Re: IT Skilled workers
 

If the benefits are a good package then thats not too bad i assume thats full medical dental etc, still quiet a bit less than in London for the experience you are talking about dep on tax rate there of course ? its the lack of holidays, in some of the places OH has worked they have had flexi time and the option to work from home if need be,
surely this would be an incentive to UK potential employees to get them there ?

Airseir you have made some very good points about quality of life and after all thats why most of us are making the move it is for us anyway.
You paint a very nice picture skiing and the beach etc sounds lovely :)

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Yes that is full non contributory benefits, and we start off on 15 days vacation.

We also have a system called ETO (extended time off) where you can stay 1hr late or come in early each day, and bank the time to take later.

Some people work 8am - 5pm (should be 4pm) and have 3 days extra off per month. It all comes in handy, so far I've banked 60 hrs (8 days) to take when my parents arrive so when you add the 8 days on top of the 15 it's no real change from my holiday allowance back in the UK.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

That sounds like a good idea and sim to flexi time, even one hour build up is a good incentive, after all you want to see some of the country when you move there,

8 days extra is good thats 12 weeks 1 hour extra a day, yes thats not bad. is there anyone going from Kamloops to the jobs in Canada show at Olympia on 28th june, i am pretty sure you would get some IT interest from there ( we will be there for a start ;) ) thats probably aimed more for Airseir.

We were there a couple of years ago and were actually put off by the immigration experts they said there were no IT jobs it would take us years to get in,

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Skilled Business analysts are in demand all over esp those with object oriented UML, RUP, Use Case experience. As long as you can speak English (I could tell you a few horror stories), can capture functional and non-functional requirements you should be okay for most BA positions.

An ability to translate your modest British CV into an 'I can do anything' sales centric NA Resume also helps. I would say that was the biggest culture shock when I was job hunting.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hi everyone,

This thread caught my eye, so just thought I may tack a wee question onto it as well ;)

How is the job situation over there for support type peoples? I have 8 years 1st / 2nd line support experience, as well as experience in my current role as a hardware technician - all of these roles in a large UK university.

I read the wiki bits on contacting employers directly to find out information, but does anyone have any tips on how to go about that ? Totaly different than our UK way of doing things, and a bit daunting to be honest !

Al

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Find a company and send a resume - dont worry if they have any adverts out there. We keep adverts going to collect resumes - we keep a hot list so if any-one leaves we can call around the hotlist. We often interview candidates - explaining our hotlist approach and oiften keep in touch in between time.

May not be the same with all companies - but I understand that applying without seeing adverts is the usual way - certainly here in Kamloops.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Thanks matey, am now reading through the various guides to convert my "very english cv" into a "resume" :D. Thankfully the world of IT uses mainly the same terms everywhere :).

Al

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Another question ...


Under the page from Alberta's website - Alberta's official immigration website is the part about skilled worker PNP applications :

Now would that mean, as a university educated and trained IT support type person, I could apply under Alberta's PNP program ?

Al ( getting more confused everytime I look further into it ! )

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Currently people like me have to remember beggers cant be choosers.

If I could find some-one with 10 years experience in the field and no formal qualifications references will be just fine. I can get people with qualifications no experience - I cant find people with experience - forget qualifications.

The scatter gun approach works just fine here. Some people moan but are too choosy and will reject you. Smaller cities are having more problems attracting than larger cities so SHOULD be less choosy.

I had a meeting with the Interior Science Council yesterday with several other delegates - I was amazed to hear that some thought it was an urban myth that there were skilled workers driving taxi's and flipping burgers because of a lack of qualifications or qualification mapping.

There is a lot to do for people like me to make officials over here realize that there are issues with the system, but also for immigrants to learn how it is done over here and where there is a higher chance of success.

If you want to attach a copy of your resume - I would love to provide some advise - or pass it around the IT community here for comments.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Thanks very much Airseir :thumbsup:

Been busy with work life at the mo, so sorry about the delayed reply. I will try and send a copy along when I get home tonight :)

Al

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Yeah, this has been an interesting conversation to read. Emmigrating feels like a long slow slog at the moment. I'm trying to selectively target my resumes at the moment. There's one company fairly interested but I want to line up 3-4 interviews before I shell out the cash to fly over. I just wish things moved a little quicker!

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hey all,

Just found this one and I am glad to say there is a lot of support from this thread.

My partner and I are looking to emigrate and I am wondering about the IT Support market. I am a Microsoft Support Specialist (Senior Support Analyst), from a 2nd and 3rd level support background (inc. Small and large projects) and have been working for over 10 years in the industry. But I also have experience with Web Development (Self Taught) in both LAMP (PHP/mySQL) and Adobe Coldfusion.

From the majority of the thread I see that there is more demand on experience than the actual qualifications, which is good.


I have sent you a PM with links to my UK CV, are you able to let me know how my skills would fit in, in Canada and what types of jobs I would need to apply for.

Neither of us is settled on an area as of yet and the final choice will be down to where I/we get work.

Thanks :thumbsup:

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hi RanSiD
as well as here for support look on the WIKI pages and see if you fall under any of the programs on there, there is also a section on IT skills and some are lucky enough to be LMO exempt there is a list on there, good luck with it all

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I have actually given up looking for work in IT now. I applied to so many different companies, but the thing is, although I have been in IT Support for ten years it's not actually something I want to do.

My wife and I have submitted our PR application already, and I am going to use the time between now and the time our application is updated to go back to college and study furniture making, with a view to being self-employed in the future.

I have been stuck in front of a computer screen too long, and I don't want my time in Canada 'tainted' by the fact I am doing the same old grind, just in a different country.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I know the feeling ... but sometimes its better the devil you know .......

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I'm in IT too, but as with any career, when considering a move, for me at least, it is important that I have a job secured up front before we get off that plane. This is what is giving me the jitters at the moment. Can it be achieved?

As for your situation in IT and you perhaps having to continue with it even if it is something you no longer wish to do...I have to agree with xxalxx, you're better off finding work that you are familiar with from the start to get you quickly up and running. Then, once you're settled in, you can look at other career aspirations...unless of course you don't need the income at the start and can afford to bide your time.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I think you can secure an IT job before you go, may be lower down the ladder and pay not so good, but if it gets you there and you can afford to live wait until you have PR then you can do and go wherever you want,

I take my hat of to rain426 if you can wait that long then go for it, You work for such a big part of your life it would be nice to do something you enjoy,

i am very impatient and couldn't imagine waiting 5 years plus so sorry hubby get behind that comp desk and work ;) good luck what ever you choose.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I agree that finding familiar work is obviously the ideal choice when first moving over. However I am fortunate that we will not have to panic to look for work when first moving over.

IT is a career I took for the money. I am quite a creative imaginative person, so it was basically a terrible decision to go into IT, and a decision I regret every day.

When I left school I was straight into an apprencticeship for a company called International Automotive Design. (They are the company that designed the Volvo 440 and old-shape Mazda MX-5, among others), where I was a modelmaker. This involved making scale and full-size mock-ups of complete cars (including interior and all panels) from a resin-based board.

So if I do go into furniture making, which is the plan at the moment, at least I do have some background in producing things. :)

Basically I don't really want a career. I am not driven that way. As long as I have enough money to keep a roof over my head and food in my mouth, I will be happy. :D

I work to live, not live to work.

(sorry for the slight thread hijack)

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Got any links to share on those jobs?

Thanks

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Forgive my ignorance in the computer talk here! My Husband is a Senior Computer Engineer otherwise known as Field Service Engineer (mainly hardware) with over 20 years experience. Is his line of work in demand or is everyone after the software side of pc's out there just like every other country we're looking into?!

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Great thread, I may fire off one or two CVs to you guys, just out of interest!

Cheers, Iain

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

I worked in IT for a long period in the UK, and got jaded by it - mergers followed by redundancies over and over. Made a good living, but could never say it was completely satisfying.

Canada gave my wife and I the opportunity to start with a clean sheet of paper. We started a business in a completely unrelated field, and have learnt and enormous amount by the experience.

If you choose to take the self employed route, I wish you the best of luck - hard work and determination goes a long way.

Ironically I'm discussing a role with an employer next week that could take me back into IT again, but it'll be on my terms and not out of necessity which is a nice position to be in.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

hope it all works out for you :)

I would love at some point to leave the IT industry, and go into something more "outdoor" and get my hands dirty. But, its what I have experience in and *could* be the gateway to a better quality of life, somewhere where I actually want to be.

In the time I have loitered on these and other forums, and the time I have wasted by not applying earlier - when I originaly made my mind up that I wanted to try somewhere else, and start a new adventure! - i now find myself regretting all the decisions that delayed me from looking further into the immigration process, I could have applied for PR 2 years ago, but not noing the process involved I missed the oppurtunity. BAH !!

And yes, I still have not sent you a copy of my resume Airseir, I am having trouble trying to convert my very english CV into something that looks similar to the things you see on the resume sample's sites. Even have one of my work mentors trying to help me (she would be crucified if work found out) but when we come up with a finished product, it seems to lack all the substance that I would expect to find in it !

Ahhh well, thats what the weekend is for, sorting out all the things you should have done midweek :)

Al (time for a G&T methinks - /thought - can you buy decent Gin in Canada !)

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

As a jaded IT'er myself I can heartily recommend this course of action! I am now mid-way through retraining in a barely related field here in Vancouver and loving every minute of it, plus it's providing a wonderful means of networking and making contacts in the industry.

Emigration is a terrific opportunity, whilst you're already making so many other changes, to work out what you really want to do in life and have a crack at making it happen.

By the end, I absolutely hated the greasy ladder I was climbing in my last profession in the UK, and had no intention of sliding down several rungs in exchange for a better view out of the office window.

Yes, I suppose I COULD have tried drastically changing things in the UK but then sheer inertia works against you in familiar surroundings; moving here has provided the required kick up the backside.

Good luck to you!

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

It'll only happen if you make it happen.

I'd never been self-employed, yet within a week of arrival here I owned a business.

I can barely ride a horse with any degree of competence, but took on the challenge of developing an equestrian facility

I've shovelled shit for 5hrs a day, worked 7 days a week, had literally 100's of dump truck loads of garbage, old fencing, rocks etc hauled away, dealt with some awful members of the public, set fire to my hillside, made some money, spent lots of money, built a house and created something to be proud of.

I can honestly say it's been quite life changing. At times incredibly stressful and tiring, but I've learnt more about myself and how to cope with a little adversity and difficult challenges that I ever could have hope for sat behind a desk delivering web solutions.

Get in the right mindset, and I really believe that lack of experience is easily overcome.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

now as strange as it may seem, that sounds like fun to me! a world with fresh air and exercise !

Al

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

The property's up for sale if you're really interested ;)

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ght=selling+up

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

http://www.icompasstech.com/siteengi....asp?PageID=83

these are the ones we have open - but there are many more in Town with 14 or more IT related companies (Including the City IT Department)

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hard ware and software. Full time hardware people are often in the slightly bigger places - but I know BC Lotteries employ hardware people and so does the City. The local Library shares hard ware people with the Thompsan Nicola Regional district and are both based in the city.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Also worth considering is the local school district for wherever you're interested in living. My husband is employed as a technical analyst looking after all the PCs and Macs at 5 schools. They (the technical analysts) are not allowed to do any hardware repairs/mods, despite being more than capable, as that is someone else's job. I'll ask him what the appropriate job title would be, when he gets in...

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hello Peeps

Kamloops is a great place to live and work
Company I am working for here in Kamloops are looking for:

Multimedia Web Designer
Website Production Programmer
Bi-Lingual Fr / Eng Customer Service
Server Systems Administrator
SEM Specialist

Please feel free to PM me for details - great company / stress free environment:D

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

couldn't open it on my mac :blink:

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Coffeepot, if you have iWork then Keynote will open any Powerpoint file, including that one.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Thanks had already figured it, OH is the IT one not me :rofl:
which is the send button :blink:

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Anyone in IT had a Work permit without LMO i have been looking on CIC website and oh falls under LMO exempt just wondering how you go about it all.

Wiki recommends that you learn all there is about the process of obtaining LMO WPs etc but can't find much info on it.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Hi!

Sorry to randomly jump into the thread, but I was wondering if anyone could advise of what my job would translate to in Canadian terms. ;)

Here in the UK I'm a Data Analyst (3 years experience). Basically I work almost exclusively on MS SQL Server, coding in SQL to make data amendments, load in new data sets, generate reports as requested, etc. I occasionally use Excel.

I also have some experience as an IT Technician (building PCs/Servers, supporting software and such for around 50 users) and for Web Design (primarily using ASP to link to SQL / MS Access).

Thanks in advance!

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Not sure what you mean by what it would translate into? Jobs over here tend to be similar in Canada - although the title may be slightly different.

I notice you have Ottawa in mind - it's been discussed on here before that new immigrants looking for IT in Ottawa generally have a couple of problems - 1) French is quite often wanted/expected 2) A lot of the jobs are government based and need security clearance which you can't obtain straight away. Worth bearing in mind.... I don't have first hand experience of this, just what has been said before on here.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Thanks G77 OH does speak French anyway but take on board what you are saying, We have found well over 100 IT companies in the Ottawa area that are non government, i have found some info on LMO exempt but just wanted to see if anyone has gone down that route,

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

By what it translates to I meant what the title change was likely to be, so I could search better on the online sites and get my resume making more sense. :)

For the jobs I've been looking at, some require French but not all. I speak basic tourist French, and I'll hopefully be doing night classes while my application processes in order to try and improve on it. Though it's not essential for my application as I've put down I don't speak French at all and still had enough points.

How does the security clearance system work over there, can anyone advise? Do you need to be a Canadian citizen in order to be security cleared? I'm no stranger to working with sensitive data and have been cleared here in the UK.

Re: IT Skilled workers
 

Don't have to be a citizen I believe, but have to have been resident in Canada for a period of time (12 months springs to mind)....

When I've searched on workopolis, monster etc, there seems to be more IT work available in Toronto, which is odd, as you say, Ottawa is supposed to be the high tech capital and there's many many IT companies there - maybe a lot of the jobs are hidden jobs. If I manage to get a transfer with the company I work for, I will probably head to Ottawa (our Canadian HQ is there), if not then probably the GTA/TO instead....