I received a post from Sam who wanted to know about the job market in Canada.
Sam, I'm copying your post here so that my readers know what this is in regard to,
"Hello Nalini,
I was just curious to ask that is there anyway to arrange for employment before coming to Canada. I mean me and my husband both are software professionals are thinking of relocating there. But without a job is a little scary. Also what what kinds of job do software professionals get there when they come and search for employment. Is there any website there where you can search for a job? like in india we have monster, Naukri etc to apply for. A little information would be of great help.
Thanks and Regards,
Sam"
Sam, sorry I don't have your email id, or else I would have replied to you directly, but anyway......your post is something a lot of readers ask me about, so I'm replying to it here :)
1. Yes, you can try to secure a job before landing, but I'm telling you straight that this is a very one out of ten thousand kind of chance as 99.999% employers want some Canadian experience.
2. The first couple of years, unless you are again one of the .00001% who gets a good job faster, you must be willing to take any job, nothing to do with your qualification or experience, just to get that 'Canadian Experience'. From working at McDonalds, to a gas station or as a store clerk........you may have to take what you can get. Remember that for every job available, there are 100's of people applying...so even those kinds of jobs may not be as easy to get as you think. On an average, many new immigrants don't get a job for the first six months. You should bring in enough money to get you through at least nine months to be on the safe side.
3. Websites here that you can look at for jobs are:
monster.ca
jobsincanada.com
bestjobsca.com
allstarjobs.ca
jobbank.gc.ca
mycanadajobs.com
You can also try www.immigration.ca
Basically, I don't want to paint a rosy picture about the job market here. We know MBA's from the IIM's who are looking for jobs even six months after landing. Most do find jobs eventually, especially after working in some 'low level' job to get the Canadian experience first. I said, low level, meaning what you would call certain jobs in India.....but by NO WAY am I inferring that these jobs are Low Level here in Canada. All jobs here are done with dignity and integrity, no matter what it is. So don't think that by working in a Tim Hortons or McDonalds that you are doing something beneath your qualifications. You will learn so much about Canadian culture just working even for a month in one of those places. This kind of experience will carry you a long way!
Hope this helps!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Santa Claus is here!!
Santa is making his first stop before Christmas in Ontario!! Saturday evening he will be a part of the Brampton Santa Parade down Main St, and then on Sunday he will be in Toronto as part of the Toronto Santa parade!!!
Here is a write up on the Brampton Parade from the Brampton Board of Trade :)
Join in and celebrate 25 consecutive years of the Brampton Board of Trade Santa Claus Parade!
Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010
Start time: 5:00 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: Free
Location: Downtown Brampton, ON (Sproule Drive and Main Street North, heading south on Main Street to Elgin Drive)
The Brampton Board of Trade Santa Claus Parade lights up downtown Brampton on Saturday, November 20, 2010. The parade is the largest single day event in Peel Region and Ontario’s grandest nighttime parade.
Giant inflatable floats will help mark the 25th Anniversary of the parade in celebration of the major sponsors: Rotary, the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation and 407 ETR, as well as, the Brampton Board of Trade – event host organization.
This not-to-miss holiday treat features unique floats decorated with thousands of lights, a record number of bands and performing groups, over 200 costumed characters, and, of course, Santa Claus and his elves.
So grab a chair and a thermos of hot chocolate and come enjoy a special evening for all ages. Don’t forget – along the route, letters to Santa will be collected by the Brampton Guardian Elves and non-perishable food items will be collected by the Progress Club for their food drive.
The Toronto Santa Parade:
Toronto tradition for more than 100 years, the Santa Claus Parade returns to put smiles on the faces of families all across the city. The parade has come a long way since it first began in 1905, when Santa first walked down the streets from Union Station to the Eaton Centre, waving to chidren along the way. Today the elaborate celebration consists of more than 25 different-themed floats, 22 bands, 100 celebrity clowns, more than 1,500 volunteers, and the big man himself, Santa.
The parade route starts at Bloor Street West and Christie Street, moves East to Avenue Road, south to Queen's Park, and along University Avenue, east on Dundas to Yonge Street, and continues south to Front Street. From Front Street it turns east and ends at Front and Church streets. For information about where to park, check the official Santa Claus Parade website
http://www.thesantaclausparade.ca/Taking place at Yonge Dundas Square as a prelude to the parade is the President's Choice Financial Santa Claus Parade Breakfast, with complimentary breakfast and coffee. The breakfast includes a pre-parade show with jugglers, balloon artists, face painting, and celebrity clowns.
Many of the jugglers and clowns will start their morning with a visit to Sick Kids, Toronto to put a smile on the faces of all those little children.
I'll be going for the Brampton Santa Parade myself with my family. I'll put pictures up next week.
Have a wonderful weekend where ever you are!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Long time!
Wow...I know it's been a long time since I updated my blog....but I've been crazy busy with work and it has been hard squeezing in the time.
Summer and Autumn feel long gone, with temperatures already hitting the minus. So far we've reached -2 degrees here in the Toronto area. So boots, coats, gloves and hats are already out...and some people love it while others don't!
Kids are trying to play outside when they can, Tuesday is supposed to be a sunny 11 degrees, so I'm sure a lot of people will be out for that 'one more day of warmish sun'. Work goes on as usual. We've met quite a lot of people who have come in from India recently, all highly educated but still finding it hard to get good jobs. The main catch is not having any Canadian work experience. So many of them are finding themselves in restaurants and gas stations, working those night hours and weekends to get some 'Canadian Experience', that will pave the way for better jobs.
The joke here is that the best place to have a heart attack is in a taxi cab, because there is a very high chance that the driver had been a Doctor in another Country until recently!
Diwali was great! We saw the Indian stores full of people buying sweets and crackers. The night sky was full of colour and the temples were thronged with families celebrating the festival of lights.
Housing prices are still sky high here, and there have been recent articles in the newspapers about the ridiculously high prices and why this is not good for the economy. We have a friend who bought a home in the U.S, on a one acre plot with a 4000sq.ft house, and paid 275000/- US dollars. In the GTA region, that same house would be easily 800,000 to a million dollars! There is just NO comparison. In the 340,000 region, you are looking at a 1800sq.ft plus home, three bedroom with one or two garage parking in Brampton. This will give you some idea of prices here. Of course you get 30 year loans and pay installments of about 1300/- a month with a minimum down payment (you'll have to check different banks for exact numbers) and of course everything depends on your credit history. Hopefully this story changes soon, and housing becomes more affordable.
Summer and Autumn feel long gone, with temperatures already hitting the minus. So far we've reached -2 degrees here in the Toronto area. So boots, coats, gloves and hats are already out...and some people love it while others don't!
Kids are trying to play outside when they can, Tuesday is supposed to be a sunny 11 degrees, so I'm sure a lot of people will be out for that 'one more day of warmish sun'. Work goes on as usual. We've met quite a lot of people who have come in from India recently, all highly educated but still finding it hard to get good jobs. The main catch is not having any Canadian work experience. So many of them are finding themselves in restaurants and gas stations, working those night hours and weekends to get some 'Canadian Experience', that will pave the way for better jobs.
The joke here is that the best place to have a heart attack is in a taxi cab, because there is a very high chance that the driver had been a Doctor in another Country until recently!
Diwali was great! We saw the Indian stores full of people buying sweets and crackers. The night sky was full of colour and the temples were thronged with families celebrating the festival of lights.
Housing prices are still sky high here, and there have been recent articles in the newspapers about the ridiculously high prices and why this is not good for the economy. We have a friend who bought a home in the U.S, on a one acre plot with a 4000sq.ft house, and paid 275000/- US dollars. In the GTA region, that same house would be easily 800,000 to a million dollars! There is just NO comparison. In the 340,000 region, you are looking at a 1800sq.ft plus home, three bedroom with one or two garage parking in Brampton. This will give you some idea of prices here. Of course you get 30 year loans and pay installments of about 1300/- a month with a minimum down payment (you'll have to check different banks for exact numbers) and of course everything depends on your credit history. Hopefully this story changes soon, and housing becomes more affordable.
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