BillyM

Hello,

Thanks again to those of you who left replies.

Firstly thanks to MillieF I appreciate your comments and I will search British Expats for further information.

Floatsy also thank you for the advice you have given it is much appreciated. Re what you have said I am lucky to have the Canadian passport and my friends keep asking me what the hell I’m doing in the UK! I have explored the many job sites in Canada and I have contacted a few recruiters etc via email and they have all said the same thing. Employers won’t hire or respond to applicants outside Canada unless they have some desired skill and dare I mention it a “Degree” of some type which is demand. This leads me back to my original dilemma and that is I am going to have to decide where in Canada is best and then book a flight and take the risk. I will admit I have not looked into flat sharing and that does seem like a good idea. I don’t mind sharing with someone as I more-or-less get on with anyone. Having been raised in the North of England I have a very sociable personality. Can you offer any further direction on the flat sharing idea?

Re applying for the police from the UK it is stressful and a pain to be honest. Some years back I applied to the Metropolitan Toronto Police when I was still in the job here and they crammed all the tests both physical and psychological into one day and I just missed out. It was too intense and to be honest I stressed out on the written side. The fact I was still on UK time mentally did not help either. If I was to apply to any law enforcement then I would wait until I was there and I had a job already.

I am hard working but not so “young” as I see from your entry. I’m in my forties and this is my last chance to make a go if things I suppose. I am physically fit and regard myself as being above average for those in the same age bracket.

To conclude I will just have to take the risk and book a flight and land in part which has plenty of employment opportunities for me to go at.

Thanks again to all who posted replies and if any of you have any further advice then please let me know.

Have a great weekend everyone and best of luck to you all over there.

Billy

cjones

I even had to google that. Proof positive of the limitations of my crappy, second rate arts education.

MarylandNed

I like your attitude. You know it's a risk and you're willing to give it a go in your forties. However, I would advise you to at least have some sort of idea as to where to go and what type of work you will be looking for initially. Also you'll obviously need some funds to support yourself until you find a job. It's one thing being brave - but being brave and prepared is better.

I assume you went for a uniform career (i.e. police constable) with the Toronto police. Can you try again? There is also the possibility of a civilian career with the police. If you can find work to support yourself, you could also volunteer in your spare time as an auxiliary police volunteer - which could lead to a job as a regular police constable. More info here:

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/careers/

I wish you the best of luck.

januarymix

Hi Billy,

Thanks for the update, and like MarylandNed, I wish you well.

Re: your trip, have you considered:

1. visiting a few cities on one of your trips e.g. Say you are interested in Calgary, then Edmonton or Saskatchewan are relatively close. Apportion your time so that you can check out things in person, get a vibe, talk to locals, maybe get some opportunities in person. A flight from vancouver or calgary to toronto costs about 300CAD one way.

2. given that you are looking for cost of living etc. I am sure you can do a lot of research on the net. Advantages, it is cheaper to research from here so that your info becomes increasingly precise, focussed and accurate. This may put you in better stead for your target cities. You should also probably be able to research rent, food, transport costs and times this way too -- all giving you better data about ow much a place will really cost you.

3. other forumites might know better about flat sharing but I presume Craigslist for one. There is also a site called airbnb and vbro? ..can't remember exactly but comparable sites ..where people list short or long term rooms. This can be a big help when you start.

4. calculate how much buffer you need to land and before securing a job. Live cheaply for a while maybe till you are solid with the job opps.

Good luck,

floatsy

BillyM

Hi Floatsy and MarylandNed

Thanks to you both for the advice etc, it is appreciated and I will certainly consider what you have said.

Mary re trying again to the police yes it was for “police constable.” I have thought about reapplying but to be honest I will wait until I am there. It’s a lengthy process and even more difficult when thousands of miles away.

Floatsy thanks for all the advice. I have been thinking that maybe booking a holiday is a better idea and way forward once I source where is best for work etc. This means if things don’t work-out then I can always fly back and I will have somewhere to live while on the hunt for work. On the downside it will mean trying to fit things into one or two weeks but its a less risky option.

Thank again everyone and all the best.

Billy

Oink

There's a lot of good advice on here. I'd just like to add, be careful and Billy, don't be a hero.

MarylandNed

Paper Lace?

januarymix

No probs, I'm a newbie myself. Have you considered staying longer though? 1 to 2 weeks might not be enough time for you to accurately source work. Employers work on different schedules i.e. Internal timelines, candidate numbers, decision and meeting times etc.

I think that there is definitely a financial cost to all this so consider it, but just wanted to flag that 1-2 weeks might not be enough.

Also once you know which cities look suitable, you can apply from afar listing a Canadian phone number e.g from Skype, and/or dates you are in Canada, and note you hope you can contact them again once you are on the ground.

Anyway, you're very welcome on all fronts and take care.

BillyM

Cheers Floatsy and Oink. Some great advice and I appreciate the time people have taken to provide the information.

Some great people on this site and I wish you all the very best wherever you are.

Thanks