Originally Posted by dbd33

Give your head a shake. If you, an immigrant, are not cheaper then the other guy, another immigrant, why would the employer take you on ? If you're not very much cheaper than someone of the same background as the employer, why would he take you on ?

Early in my time here other immigrants on my team came to me and said "slow down you're threatening our jobs". "**** you" I responded "I'm getting $18/hour". My proudest moment in Canada was when the boss laid the pair of them off and allowed me to work Saturdays. A steady 60 hours a week at $18 was good money in 1981.

Now I "employ" people, immigrants, I sit around and post and they do the work. Rates are higher but the idea's the same, the job has to be done as cheaply as possible and, if someone who can speak English proper will work more cheaply than a current employee I'll give him or her a go. The new person has to much cheaper though, as there's some advantage to keeping the existing employee rather than having constant churn.

Originally Posted by Gezza

You are absolutely right with your observations of Canadian Employers. I myself witnessed the attitude: Do not take Brits because they know the job too well and will show us up. An very experienced English Teacher from U.K. in Vancouver was told she applied for that she: has not got the right qulifications, has to start from the bottom,. Ended up working as PE teacher.
While their English teachers did not even speak English as 1st language!
Generally they avoid Brits because they give priority to 3rd world candidates maybe building Left wing majority - someone said. The best way to get on is to say "great" to every crass jobtask they give you and avoid saying that anything could be done better another way. I made this mistake and although did well in the job untill I left ended up working with other foreigners or in complete isolation becuase Canadians would not want to work with me on joint projects. Just say you guys are clever and solution you use make a lot of sense..! including the roof guttering (which I thought was rubbish!)
Another interesting fad is that they like to make a fairly simple work complicated in order to inflate the importance of their role. The idea that for the willing things are - and should be - made easy is not that popular.
Also it helps if you say that you hate England and English culture.
I had difficulty with that one. That's why I am back. Also avoid reminiscing about life in England with other Brits in public or bring English papers to the office. All such elemnts will drive every Canadian away. If you think about it is not unreasonable. Every country has its pride. I am sure being say Greek and working in U.K. is the same, or worse.! .. Oh their beer was awful.Like that "Okanagan" lager! Dear me! ....not quite!

Originally Posted by Gezza

Do not take Brits because they know the job too well and will show us up.

Originally Posted by dbd33

Perhaps "knowing the job too well" while being straight off the boat could be a problem.

Originally Posted by Lenmil

What kind of business are you in if you don't mind me asking.

Originally Posted by dbd33

Computers. I also have some knowledge of construction as my brother is a bricklayer here (he was illegal for the first five or six years but is now a PR).

Originally Posted by Tangram

If you ever need a QA Manager let me know

Originally Posted by dbd33

Computers. I also have some knowledge of construction as my brother is a bricklayer here (he was illegal for the first five or six years but is now a PR).

Originally Posted by dbd33

For bricklaying or computing ?

Originally Posted by Tangram

As you are the one in IT, it's software I was referring to db

Originally Posted by dbd33

Bricklaying's the better business; it can't be outsourced and there's more of an ethic of respect for workmanship. Are you still in the running for that job in London, ON ?

Originally Posted by Tangram

No, i did update the thread. They went with the guy from Quebec in the end so it was very disappointing to get so close and yet so far !

Originally Posted by dbd33

Oh, that's a shame. Still, there can't be many employers in London, if you could get into a firm in the GTA you'd have more options if it later went wrong. Can you look at contracts or do you need an actual job for the immigration people ?

Originally Posted by Gezza

Do not take Brits because they know the job too well and will show us up.

Originally Posted by Tangram

HRSDC job ! Hey, you can't blame a guy for 'networking' ...