Dane2014

We (me, husband, 3 kids) have been in Toronto since February 2015. He transferred here with work and I have an open work permit.

When we decided to go here, we did not plan for me to work, ie our economy is solid without me working.

I am -however - starting to miss going to work and I miss having my "own life" and my own job other than just keeping the house and sending the kids off to school etc., so I am considering whether I should perhaps start to explore my options for work.

The paycheck would not be the primary driver for me working - but since we would then have to hire a nanny for the afternoon, additional help cleaning etc., I am wondering whether it would be worth the while.

I am a lawyer by profession (Master of Laws - and previously admitted to the Danish bar) and have 10 years experience working for large Danish law firms and more recently, experience working in a large company with support of the executive management in relation to decision making and supporting the operation with facilitation of implementation of legal requirements, process optimization etc.

The latter job description is rather "fluffy" but I expect that I could use those skills in a job here as well, but I have no idea as to how find out the salary range I would be looking at in order to determine if it is at all worth the while.

I have tried looking at different "salary calculators" but they are all aimed at searching within specific job titles and of now I have absolutely no idea how to translate my qualifications and previous job into an appropriate Canadian job title for that purpose.

Would anyone in here perhaps have an idea as to the salary range in a senior position, for an academic with a masters degree and 12+ years of experience in GTA.

I know it is very difficult, probably impossible, and if I start, my approach would be to start talking to different recruitment agencies etc, - and it is in my husband's contract that HR in his company will support me in getting started on the Canadian job market, should I wish to do so. So that is the route I will take, should I decide to take this route.

But before that, I would just like to get an indication of what I am looking at, so I do not end up wasting my own an other people's time for something, that I find completely unattractive.

thanks in advance for any guidance or response that you are able to give!

Siouxie

Have you considered applying to have your credentials recognised?
Internationally Trained or Educated Lawyers and Canadian Non-accredited Law School Graduates | The Law Society of Upper Canada
NCA & Accreditation | ITLP

It's difficult to suggest what salary you might be able to obtain unless you have an idea of what type of work you will be looking for. One resource that 'could' help to determine this is the jobbank 'explore careers by skills and knowledge tool', it's a little generic but does give quite a few options of different careers that would be open to you. Explore Careers by Skills & Knowledge - Job Bank Once you have the results, clicking on a specific job title and then the Province and city/area will bring up any jobs, salary scale etc.

Pulaski

I would say that your qualifications are so unusual in the Canadian job market that your salary would be what you could negotiate with an employer. At the low end an employer might say that you have few directly relevant skills and they would offer you little more than a recent graduate, at the other end if you can find a Danish company or a business that does a lot of business in Denmark your worth to them might be well into six figures.

Almost Canadian

Shakes head and walks away

plasticcanuck

So, at which post are you shaking your head, you being a lawyer and all that.

Dane2014

Thanks. I am thinking along the same lines that I would probably have to prove my worth and that I would get next to nothing compared to what I earned back home. Which is why I intended not to work in the first place... but that was before I got bored

What wold a recent graduate get?

Dane2014

Could you, please explain? Thanks!

Dane2014

Thanks. I will try that.

I have assumed that my degree would not be really recognized here, as a law degree, at least. Though I have also assumed that I could probably get recognized as someone with the basic skillset that is earned through academic studies resulting in a masters degree. If the Canadian law society is anything like the Danish, I won't be able to get any kind of recognition till Hell freezes over

Siouxie

What about something like this job? HEARINGS ANALYST with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario | 1013554

There's a range of different types of work Browse jobs | Totallegaljobs.ca

I also found some advice on alternative careers here: http://www.cba.org/cba/PracticeLink/...ernatives.aspx

http://www.lifeafterlaw.com/candidates.html

Almost Canadian

If you wish to work as a lawyer - become a lawyer, if you wish to work doing something else - specify what it is you are thinking about.

I have no idea what your previous role was but, if you wish to suggest that you will be useful to an organisation, I suggest you refrain from using such terminology.

What do you believe you are good at? What do you believe you are able to offer any organisation? That is all a prospective employer will likely ask you.

Dane2014

Thankyou for clarifying.

Well, I was not posting to get a job, but to get an idea of what kind of salary is paid to a masters graduate of unspecific educational background. Because I am unsure whether I want to get a job or it is better for me to "sit it out" for now and find another way of using my brains while we are here.

If I had been writing a job application, I would of course be much more specific. That goes without saying...

If we had been talking about the Danish jobmarket, I could give a number of general paybands for "general academic" in private sector or public sector respectively, "in house legal", "senior associate in a large lawfirm" etc. They would indeed be very general as all depends on individual qualifications as well as other benefits, bonus, pensions etc. but still, it could give someone a general idea and I was just wondering if someone could state the same for the jobmarket here. But I guess not

Dane2014

Thankyou.
That is very helpful and definitely gives me something to consider!

Almost Canadian

You are not a lawyer and Canadians are very concerned with bits of paper proving one's credentials so forget about referring to things such as in house legal, senior associate in a large law firm.

I am in Calgary so I am not too sure about salaries in Toronto but, in Calgary, articling students at the larger firms will be paid around $60,000. This will rise to around $120,000 with 3 years at the Bar. Partners can earn anywhere from $150,000 to $750,000. Clearly, there are some that earn considerably less, and some that earn more.

My accountant informs me that he has some lawyers as clients that earn less than $30,000 after expenses, but get stiff willies from being able to refer to themselves as being the owners of a law firm.

Typically, the larger law firms have good benefits. When I worked for such a firm, we had family medical coverage with a nil deductible and which covered all orthodontic work too. They didn't offer any contribution towards a pension. (If that is important to you, I suggest you look at working in government legal department.) Typically, they offer an annual retreat to nice places and, if you are really lucky, they will permit you to take your spouse and children too. The only reason I know what LA looks like is because my family went on such a retreat to Santa Monica.

As an academic, I would imagine that you won't get too far with only a masters, but I will let those that work in such places comment upon that issue.

HTH

Aviator

I have never seen jobs valued by ones academics, unless those academic very specifically relate to ones career field.

Having a masters won't get a specific salary, burger flippers get paid the same with grade10 or a Phd as do cab drivers.

We have hired Phd graduates, only because we needed labour and they needed a job. I would not base a salary on an academic qualification, more what the job that needs doing is worth. If a masters is required to do that job, the salary would likely to reflect it.

Dane2014

Thankyou.

I know. As mentioned in my post our economy is fine without working - so I would only be getting a job to keep me occupied and "entertained", provided of course that I can find something I would like to do, and that the salary offered is enough to pay for the extra hired help with the housekeeping and childcare after school hours that we would then need.

Ie. I would not be applying for jobs of the burgerflipping type, but for jobs that would require an academic degree, though probably not for jobs that would require a law degree (since I cannot expect to have my degree recognized as one ). That is why I am asking for salary bands for that type of jobs.

Believe me, I also know that IF I decide to go jobhunting it will be hard work. Really hard work. Because I would get hired on my basic skillset and my personality rather than my degree - and therefore I would not only need to find the right job, but also a manager willing to consider me as a "wildcard". That is what I did a couple of years ago back home, where I managed to convince someone that my drive, my collaboration and communication skills, my facilitation skills and abilityto ensure cooperation across silos, my constructive way of thinking and - just as important - my ability to get things done and get projects moving was just what he needed for his team. And it was

Now I have the merits from my previous job where I was not hired BECAUSE I was a lawyer, but - I would say - DESPITE the fact that I was a lawyer. But I have the disadvantage of being a foreigner. So the effort will probably be just as big if not even bigger - and as last time, I would probably also have to step down or step sideways on the career ladder in stead of stepping up in terms of salary, responsibilities etc. I am fully and completely aware of that.

And that is why I was trying to ask the general question about paybands. Because if the pay is too low for my needs, I would be better off finding something else to do than working. And then I would much rather spend my time and effort finding out what THAT is, than working my butt of finding a job only to realize I do not want it

But once again - it does not seem that such a question can be answered, so I guess that I will just have to decide whether I want to try and go down this road... or the other... and see what happens.