As a newcomer to Canada, one of your top priorities will likely be finding a job. However, many new arrivals quickly discover that securing employment in Canada can be a challenging and time-consuming process—sometimes taking several months. The good news is that there are practical steps you can take to speed up your job search. This article includes insights and tips from Canadian employers to guide you through navigating the Canadian job market and help you position yourself for success.
Work on your communication skills
The ability to communicate well is important if you want to navigate the Canadian job market as a newcomer, so invest time in honing your communication skills.
“The challenge that we see is once the students have entered our our college is language, it seems to be easily overcome, but it is the most difficult thing at the onset when they arrive,” says Rick Adams, Vice President at HiMark Occupational Skills Training Centre, which offers training courses and work experience opportunities in the trades to newcomers in six cities in Ontario: Toronto, Ottawa, Barrie, Oshawa, London, and Cambridge.
“We have two brothers through the program, who have a great challenge with English, and so I placed the two brothers with a Persian contractor,” Adams added. “It’s not ideal because it will not help their English, but ideal at the moment because they’ll be able to understand the work that’s going on [and that will help them integrate].”
For newcomers, Canada offers free language classes for both its official languages: English and French. Look up your local settlement agency once you arrive in Canada, and they will refer you to the right service. Another great way to improve your language skills is to sign up for newcomer meetups in your area.
Bridge the gap between your international qualifications and the Canadian job market
Canada continues to welcome large numbers of immigrants to take up essential jobs. However, 26.7 percent of immigrants with advanced education are overqualified for their roles, reveals a report from Statistics Canada.
While newcomers must learn how to navigate the Canadian job market, companies must also make sure they fully recognize the skills of newcomers with overseas qualifications, says Andrew Marchand, Managing Partner, What’s Next Development.
“Canadian businesses have a massive talent problem and by most metrics, are awful at identifying and developing talent. The use of algorithms, online tools to expedite hiring, is not addressing the actual issue of [team/company] fit,” shares Andrew.
To drive home his point, he shares the example of Desmond, an immigrant from Ethiopia, who, despite working in shipping for seven years back home, before opening his own logistics firm, was forced to work at a warehouse here, because employers were worried he didn’t know Canadian customs. “That’s pretty devastating,” exclaims Andrew, calling for the need to bridge that gap between immigrants’ international qualifications and the requirements of the Canadian job market.
Ensure you possess the skills employers look for in newcomer candidates
Peter Hawkins, Managing Director and Senior Vice President for Mellohawk Logistics, echoes the sentiment.“Employers need to learn to understand foreign certifications… the training that foreign institutions offer, and whether the experience in a foreign country reflects that. Our newcomer candidates also need to understand how to communicate their relevant skills,” he says.
A great solution for this is bridging programs, as they help newcomers navigate the Canadian job market. Peter emphasizes that “a key element of bridging programs is understanding Canadian culture, enabling newcomers to slot in better into new companies.”
His presence on several boards and chambers of commerce means that Peter is well-equipped to understand the challenges newcomers face when navigating the Canadian job market, as well as what companies are looking for in candidates. According to him, employers are looking for three things:
- Someone who has the technical/hard skills to do the job
- An employee who is not a hassle: Employers want people who can get along, and are a team fit!
- A person with good soft skills; someone who can follow instructions and has a good attitude
What does the future look like for immigrant job seekers? “Businesses are starting to understand that there are untapped markets for talent, and it is going to be a race, and the tipping point is that business leaders are gonna reevaluate and radically change how they identify and develop talent,” says Andrew.
For skilled newcomers like you, what that means is to showcase how you can help businesses solve these emerging problems. Master telling the story of how you did that in your home country and how you can do that here in Canada.
Employers do see the work, dedication, and willingness to learn in newcomers, but in the end, it’s up to the candidates to display their passion. “It’s your responsibility to manage your image… and to understand how networking works in Canada. All of that stuff is very important, and it is the way to get a job,” concludes Peter.
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