News & Events

Canada: Finding a job

It′s the most crucial piece of the puzzle in moving abroad to start a new life – but unfortunately is not always the easiest. Nonetheless, new arrivals to Canada will find a strong economy with plenty of jobs available.

“The economy is still very favourable and [is expected to remain so] over the next three decades,” says Mark Cooper, president and chief executive officer of the Saskatchewan Construction Association.

Beyond the obvious professions associated with construction (engineers, project manager, quantity surveyors), Ruairi Spillane of Moving2Canada Recruitment, which focuses on the construction and engineering sectors within western Canada, says that Canada needs doctors, social care workers, IT workers, etc.

“On the trades side, the most sought after trades are carpenters, pipefitters, electricians, industrial fitters, truck drivers, etc”.

Given the sheer scale of the country, it may make sense to target your search depending on what type of job you are looking for.

Saskatchewan has long been a popular location for Irish migrants, and according to Cooper it remains attractive, particularly for “those in the skilled trades”. This means that demand is strong for anything in the construction trades, or in manufacturing.

“In particular, our province is short of equipment operators, equipment mechanics, and machinists. Also there is great demand for supervisors, project managers, and estimators,” he says.

Alberta is another province those in trades could target, and Spillane notes that the province, particularly Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray, has the strongest job markets for construction and engineering.

One of the most popular destinations for Irish migrants is Toronto – but job hunters should be warned that the economy is “certainly not the strongest in the country”.

However, Cathy Murphy notes that there are roles for those in IT and the skilled trades in particular.

“I have yet to meet an electrician, carpenter, or plumber who (once licensed here) cannot get work. Those in finance will find the job market more challenging,” she says.

It can be difficult to secure a job from home, and Spillane warns that it can take anywhere from upwards of three-four months.

“Canadian employers tend to be very slow about hiring from abroad despite the labour shortage in western Canada. They place great emphasis on local Canadian experience and can be slow to acknowledge international experience,” he advises.

Julian Fleming, who moved to Vancouver in August 2013, agrees. “Unfortunately recruiters don′t seem to value foreign experience”.

Indeed Spillane suggests that networking face to face can be “crucial” in securing a job.

“We always encourage people to conduct informational interviews with locals to learn more about similar job roles in Canada before they approach employers. It′s crucial that they don′t make the mistake of assuming that things are done the same way as Ireland. Canadian employers tend to hire internationally for construction but it′s not overly common for other sectors,” he advises.

Fleming agrees that it is “absolutely imperative to get out there and meet people before the interview stage. Most people I know got their jobs through referrals and meeting someone influential for a coffee – just like home, in many cases it’s who you know, not what you know”.

Fleming is a member of the Vancouver Irish Business & Enterprise association (Vibe), and says it can be worthwhile getting involved in similar networking associations.

“I only started getting interviews after networking like mad. Meeting people for ‘information interviews’ is common-place here; while it’s tough to secure work, the flip-side is that people will take the time to meet for a coffee and hear you out, which helps a lot.”

When it comes to how much you might earn, Spillane says salaries in general are comparable with Ireland. “Alberta offers the most competitive salaries and lower livings costs due to low sales tax and low energy costs,” he says.

For more detailed information on salaries which match your own skill-sets, you can check out http://www.canadavisa.com/ which has a “Canada Salary Calculator” for every region.