holiday over someone who can commit to full time permanent? Especially if you are still in another country.

My partner is a permanent resident but is still finding it difficult to get past the send a resume and grt in touch when you've moved stage.

spankysalad

I know it's not the same, my point is there are no legal issues for an employer to choose me over a Canadian citizen. IEC is obviously not ideal but it's the only option I have available to me right now so i'm giving it a shot. I'm not on a '2 year working holiday', i'm aiming to get the 1 years skilled experience in Canada required to bump me up to the points so i'm eligible to apply for PR, with a year left on the permit as a buffer period.

My point in making this thread was to see if there were any other resources available for job hunting such as dedicated recruitment consultants, or if it simply is a case of sending cv's and crossing fingers.

Vulcanoid

They don't have to look for a Canadian first, but they can still choose to, and may be wary of someone with a potential permit (ie you don't have a long-term status, and you don't even have an active work permit yet, you just have the possibility of being issued one on arrival).

I have no idea what people mean when they say to reformat a resume, the university careers adviser here looked at mine and said it was absolutely fine when I asked how I should change it.

Tumbling_Dice

I can only speak from my experience with Nova Scotia. I did not want to move here unemployed either but I have PR. I sent my wife over first and made several trips over to look for work.

I too came up against this seeming lack of recruitment agencies - indeed, getting in front of a human seemed to be nigh on impossible, even with the few agencies I found. They just wanted my CV (get it Canada formatted).

Eventually, I did get a break with a "talent acquisition manager" and, at the same time, twigged that networking and showing up in person was the way to go. I went to some job fairs and made contacts. And that is the key. The longer I have lived here the more it is clear that you need contacts.

Dunno if that helps but hopefully it is a direct answer to your question.

dbd33

I don't know that they reclaim polluted ground in Canada, it's a big country so they may just leave it and move on; that's certainly the case with disused gravel pits. If there is such a trade then it'll have a conference with delegates from the big firms in the business. I'd try and hit the conference, meet people, sell yourself.

scilly

There are regulations for reclamation of land in BC ....... hence why I know it is often people qualified to work in the area who set themselves as a company and work (dam' hard) to get contracts.

Roads built for cutting timber have to be declassified and reclaimed after the work is finished.

Mines have to reclaim land disturbed for mining, including open-pit mining, and reclaim mine tips, tailings ponds, etc etc

These are all SUPPOSED to be carried out by the companies involved.


A few companies have their own reclamation experts on staff, others do not and do as little as they can get away with ........... hence why we had the Mount Polley disaster 4 years ago.

It is most certainly true that personal contact is necessary and getting your name known are both required to get your foot in the door.

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE!

I would strongly suggest having a read of the wiki regarding looking for jobs in Canada - particularly the parts about 'Canadianising' your Resume and regarding applying from overseas (pretty much a lost cause most of the time). https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Categ...Hunting-Canada

Job hunting is completely different here and be prepared to not hear back from companies for weeks/months/never.. the biggest tip would be to try to connect to people in the industry you wish to work in.. network network network is the name of the game in Canada.

You might find this website of interest... Job Board | ECO Canada

Have you checked to see if your qualifications will be recognised in Canada and additionally, whether you will need Provincial Licensing / Certification?

Recruiters/headhunters generally work for 'Employment Agencies' - of which there are plenty!

Best of luck and do feel free to ask any questions or for any advice.. anytime! We're all happy to be of help..

Regarding points for PR - how many do you have presently?




Although this is a Google search, it may have some links that could be of use to you... hint, click to view!

Engineer_abroad

Engineer_abroad