brutusblack

Hello all,

I have lived and worked in London, UK as a software engineer for 8 years. My work experience and studies are summarized below:

- 8 years experience working as software engineer in London, UK
- Masters degree from Univ of Oxford in software engineering
- 3 Sun/java certifications and 2 other certifications
- Published 3 technical articles on the web in popular websites
- Authored 2 chapters in a book
- worked in telecoms, health, insurance, software house domains
- Worked as Lead developer for 2 years
- Worked as a contractor for 2 years

I am immigrating to Canada soon and will look for IT/software related work.

In London, UK, I have always found work easily even when getting new contracts and even during recession (2008-2009).

Does anyone have experience/knowledge of how easy/hard is it to get work related to software engineering in Toronto with my experience and qualifications.

I have heard that employers in Canada look for 'Canadian references and experience' and wont consider any foreign experience.

Any useful suggestions/information would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance

bb

brutusblack

I understand that getting good jobs is also down to the individuals capability.

I am just trying to do what i can to improve my chances of getting a good job. Of course, a good CV, knowledge and presentation is a first step. Any suggestions/comments on what I can do to improve my chances will be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance

agr

You might have to get used to the idea of not calling yourself an engineer any more, if you want to avoid being prosecuted by the provincial engineering associations. Worth checking out their stance - in Alberta at least, APEGGA has pursued IT types through the courts (albeit unsuccessfully).

Ben W Bell

Networking. Networking and Networking. Get a profile on LinkedIn and build a network. In Canada more jobs are about who you know rather than what you know, and many jobs are never mainstream advertised.

Alan2005

Only the biggest jobsworth twats in the world object to this software engineers being called that... hmm, now I remember where I live.

zednought

Not really. There is a wealth of difference between someone who knows how to use the latest wizard-driven IDE and someone who can respectfully call themselves an "engineer". Many people who design and develop software are worthy of the title. Most are not. They are, at best, programmers; which is a very different discipline.

If you believe you make the grade step forward and be assessed by one of the professional engineering bodies.

brutusblack

In reply to zednought:

I already have 3 certifications from Sun/Oracle which I earned within last 2 years. I also have Prince2 project management certification and Redhat Linux certification. These are the most respected and internationally recognised certifications in the field where I work.

Do you know of any "professional engineering bodies" in Canada which certify/assess software engineers? I thought there were no such bodies anywhere in the world for software engineers and the current thinking is that for software engineers, it is not practical/desirable either.

Any suggestions/feedback is most appreciated.

agr

Any of the Canadian provincial engineering bodies would be happy to assess your engineering experience and engineering qualifications (for a fee of course). The practice of engineering is generally defined in provincial law, and qualifications are assessed according to a mix of internationally agreed engineering content and provincial associations' own requirements. The associations will either issue a licence to practice, or instruct you not to call yourself an engineer.

By the way, I'm not trying to be critical here. I'm just highlighting that in a country where the title engineer is protected by law, the first thing you would want to do with a CV is decide whether to call yourself an engineer or not.

dbd33

It's rather overblown, isn't it? Something like "sanitary engineer" for "janitor".

I think the OP is, what they call here, a "programmer".

zednought

I'd agree with agr's response. Any one of the provincial engineering licensing bodies would assess your right to utilize the title of engineer.

Certifications from Sun/Oracle, Red Hat, et al. are technical qualifications. These will certainly help in your search for a job in Canada. PRINCE2 doesn't carry the same gravitas as PMP and I doubt many employers have even heard of it in Canada.

But we're getting off topic: in answer to your original question. My assessment is that whilst there are plenty of opportunities in software development and IT in Canada there is also a ready supply of candidates. You'll need to distinguish yourself from these somehow. Perseverance and a little bit of luck will be needed to get you on the ladder.

brutusblack

Thanks all for your replies so far.

I will apply for 'P. Eng' certification from Professional engineers Ontario. I think it is the body that allows you to use the word 'Software engineer' and 'P. Eng'.

This process takes 2 months and there is some paperwork and some exams involved.

Just one more question. Can I apply for jobs as a 'programmer/developer'. I am looking at various job sites such as 'workopolis' and searching for 'programmer/developer' jobs.

I assume no certification would be required for these lower level jobs. I hope they will consider me.

Looking forward to any advice.

Thanks

dbd33

"Programmer/developer" is the job you're describing as "software engineer", it's not a case of lower level jobs but of inflated titles.

Alan2005

I don't think so particularly. It's the standard term in use for developers where ever I've worked and has been for years. Maybe it's different in Canada where you need lots of bits of paper before you are allowed to say you are something.

The arrogance of software developers never ceases to amaze me.

Behold, the power of glorified certification.

dbd33

I can't say I've ever heard the term but, I confess, I'm not terribly attentive to titles. I think using it in Canada on a resume or similar would make one look a bit silly and, more importantly, foreign.

mandymoochops

mmm one of my exes did that, f**k he was boring.