Struggling to get a job
 

Hi all

I've been trying to get job within Project Management in Canada for 4 months now. I've applied for between 30 and 45 roles and only ever got a single response saying no with no details as to why.I don't understand why this is, I'm earning £35k + benefits in a good job here in the UK with a good amount of experience over several years.

It's getting quite demoralizing, you spend all the effort to research a company, alter your CV, write a cover letter, answer their questions and you don't even get an automated rejection. Does anyone have any idea of how I can improve the likelihood of response? Or know something about Project Management in Canada that might be causing such a frequency of rejection?

Below is a high level brief of what I do and can talk about to employers.

I have been specifically working within Aerospace and Defence for the last 5 years and while currently employed am looking to start a new role in June/July of this year.I am not looking specifically for Aerospace/Defence related roles as my Project/Bid Management Skills should allow me to work effectively as a PM in most areas. In addition many of the projects I have delivered have been centered around emergency services and many have had civilian customers or applications such as the Gas & Oil industry.I've enjoyed working in smaller businesses and helping them grow (while I acted as a jack of all trades not just a PM) and also for larger companies.

Currently I have worked specifically within a Research and Innovation (R&I) department for the last few years. I work locally and internationally in a wide variety of areas such as: C4ISR, Electronic Warfare + Surveillance, Maritime, Land & Weapons, Mission Systems and Global Navigation Systems. I have delivered a range of projects through focusing on coordinating both small and large teams/consortiums.

This has involved actively managing the scope, schedule and cost of each project, ensuring to use the resource management processes within the matrix structure to ensure effective resourcing took place.I am currently conducting a $10m mixed Firm and Limit of Liability priced project. I understand the specific challenges to meeting the Time, Cost and Quality requirements of each project and how to conduct the required processes and relationship management activities to successfully deliver.

Within my current role as a Project Manager I feel I am able to use my experience to better understand customer requirements while managing expectations and setting attainable objectives. This in part comes from my military experience and having worked in wide variety of fields previously.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

What home address are you putting on your résumé?

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

My UK address which is where I currently live. In my cover letter which I send with every application I specifically mention that I hold a visa and will move for the role.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

I'll pretty much guarantee that's your problem then.

I had the same problem when I was looking to move to the US - no interest until I had my feet on the ground in the same country.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

If I had a family friend whom was happy for me to put their address on my CV do you think that would resolve the issue to a degree?

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

IMO yes, it would get you through the automated, or manual filters that are binning your application before anyone making hiring decisions even reads it. It won't be plain sailing from there, but you should at least be able to get your application through to someone who will look at it.

You will also need a matching VoIP or Skype local phone number.

The main drawback with spoofing your home location is that you might need to be prepared to jump on a plane if they call you for an in-person interview, though I think many employers now will hire based on a phone or Skype interview.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

Fair one, although I imagine that the next question will be "Ahh so you were employed by X in the UK right up until this month, why did you move to Z and especially without a job?"

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

Put simply, you're not going about things the Canadian way. Have a good read of the Job Hunting Wiki to understand how the hiring culture differs, and how essential it is that you pick up the phone at the minimum (ideally go out there in person). Just sending things via email is very unlikely to get you anywhere, as you've found out. This Wiki article is a good place to start - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Canada_is_different!!!

I see from your other post that you have an IEC visa so don't need sponsorship which is great, but do be prepared to just have to move and find work once there, unless you have the time and funds to plan a job hunting trip or two before moving.

Good luck.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

Ahh but I did try calling around, I called up many many companies and got told by all those who I got through to that I had to apply via the website and that they couldn't pass me on to anyone else.

Fortunately we have saved up quite a lot so that we can stay their for some time prior to picking up a job.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

Do have a read of the Wiki, it will give you an idea of how to get through and arrange an informal meeting. Network, network, network!

If you've got the funds to go and not have to worry about finding a job straight away, then that's the way to go. Usually only those with specialist/in-demand skills are likely to be lucky enough to obtain a job from outside the country.

Best of luck.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

I work in IT and we use Current Opportunities | Compugen and https://www.longviewsystems.com/care...opportunities/ for our contract PM's. It would be very worthwhile getting a Canadian postal address, a Canadian phone number, and get your details in their system.

If you can leave the UK at a drop of the hat, then don't even mention you are still there. I'm sure with technology these days you could forward a Canadian cell phone to a UK number, just be prepared to answer it if it rings during the night. Most interviews are done via Skype anyway. We have a shit load of British PMs working for us, I'd say about 75% of them are Brits.

Edited to add that you need to be legally entitled to work in Canada first. None of those companies will touch you if you don't have a work visa.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

Thank you for the reply, it really does seem like the address is a limitating factor.

I do have a work visa, it sounds like I am going to have to buckle up and get out there!

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

A very common problem as Pulaski has noted.

Countries are very reluctant to hire people who are overseas. You will need to be on the ground first, as inconvenient as that may be. This is not a Canada-only problem.

Having been on both ends of that table - it's an enormous risk to hire someone who is overseas because they can't start immediately and there is no guarantee they will actually come, and then you have scrambled egg on your face. So if you get offered a job, agree to it, say you will be there in two months, and then a month from now you get offered a substantial raise to stay /old girlfriend comes back into your life / mom breaks down at the thought of you moving overseas / you just get cold feet about it all / another Canadian company contacts you and makes a better offer, are you still going to come? All that can and does happen, and does so a lot more than many people realise.

Yeah sure you are different, everyone always says that, how do they know that, and are you "different" right up to the point any of the above happens?

Or the position is for underwater basket-weaving, you are an experienced underwater basket-weaver in the UK with what appears to be solid underwater basket-weaving training at a UK institution, but it turns out when you arrive and start working - that the UK practises saltwater underwater basket-weaving but Canada practises freshwater underwater basket-weaving and the two are incompatible.

Not saying that to have a go at you are imply you are somehow untrustworthy, but you need to see this from the employer's perspective.

So why go through that on an unknown candidate with overseas qualifications and overseas references, when a known local, with local known referees, and a similar CV, is available?

Good luck - though as noted you will very likely need to be physically in Canada, and actively developing a local network, before things start to roll.

Re: Struggling to get a job
 

I will simply repeat what others have said because there is no way round it - you need to get over here, end of.

Re: Struggling to get a job