One of the most important things to do when you arrive in Canada is look for a job; one that matches your skills and qualifications, aligns with who you are, and provides you with financial stability.
Finding a job can be a difficult process as a newcomer to Canada if you’re not familiar with the North American job searching process. Below are some job-hunting tips to help newcomers to Canada find a job.
Have an Updated, Canada-Specific Resume
Resumes look different all around the world. When applying for jobs in Canada, it’s important to follow the correct layout. In Canada, the typical resume format is as follows: name, contact information, title, professional summary, skills, job experience (in reverse chronological order), education, awards, achievements, and volunteer work.
In addition, it’s important to have an updated resume. An outdated resume will give recruiters the wrong impression and you could miss out on potential job opportunities. Ensure that your work history and skill set are up to date.
Start Networking
Networking is a great way to help you advance your career and receive more job opportunities. It helps open doors to opportunities that you may not have received otherwise. You meet individuals at all professional levels.
One tip for networking is to have a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn has millions of companies and tons of open jobs. Many recruiters also use LinkedIn in order to contact potential talent. Just make sure that you have an up to date profile, including a professional image of yourself with updated job and education experience, which brings us to the next point.
Have a Strong LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional networking platform. LinkedIn is for anybody who’s interested in taking their professional life more seriously by looking for new opportunities to grow their careers and to connect with other professionals. That’s why it’s essential to have a strong LinkedIn profile: the majority of recruiters will search your LinkedIn profile to retrieve any information that might not have been on your resume, or they might find candidates specifically through LinkedIn and recruit you for certain positions.
Having a strong LinkedIn profile means the following:
- Have a professional photo and header image
- Craft an engaging professional summary
- Highlight your skillset
- Have updated contact info
- Keep your location updated
- Have you education and job experience accurately listed
Search Job Boards
Make sure you are searching for jobs using job boards, which are online resources that employers use to advertise jobs. These are some great job boards for job listings:
Always Apply With a Cover Letter
In Canada, it is usually customary to include a cover letter with your job application; this provides the opportunity to demonstrate your personality and to convince the job recruiter why you are the best fit for the company. A cover letter can be what sets you apart from other candidates as it displays your high interest in the job.
A cover letter usually consists of some background information on your education and experiences, an in-depth description of your skills that align with the role you are applying for, while detailing how all of the above makes you the perfect match for the role.
Make Sure Recruiters Know You’re Looking For A Job
LinkedIn has an #OpenToWork feature where you can let recruiters and your network know that you are searching for job opportunities.
You can select the roles that you have in mind, as well as job locations, and choose to share this with just recruiters, or all members of LinkedIn. This then creates a banner on your profile image with the hashtag #OpenToWork, that others can see.
Research The Company
When invited for an interview, it’s crucial that you research the company and the role beforehand. Researching the company shows that you are prepared. The interviewer will be asking questions to see how much you know about the company, which reflects your enthusiasm and interest in the company.
It also allows you to understand the company and its culture, and prepare any questions you may wish to ask. In addition, doing your research helps you answer why you want to work at the company, which is one of the most commonly asked questions you will be asked in an interview.