craig_hoxton

This sounds like "how long is a piece of string" but on average, how long did it take you to secure a job after landing/getting your papers in Canada?

If anyone is posting from Toronto, that would be helpful as that's where I'm currently looking.

Elaine B.

Hi Craig

what sort of work are you looking for? when I moved to Toronto (back in 2001) I found a bar job pretty quickly but my OH (who's Canadian) had great difficulty (he works in the music industry) a lot of times it seems to be more about who you know. When I eventually got a better job in a law office it was thanks to a regular customer at the bar.

Souvenir

I never did, apart from a very short-term freelance position.

R I C H

Not sure how relevant responses are going to be for you, but I started work the day after arrival, running my own business. Since then I've applied for 2 other jobs (one freelance, one permanent employee) and secured both. Still have the business too.

DaveLovesDee

It's mostly about networking, getting experience of doing things the Canadian way, and getting any kind of work on your resume.

My personal suggestion is to start with a temp agency which will help you with most of these, and give you some sort of income whilst you're looking for something more permanent. Make sure you go to Service Canada to get your SIN number (similar to your NI number) first.

I'm in Toronto too, and when I arrived I had no work permit so I did voluntary work. It helped me adapt much quicker.

retsujou

Meaning what? What is the Canadian way?

DaveLovesDee

Differences in language, spelling, terminolgy, procedures, workplace safety rules and interpretations amongst many thing in my opinion.

purple80

I started work exactly three weeks after getting here, it's shop work, very poorly paid, but it's work that fits around the children, so thats good.

Charlie

mzp

we landed in Toronto on Oct 11th. hubby had interview in Calgary on Oct 14th and was offered the job. 3 days!
he's a draftsman (engineering, not architecture).

he'd had a phone interview before we left scotland.

m

Almost Canadian

2 weeks after I started looking

bandit

I secured my job about a week after i started looking. I'd been in Canada 3 weeks or so before I began looking as I was securing an apartment etc... I work in recruitment although i hadn't intended to get back into it, so when i registered with one agency, they asked me to apply for a consultant role they were looking for. I started on the 12th Sept, and had been looking since about the first monday of Sept, what ever date that was.

It depends alot on what you are looking for, and your skills. You can't take much from the answers on here, unless you match 100% one of those who've replied.

Good Luck and welcome!

scrubbedexpat091

I got one in about 3 weeks, but they have all been seasonal, I've been going from seasonal job to seasonal job for the past year or so.

Danny B

One month.

craig_hoxton

I am looking for an office-type job and have just heard back from a recruitment firm that I'm starting week after next.

So that makes it about three months since arriving (or just over one month after getting PR).

Elaine B.

Glad you got some good news well done