Seven Ways To Make Yourself More Employable In Canada

Although the current Federal Skilled Worker Program allows candidates to make a Canadian permanent resident application without a job offer, obtaining a valid job offer in advance is an advantage for many people hoping to move to Canada.

With this in mind, it is beneficial to maximise your chances of finding employment in Canada. Success depends on your ability to discover what Canadian employers are looking for and reveal to them that you have the required skills, knowledge, and experience. Here is a list of seven ways you can make yourself more employable in Canada.

1. Build your Canadian resume

An effective resume is essentially a marketing document in which you are the product. It is your chance to make a strong first impression and show your potential value to an employer. Employers across Canada are accustomed to seeing personal information and work background being presented in a particular way, so it’s important to format your resume in the Canadian style. If you cannot represent your skills in a way that employers expect, they are unlikely to believe that you have the ability to adapt to life in Canada. To achieve success, start building your Canadian resume today.

2. Update your professional social networking presence

If you are conducting your job search remotely rather than on the ground in Canada, it becomes more important to build and maintain your online presence. Professional social networking sites allow you to leverage common connections, connect with recruiters, and discuss issues with members of your growing network and in industry groups. Networking is a time-honoured method of communicating with and learning from other people in your field, and modern technology allows you to network remotely. This is another opportunity to make a strong first impression, so take it. Visit CanadaVisa on LinkedIn and learn more about this online networking tool.

3. Tailor applications to job positions

This is vital. Sending 20 identical applications for 20 different positions is not good practice, as employers can see that you didn’t spend much time thinking about and working on your application. If this is how you are conducting your job search, it is likely to fail. It is far more beneficial to send fewer applications and spend a bit more time researching each position and making alterations to your resume and cover letter accordingly. Employers will appreciate the effort you have put in to make yourself stand out from the crowd, and therefore will be more likely to respond positively to your application. The CanadaVisa job search tool allows you to search for positions by location and occupation.

4. Know where the jobs are in your occupation

Knowledge is power. You might be an award-winning biologist or highly-skilled engineer with all the skills and experience possible, but knowing where those jobs are in Canada, and why those jobs are in those places, is background information that you can’t afford to do without. For the biologist, does the region he or she wishes to move to have the kind of laboratories or research centres needed? For the engineer, are there major infrastructure projects in place or being planned? Are there regular networking events in your job field? What is the pay scale? What are the local and regional employment rates? Getting answers to these questions will allow you to make more targeted job applications, as well as give you a better idea of where in Canada your skills are most needed. See the CanadaVisa occupation profiles page for more information on your occupation.

5. Get accredited

Some occupations, such as nursing, teaching and certain trades, require converting your accreditations to Canadian equivalents and/or taking part in further training to gain necessary accreditation for working in Canada. You can work on getting this accreditation before you move to Canada, which will show employers that you are serious about moving and prepare you for the Canadian market.

6. Work on your language skills

If English is not your first language and you are moving to part of Canada except Quebec, you should make an increased and sustained effort to improve your English skills. Candidates wishing to work in Quebec should make an effort to improve their French skills. Clear communication is essential for any successful business.

Furthermore, if you are trying to immigrate to Canada under any of the permanent residency programs, you will need to pass an examination in either English or French.

7. Practice your interview techniques

In an increasingly globalised world, more and more employers are interviewing potential employees on the telephone or by Skype. This means that you could be asked to conduct an interview from outside Canada. Getting an interview simply means that you have provided yourself a platform to further demonstrate your suitability for the role. The hard work starts here, and confidence is key. Practice speaking out loud in front of friends, as this will allow you to become comfortable with the ideas you are presenting. More importantly, do some research on the company that has asked you to interview for a position. Moreover, arrange a short list of questions of your own that you can ask employers during an interview. Ensure that you come across as an inquisitive person with a sincere interest in how the company conducts its affairs. The Government of Canada supplies some useful resources on preparing for a job interview.

“Above all, maintaining a positive attitude throughout the job hunting process is key, as it is for the immigration process. It is natural to become frustrated if you are not getting immediate results, but finding a job is a continuous learning cycle,” says Attorney David Cohen. “For potential candidates for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which remains open across 50 skilled occupations, making yourself more employable in Canada means they can land in Canada and hit the ground running.”

To find out if you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program or any other of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, please fill out a free online assessment today.