Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

So far, so good.

The job hunting and networking efforts for my preferred occupation haven't amounted to more than a handful of, admittedly, second-stage interviews but at least I have been working since mid-December as a backshift commercial cleaner at $12 an hour...which is infinitely better than sweet FA, even if I need to keep taking the ibruprofen for pains in parts of me I had forgotten I had!

And the HRM is a great place to be. Big city facilities with a smaller city feel, friendly folk and nice surroundings. I have a cosy basement in Lower Sackville and I am working hard, saving vastly(ish) and hope to be able to send for wife & daughter by this summer.

From small beginnings (etc.)...

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

Sounds like you have your head screwed on!

What type of work are you looking for?

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

Thank-you! :o
Formerly, I was involved in operations management in property and facilities.

Thing is, Canadian facilities managers are all P.Eng, as the industry is biased towards treating the building as an engineered system rather than the holistic approach the UK has - which involves HR, chartered surveyors & asset managers etc.

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

Well done on the three months,soon you will get that job break,its better to have some money then none.
All the best
Graham

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

You have a very optimistic view, even though by the sounds of it you have had some challenges and your rolling with it. I think a positive view helps as not everything always fits when you move. Congrats on making it this far and hope everything works out well for you ;)

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

I have noticed that you need a designation here for jobs that you wouldnt in the UK. Therefore if you have held a decent position in the UK without it and you come here for the same, its a great deal harder. You are up against the old "Canadian" experience and then the education thing.

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

You certainly have a good attitude, I think this will see you through in the end.

What worrys me is I keep hearing about this Canadian experience thing... Is this just a polite way of saying that you don't fit in????

Does this happen in every job market sector? From the 7 visits to Canada the thing I have found with Canadians is they are so very polite. The problem is it can get in the way of them being honest with you.

I mean what exactly is Canadian experience? If you work with computers surely they are the same everywhere?

Or am i just being a bit green (as in nieve)?

:unsure:

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

Most Canadians are very polite, but don't mistake politeness for being genuine.. very big difference ..

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

It's a catch 22 and one I don't agree with, my from my understanding, the Canadian experience qualification is likely there as a hoop HR makes you jump through because Canada is and always has been a nation of immigrants - immigrants from all backgrounds, religions, languages, and experiences.

Having "Canadian experience" on ones resume illustrates to HR that you're pre-qualified to do your job without any further (unnecessary, in their eyes) training, that you've been through the "Canadian system", and are savvy to the way "things are done" (in that chosen field) in Canada.

The same Canadian experience is necessary whether you're from England, Scotland, India, China, Colombia, or Qatar. Just because you're from England doesn't mean you get to skip past the Canadian experience qualification, sadly. Immigrants from Hong Kong, El Salvador, Germany, and the United States also must jump through the same hoops.

How to initially get that Canadian experience? That's the golden question. ;) My guess is that if a company really wants to hire you, they'll look past your lack of "Canadian experience".

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

I don't want this thread to become yet another discussion of what is meant by 'Canadian Experience' - that horse has shuffled off the mortal coil and been flogged ceaselessly.

Three possible explanations for the phrase:
1. "We don't like your face and don't think you'll fit in here but we can't say that openly as it allows for the possibility of legal action against us for discrimination."
2. "We do things differently here and if you don't like that then go back to wherever you came from."
3. "We already have the boss's nephew's mechanic's brother's neighbour lined up for the job and we're just going through the motions."

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

or, to put it plainly and simply ...................


you have worked/been educated in Canada, and therefore you know how the system works. "We" don't have to add extra training to make you more efficient.


As an example ............... I know of someone who was appointed as director of a department at a Canadian university 6 weeks after he landed in Canada from Scotland.

Yes, he had managerial experience

Yes, he had some landscaping experience

Yes, he had some business qualifications appropriate to a "managing director" as against the specific academic qualification previously required.


He failed miserably!

In the end, he submitted a note scratched on the back of an envelope to the Dean in charge of the department ...... the note said something along the lines of "I resign, unless ....."

The Dean accepted his resignation immediately ................ that kind of "blackmail resignation" is not acceptable here.


Why did he fail??

He just did not understand the Canadian system, the university system, nor the ethos of his situation.

In the end, the approximately 4 months that he worked cost his department multi thousand $s ............. and more to clean up the mess he left behind.



Add to this, the fact that anyone intending to hire a new employee has to prove that there is no qualified Canadian citizen for the position before hiring form abroad.


so, yes ............... you have to acquire Canadian experience .............. but it is nothing to do with how friendly the ordinary Canadian is.


Therefore, I do not agree that Adrian's comment (following) is correct in the vast majority of cases .............

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

I also do not agree with this comment by Clay


I have lived in Canada for over 44 years ................... and have found Canadians to be the most genuine of people.

and that includes people form the UK, southern US, as well as Australia and New Zealand, where we have also lived for varying periods of time.


If a Canadian asks/tells you to stop by their house next time you are in the neighbourhood ............. you'd better do it, or you will never live it down!

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

said that tongue in cheek a little,,, thing is though I have been to four sports halls to set up martial arts classes and on each occasion the person I spoke to was so over the top with enthusiasm it was unreal.. but non of the four different people even got back to me.. so you can see were I'm coming from...

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

I also believe you are over-thinking this.

Employers hire people to make money. Unless you need someone with a particular skill, or have identified a need to shake up your organization, you want someone who will be productive as soon as possible. You are more likely to get this from someone who has exposure to the Canadian working environment than not.

It is no more comlex than that.

Re: Three Months In Halifax, NS
 

I sort of tend to agree with you, but when one is the person who isn't chosen to shake the organisation up, and who isn't being productive and who isn't given chance for Canadian exposure....one has an awful lot of time to think:confused: