Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Hi all, :)

We are nearing the end of our PR process :rofl: Phew!

My husband, myself and our 8-month old son are looking to take a trip over to Canada soon. Whilst this is to check out the area, we also want to explore areas with an IT business presence.

So, far, I have heard that Ottawa, Mississauga , and Waterloo are very good for IT jobs. My husband is, 28, a sr Software Engineer with a degree in Computer Science and 8 years international experience.

We will be looking at individual companies, of course.

If anyone can provide any info on areas, that would be great.

Cheers

Kelly

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

just check out the usual job sites and make some calls to HR before you come over to arrange interviews....

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Ottawa jobs are likely to require security clearance, which can be problematic for non-citizens.

I got a programming job in Saskatoon in two weeks, but I don't know what the market is like here at the moment; it was pretty busy last summer.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. :)

Its always handy to know of other peoples experiences.

Kind regards

Kelly

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Hi,
Have you thought about Fredericton NB? I know there are quite a few IT companies here and a few are hiring at the min, CGI are one. I am a .Net developer working here and I love it, it's not a big city though (which I like) but I think its a great family orientated place :D A good place to look for jobs is career beacon - mainly concentrates on the maritimes.

Sinead

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I don't know CGI in the maritimes but have contracts with them in Markham from time to time. They don't seem to me to be a kind and generous employer.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Who is these days?

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

They are worse than me.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

:eek: Does that mean they require you to answer the phone even when on the john?

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

We do that. They give you a bucket at the desk.

Back with the earlier question, the ridiculously named "Bearing Point" seems an OK employer.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Even an unkind and ungenerous employer is better than none in these challenging times.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Yes, but I wouldn't leave a good job in the UK for a sweatshop in Canada.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

If you are interested in Western Canada, surprisingly one of the biggest employment sectors here on Vancouver Island is tech. There are not heaps and heaps of jobs like you'd get in Waterloo, but there is very little competition for the jobs if you are reasonably qualified and experienced. It is also a nice 'tech community' to be part of, and the benefits (I easily negotiated 4 weeks hols) and working environment (no sweatshops lol) are pretty decent as they have to be competitive with the other employers here.

The lifestyle on the island is great if you like sports, the outdoors or have kids. I have never worked with such a fit, healthy bunch of geeks as this when I was in the UK :D You could earn more in Vancouver or Toronto, but the standard of daily life is just so nice here. I traded my 1.5-2 hr drive each way UK commute for a 40 minute walk/10 minute bio-diesel bus ride!

Look here for VI specific job postings and company listings (some companies just post the opportunities on their own sites not on the main job board so don't stop there if you're interested.
http://www.viatec.ca/Jobs.aspx

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Hi Skibunny

Thank you very much for that fantastic post!

Of course, its me, that is probably worrying too much over my husband getting work. His specality is software development (telecoms) and has worked for international companies. So, here's hoping, once the PR arrives, that getting a job will not be too difficult.

I will certainly make a note of your recommendations - thanks!

Kelly

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

:rofl:

Sweatshop in New Brunswick, methinks you are smoking something....

I remember long hours, long commutes and macho work environments in UK, not so here in NB. :D

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

So, do you think CGI's employment practises vary significantly by location or is it that what I consider to be a sweatshop you think is a relaxed place of employment?

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Telus usually have quite a few IT jobs going in Vancouver if he wants to stay in telecoms. I was offered a decent contract with them last year but wanted to stay in Victoria. Also keep an eye on RIM (blackberry guys) careers board - they have positions in Vancouver, Calgary, Waterloo, Halifax etc, so could fit in around where you prefer to live.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

what are the house prices like in Vancouver Island/Victoria?

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

In Victoria inner/outer suburbs, they are pretty expensive on a par with "nice" areas of UK $400-600k ish for a detached family home (although often they have a basement suite that people rent out to pay off the mortgage) with generally a bigger garden (and more bathrooms, lol) than an average UK house.

However we have noticed prices are starting to drop now. If you are willing to live further from the city (Sooke, Cowichan, Sidney etc) you can pay quite a bit less and get a lot more for your money.

If you google there are lots of local realtor sites with properties and prices.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Perhaps I doubt that there would be a sweatshop environment in New Brunswick.

If I leave the office at 6pm, I will probably be the last one driving out of the car park.

Right now I am sitting here at 5:25 (starting to pack up) and I think there are two or three others working out of 60 seats on this floor. I can only see 2cars in the carpark on my side of the building....

NB'ers are known for their work life balance. I am not saying that eager beavers will not work long hours to get ahead, because that is patently not true, but the culture here in NB has a way of limiting that behaviour.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

The IT market in Vancouver is pretty quiet and I hear the recruitment agencies are swamped with applicants but fewer jobs (if any).

Craigslist is usually a good place to look besides the big firms sites etc.

I would suggest contacting all the companies you might want to work for to see if they are interested and let them know you are visiting real soon so could come in for an interview - this worked for a friend of mine.

To be honest in these troubled times I'd be wary of leaving a safe job for no job AND moving to a foreign country.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I agree with this statement.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Who has a safe job these days? Bailiffs? Bankruptcy lawyers?

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I also Agree with this statement :lol:

The question turns into how do you feel you chances are of finding suitable employment in Canada and what are your strategies for being unemployed in Canada compared to being employed and preparing to be unemployed in the UK?

Precarious decision where ever you are. I was lucky to get here, find a job quickly and just survived the first round of lay offs at work (I think). But I am not worried about being laid off because I have a definite value proposition for employers in my field of work.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I don't doubt it but would think the risk for you would be that if you were laid off you might have to move. Life in NB is a very different proposition from life in the GTA.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I might have to consider contracting outside of my immediate city of that I am in no doubt.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Something people should consider when emigrating, there are a lot more employers in the GTA and in Ottawa than in other Canadian locations. Many would say, of course, that there's no point in emigrating if you're going to end up in the GTA.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Why is this? I want to emmigrate because I want to live in Toronto.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

perhaps because Toronto doesn't have a lot to offer beyond other comparable cities, and arguably a lot less in some respects than comparable cities in Europe. I moved to suburban GTA because that's where my job took me in Canada, not particularly that Toronto was the perfect answer. There are pluses and minuses.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Each to their own, I suppose. Generally people choosing Canada want a place from the past and they don't find Toronto to be backward enough; it has traffic and crime and overcrowding and all those things they wanted to leave at home.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

It's the classic BritishExpats conundrum - Move for the place and then the work, or the work then the place. Maybe there is a sensible balance somewhere between those options...

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Aaah I want the opposite. I'm trying to escape peace and tranquility to have an interesting life full of hustle and bustle. Each to their own I suppose.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Some parts of GTA are not safe!! Just be careful thats all.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

not safe for whom in what circumstances? That seems a gross generalisation that has been done to death in many other threads in the last couple of days. Outside of a few relatively small neighbourhoods, Toronto and its environs are no less "safe" than any other city of comparable size. Any number of crime statistics have been thrown around the forum recently, but the general consensus seems to be that unless you go out of your way to find trouble (or you're extraordinarily unlucky) the GTA is a reasonable place to live as regards threats to life and limb.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Appreciate the concern, but that seems like kind of a strange thing to say. There are safe places and unsafe places in every city. Largely if you keep yourself to yourself and have some common sense you will be fine.

I will never worry about anything like that because if it happens then it happens, nothing can stop that, and besides Hull where I currently live near is not exactly safe either.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Understood-depends where you are. I did'nt meant to be so general- I have just heard from friends who work in TO downtown that you don't wanna be for example in Scarborough in some areas, there are a lot of gang activities in some areas, some shootings and apparently New York is safer than TO these days! Only going on what I have been told. Last time I went to TO it seemed ok to me.

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

Likewise. I love the vibrant hustle and bustle of a city but I love the outdoors too. As far as I can tell, Toronto seems to be about the closest thing to "the best of both worlds" that the English speaking world has to offer. I'm thinking, live in York Region for the outdoors (Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, King etc.) and work and play in the city (Downtown, Markham, Vaughan, Mississauga). Sounds good to me :)

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

What about London? Live in Herts or Bucks for the outdoors (Chesham, High Wycombe, Rickmansworth) and work and play in the city (West End, Harrow, Slough, Hayes).

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

It's not the same in the UK, the outdoors only exists for 4 or 5 months of the year. The rest of the year the outdoors shuts down (maybe a slight exaggeration but you get the point).

Re: Software Engineers - where to work?
 

I don't get the point at all. For three or four months a year in Ontario the primary pastimes are knitting, reading and TV, by the end of February everyone has cabin fever. What prevents someone from, say, walking the dog, in February in the UK?