How easy is it to find work for the un-skilled/ unqualified accompanying spouses?

personally i have plenty of experience in shop work, office work and such like but no formal working qualifications.

do differing areas make any difference.

I dont particularly want to go out and study for nursing, its just not me.

I am sure you will find little difficulty, just don't expect to be paid very much for shop work.

Office work is likely to require you to have the "Bit of paper" that says you are able to do the job, but experiences vary about this.

I as an accomanying spouse have found it difficult to get anything other than retail work, I have given up looking for anything else now as I only want part time hours and no evenings and weekends, which is what I have got (I'm very lucky). There are fewer jobs around even in retail we have at least 3 applications a day for jobs, we're hiring for a Co Manager but it doesn't stop hopefuls from dropping off resumes. I'm sure if your looking for an entry level position it won't take you long to find soemthing, once you have something you can look for something more suitable if necessary. Good luck!

As an accompanying spouse with lots of qualifications and experience I found it impossible to get office work. Like Piff Poff I have given up looking for now and work a few hours a week in a store. Not what I want but hopefully it wlll lead to something better and at least get me a Canadian employer on my resume and a Canadian reference.

It's a nightmare! It took my OH 7 months to find something initially, then he got laid off after 5 months due to lack of work coming in. He applied for everything going and never heard back from anywhere. He's now just started college doing an electrical appenticeship. It seems that you even need a certificate to flip burgers

Good luck to your husband on his apprenticeship! Minimeeze is right you need certificates for most jobs and for some 5 or 6!

It seems that over here you need a certificate to wipe your arse.

Oooh! i think I got one of them! It is amazing the weight that a little bit of paper holds when trying to get a job, experience, Canadian or otherwise seems not to be taken into consideration when applying for jobs.

Finding part-time work is the hardest. Finding part-time work that pays more than $10 or $11 an hour seems very hard. Finding part-time work outside retail seems nigh-on impossible.

I did 8 months at Starbucks which was OK, had a break and then did 4 months in a garden center, which I really enjoyed - then I bit the bullet and made myself available for full-time temping positions.

A job became available fairly easily after that - the hours are brutal, I have no life, but I now earn my keep.

Throw young kids and all those professional development days into the mix, and you may as well open a dayhome for a few years. Seriously. Or drive school buses.

Edit: does my arse-wiping certificate have an expiry date?

I am just about to open my own firm. Give me a few months and, if you want to come and work for me, give me a shout. If Canadians can be nepotistic, we can too

Personally I would rather wipe someone else's arse than drive a school bus <shudders>.
Does that require one or two bits of paper?

Keep me posted!

Copied from "Jobs for the Boys"....posted to this gender neutral thread.

"For the faculty among us new to the net.

http://www.wowjobs.ca/BrowseResults....ofessor&s=r&l=

www.kijiji.ca can also be useful.

Aim High...."

i dont want anyone out there to get too down on finding jobs...because there are jobs out there for the uncertified. i do completely agree with the other posts that part time work above 10$/hr is hard to come by, but full time work is easier to obtain. a suggestion if someone wants to get into part time office work would be to contact the local temp agencies, i have had succcess as an unskilled worker with just experience under my belt working temp jobs at the 14$-16$/hr level (in BC).

as well, many jobs ask for post secondary, i have found though that it does not hurt to apply anyways if you have the experience or knowledge for the position and not the schooling. nearly every job i have had here has had some certificate or post secondary required or recommended, however i was confident with my knowledge and got the job.

don't give up!!! even if it means taking a less than desirable job for the meantime, always keep looking!!

they are called sh*t tickets.