Hi All, looking forward to travelling out in Jan to get our Visa`s stamped and to look around places we fancy, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley, Maple Ridge, areas just outside Vancouver, but my biggest concern is finding employment, i am in IT and i really could do with some positive feedback regarding finding work.

Have you read the Job Hunting section of the Wiki? That should give you all the info you need, good luck. http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...Hunting-Canada

Yeah I have the same worries. Alot of people are saying that jobs are hard to get etc.... and it really makes you crazy because you are so far away and can do nothing about it yet, until you get there and even then it is for a limited time.

Have you done your Canadian CV yet? Are you hoping for any job interviews or are you going to leave your CV with HR departments of different companies.

I have seen many IT related jobs on the major sites? so you have a good chance of getting an interview if you have your PR already right?

Yes, we have our PR status so i can start to apply i guess, i have still got to make a canadian cv, although i may just pay to get this done professionally, and then take loads with me and just hit all the agencies i guess.

If you dont live in Canada it is THE most frustrating feeling trying to find a job. We have to rely on the internet for job openings and the classified options in the online newspapers, but many people are saying that most of the jobs are hidden and you can only get them if you have friends in the right places.

I think it would be a great help if members on this forum share their experience of how they went about finding a job. I know it depends on your profession but any success story is very uplifting, so please share!!!

I looked at the trade rags, Computing, Computer Weekly, whatever else was published then and responded to an advert. We could have gone to America, Australia, various other places, but picked Canada in the mistaken belief that people speak French here.

I would never pick a city and try to get a job in that place. Especially not if my skillset was as unpromising a match as computing in Vancouver. There are computers there, of course, but I know plenty of people who went there looking for work and came back when their savings were exhausted. I suppose it's better than a fisherman targeting Saskatchewan but hardly so.

There are these guys in Chilliwack, http://www.stream.com/index.php/loca...ica/chilliwack.

Don't know of any major IT company in the other cities you mention.

There is some truth in that last comment, but it is not as pervasive as some on here would have you believe. However, many small to medium sized companies in the private sector start their recruitment efforts by "letting it be known" that they are hiring. They particularly like referrals by existing staff members and respected colleagues. Only if this does not produce a suitable candidate will the company then advertise or appoint a recruitment agency. The hottest internet based job site in Vancouver is craig's list. Jobs will likely go on there before the newspaper classifieds.

To have a chance of being referred you need to make contacts in your chosen industry. It is a lot easier when you are in Canada when you can meet people at trade events and seminars and so on. However, you can make a start from the UK. There is a whole lot of information in the wiki about it. http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Canada_is_different!!!

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Job_Hu...Stories-Canada

I know little to nothing about "computers". I see many posts, including this one, where someone is in IT. Does this mean they are fully skilled in all aspects of the industry and can perform any task from programming to software development and everything in between? I somehow doubt it but could well be wrong. Wouldn't it be more practical to state what is the actual area their skills encompass so members can provide more specific help?

+1

Being 'in IT' is meaningless. Provide some context or detail.

Do you fix toner cartridges or are you a DBA?

I currently work as a Systems Administrator looking after the companies network infrastructure and servers, everything from building firewalls and exchange servers to desktop support, other skills include sharepoint website design, but i dont programme. So basically i can look after servers networks and desktops! All with a big smile on my face too!!

There isn't a lot of development here, but there is some. Although if you are an IT Guy (like what the OP said he was), then you can work anywhere that there are businesses. And why didn't you pick france?

Big businesses though control their computers from a central location, typically in Ontario; banks, insurance companies, government. Choosing an out of the way location limits the choice of work.

We were a couple, one speaking French and no English, one speaking English and no French. A bilingual country seemed a good choice.

Sure, big city = more jobs. But where there are computers there are jobs for geeks to plug them in. Whilst there will be more of those jobs in toronto, we do have a few of them over here in Vancouver (it's probably a safer bet than being a developer here - tho there are a few biggish employers, EA for instance)

I read your comments and share the frustration.

However, most job adverts I have seen state that YOU MUST BE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO WORK IN CANADA.

I have applied for various jobs just really to get my resume onto their systems, changing my cover letter as I progress through the system.

The only way I think most of us will get joy is by getting legal first.

I am hoping to get some type of news through the next fortnight, and may land in Toronto in November all being well, fly back the next day or day after, just to become legally entitled to work. Then Land the family in March.

JET