dbd33

In contracting it depends entirely on your recent experience. Firms typically want people who have three years experience in something invented last week. If you actually have a week's experience of the release in question, enough to know that it's really the same as the previous one, you're valuable for a year. Then you're not.

I haven't had permanent job since the early eighties so I don't know much about those.


It provides approximately the same standard of living as houses are half the price here. Both markets are under pressure from outsourcers and computer people are highly mobile so there can't be a huge variance in reward for knowledge.

Coffeepot

Thanks dbd33, OH is contractor in city, mainly financial, banking etc, Our skilled worker PR is in but we can't wait for years, so going with WP all being well, it def seems to be who you know not what you know, interesting.

seanyg

Hi, I've been reading this thread just now with interest. Sean (my fiance) is also in IT support (2nd line / SMBs etc) and we've just sent off our application for PR (with me as the main applicant as I speak fluent French and he doesn't speak any, but he's the one we're hoping will get a job). We're going to a job fair in June and are hoping to make some good contacts / build some networks and then go on a research trip to Canada (NB or NS, where we'd like to end up) in the Autumn to hopefully meet some potential employers and perhaps arrange some interviews.

We too are aware of the difficulties entailed in obtaining job offers from the UK (hence our intention to visit in the Autumn) and would be very interested to hear how any of you guys get on, particularly as the title of this thread is 'IT Support' which is the sector of IT in which Sean works :-)

Anyway, sorry for butting in - good luck to everyone and any advice much appreciated!

Anita :-)

PS - If we can't get a job offer we'll also have to wait the 'long wait' (3.5-4 yrs at present I believe) so fingers crossed....!

dbd33

I know that there's at least one computer person on this board who emigrated to Atlantic Canada but no one already in Canada would give that idea a moment's thought. Computer departments are usually co-located with head offices; that means Toronto or, in the case of the oil business, Calgary. Governments do have computers and so Ottawa and Quebec City have some computer jobs. I know Canfor and BC Ferries have a computer each. Still, the market is massively concentrated in Southern Ontario, I'd guess that three-quarters or better of all computer jobs in Canada are in Southern Ontario. Looking for a computer job in Atlantic Canada is like looking for one in Cornwall while looking for one in Southern Ontario is like looking for one in Slough.

manningl

dbd33 really appreciate what you have to say I've been contracting for the last 2 yrs but when I applied for my PR I was a permanent employee in a different situation. I keep on changing my mind about where in Canada to go but when I look at all the IT jobs they do seem to be in the Toronto area. I do like Windsor but unless you're a car mechanic it seems no point going there to look for work.

I'm assuming when you say southern Ontario you dont mean Windsor as that is the most southern part in Ontario??

dbd33

No, I really meant the GTA but expanded it to "Southern Ontario" so as to include K-W to save Howard1944 popping up to say there's a computer company there. Ottawa is a viable option if you work in defense computing and/or speak French, the only way I can see Windsor being viable is if you have a job in Detroit.

I think, btw, that the choice of Cornwall and Slough as comparands for parts of Canada reflects not only the employment situation but the relative charm and beauty of the places.

Coffeepot

Hi Anita,
We went to the show 2 years ago, and are going again this year, have you registered with them, they will email you a list of prospective employers that are attending, I think there is another one at Sandown in feb ? will see if i can find it.

dbd33

I originally came as the result of one of those recruitment drives. Two cautions:

1. They want you because you're cheaper than the locals.

2. They want you tied in so, if they can't hold your visa, they'll look to advance you moving expenses that you cannot repay, you're then tied into the contract. Unless, of course, you get fired!

Coffeepot

Thanks for the warning, must admit we were put off by them 2 years ago, told we could only get in with immigration firm and that was a few k,

so how did they get you ? and how did you get out of it ?

dbd33

I wanted to go somewhere quickly and they promised to move me within a month of the first interview.

I was fired for parking on the grass.

Coffeepot

You what, sorry i mean oh dear,
so how did you manage to stay there, were you on WP or PR ?

dbd33

I managed to stay as being flat broke and unemployed I had no choice. At that time immigration was a trivial process and I was a landed immigrant.

Coffeepot

so whats your advice on looking for a good company not corrupt, that i don't need to bribe with a TV, so the company doesn't fire my OH a-- for parking on the grass, are there ANY good companies out there, now i am worried.

seanyg

Yeah we're going to the Emigrate Show on 2 March at Sandown, but just really to make some contacts / build some (hopefully productive) networks and get info. for our impending research trip in the autumn. Do they have employers there then, too? (the job fair I was on about is in Surrey at the end of June and is called EXP08).

Best get our CVs (sorry, 'resumes'!) updated then

seanyg

Oh damn just read that! Are you able / allowed to name any of the less-than-savoury companies that one might get scr3w3d by, per chance...?

Surely any moving costs (flights, container shipping) would be the responsibility of the immigrant to pay anyway? I guess if they're hiring you cos you're cheaper than the locals then you wouldn't get your positive LMO anyway if there are locals to do the job in the first place...?

Cheers, Anita