Jobs in Canada

The majority of people in Canada get jobs through applying to job advertisements in newspaper and more job listings in job website. It requires confidence and self promotion which are qualities discouraged in many other cultures.

Canada is a large country; it is best to check the vacancies in the regional paper of the province where you want to work. In Canada, full-time jobs are common. However, a growing number of people have part-time or short-term jobs. Women make up a large portion of the work force and many have important, senior positions.

Canadians may change jobs and careers several times. This is often a personal choice. Sometimes people must change jobs because the economy changes. For these and other reasons, getting a job is not easy. Many people are looking for work.

Newcomers to Canada rarely enter the job market quickly and often must start with jobs below the skill level they worked at in their home country. Once they have Canadian job experience and their ability in English or French improves, so do their job prospects.

Even if you have many years of experience, you do not automatically have the right to practice your trade or profession in Canada. In most cases, you will need to have your credentials assessed to see whether you need more training, education or Canadian work experience before being qualified to practice. You may wish to get your credentials evaluated before you leave for Canada. The following organizations can tell you how to get your credentials assessed.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials Web site:

www.cicic.ca has information on academic and occupational credentials for all of Canada and lists nearly 150 professions and trades, in alphabetical order. When you click on your profession or trade, you will find a link to the address and telephone number of the professional or trade association, the addresses and telephone numbers of provincial evaluation services and regulatory agencies, and labour market information (for example, whether there is a demand for people with your particular trade or profession). You will also be able to find out whether your profession or trade is regulated.

The Centre does not grant equivalencies or assess credentials. It gives advice and refers newcomers to sources of help. To contact the Centre by mail, write to :

Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

Address: 95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106 , Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
Phone: 1 (416) 962-9725
(Fax: 1 (416) 962-2800
E-mail: info@cicic.ca
URL: www.cicic.ca

Provincial assessment services assess academic credentials for a fee. The assessment will tell you how your education compares with educational standards in the province where you are planning to settle. You can give your assessment to any employer in Canada. It may help you in your job search.

World Education Services - Foreign

Academic Credential Evaluation Service
Address: 45 Charles Street East, Suite 700 Toronto, Ontario M4Y 1S2 Canada
Phone: 1 (416) 972-0070
Toll-free: 1 866 343-0070 (within Canada)
Fax: 1 (416) 972-9004
E-mail: canada@wes.org
URL: www.wes.org/ca
Education Credentials Evaluation (Service des ?quivalences d'?tudes)
Address: Minist?re des Relations avec les citoyens et de l'Immigration Suite 200 800, De Maisonneuve Boulevard East Montr?al, Quebec H2L 4L8 Canada
Phone: 1 (514) 873-5647
Toll-free: 1 877 264-6164 (within Canada)
Fax: 1 (514) 873-8701
E-mail: equivalences@mrci.gouv.qc.ca
International Qualifications
Assessment Service
Address: Ministry of Learning Government of Alberta 4th Floor, Sterling Place 9940-106 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2N2 Canada
Phone: 1 (780) 427-2655
Fax: 1 (780) 422-9734
E-mail: iqas@gov.ab.ca

International Credential Evaluation Service

Address: 4355 Mathissi Place Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 4S8 Canada
Phone: 1 (604) 431-3402
Toll-free within B.C.: 1 800 663-1663 (local 3402)
Fax: 1 (604) 431-3382
E-mail: icesinfo@ola.bc.ca
URL: https://www.bcit.ca/ices/
Manitoba Credentials
Recognition Program
Address: Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Citizenship Settlement and Labour Market Services Branch 5th Floor, 213 Notre Dame Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1N3 Canada
Phone: 1 (204) 945-6300 or 1 (204) 945-3162
Fax: 1 (204) 948-2256
E-mail: immigratemanitoba@gov.mb.ca
URL: https://www.gov.mb.ca/

Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan provides evaluation services through an agreement with Alberta.

New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Nunavut or Yukon: You may contact any of the credential assessment services listed above.

In Canada, about 20 percent of jobs are regulated by the government to protect public health and safety. For example, nurses, doctors, engineers, teachers and electricians all work in regulated professions. People who want to work in regulated jobs need to get a license from the regulatory body in the province in which they live. If you want to know more about how to enter a particular profession or trade in a particular province, you should contact the provincial regulatory body for that job. The professions are self-regulating and they administer the provincial laws that apply to their profession. Rules for entering professions also differ from province to province.
For more information, visit www.cicic.ca

It is important to learn English or French as quickly as possible. Many newcomers begin life in Canada by looking for a job that will allow them to learn or improve their English or French. The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program gives eligible adult immigrants the chance to take basic English or French classes at no charge.

People with foreign credentials need a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score to enter Canadian colleges and universities. Colleges and universities offering courses in French use various French language tests.

• Human Resources Development Canada Centers: Counselors at these centers can give you free advice and information about job and language training and work creation programs for newcomers. They can help you plan an effective job search and prepare a resume of your education and experience. Each centre also has listings of available jobs on computer or on bulletin boards.
• Classified advertisements: Every daily newspaper in Canada has a classified advertisements section where you will find a variety of jobs listed. In many areas, there are also weekly or monthly employment papers that advertise jobs.
• Local help: To help newcomers prepare to enter the Canadian work force or to gain access to their profession or trade in Canada, immigrant-serving organizations have a variety of programs. Some give workshops on job search skills, where participants get an overview of the job market where they live. Participants learn, among other things, how to write a good r?sum? and how to behave in an interview. In some areas, there are job-finding clubs, mentoring programs, programs to help you get volunteer work experience, and wage subsidy programs.
• Your personal "network": One of the best ways to learn about jobs is to talk to people. They can be people you know well, or people you have just met. Even if they cannot lead you directly to a job, they can provide you with information, ideas and names of other people who might be able to help and encourage you.
• The Internet: Many Web sites have information on job opportunities. You can search for a job on-line in any part of Canada. Some sites also give practical advice on how to plan your job search. Others allow you to apply for a job directly on the Internet, or to post your r?sum? (in English or French). When you do this, your resume goes into a database that can be searched by employers. Try visiting the following Web sites, run by the federal government:
  • www.ourcommons.ca/: This is the national Web site of Human Resources Development Canada, a federal department. It is also the gateway to many of the sites mentioned below.
  • www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development:This is an on-line database of jobs and work or business opportunities across Canada. It matches work to people and people to work. You can click on the province where you plan to settle and submit a list of your skills to the database to find work opportunities that match your profile.
  • worksearch.gc.ca: This site will take you through all the steps needed to choose a career and to carry out an effective work search.
  • www.workinfonet.ca: This is a national site for career and labour market information. It will link you to job information for each province and territory. It also includes information on self-employment, education and training.
  • jb-ge.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca: This is the "Job Bank" Web site. It contains an on-line database of thousands of job vacancies across Canada.
  • lmi-imt.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca: This site will link you to detailed labour market information for every city in Canada.
  • www.canadait.com: This site is a gateway to job opportunities in the information technology and communications sector. It has links to company directories and associations that will help you find potential employers.
  • www.jobs.gc.ca: This site posts federal government jobs available across the country and accepts on-line applications.

Federal and provincial laws protect workers and employers by setting minimum wage levels, health and safety standards, and hours of work. They provide for maternity leave, annual paid vacation and protection of children who are working. There are also human rights laws that protect employees from unfair treatment by employers based on sex, age, race, religion or disability.

There are laws to protect workers from discrimination. For example, an employer must hire employees on the basis of their qualifications. Employers cannot refuse to hire you because they don't like your skin colour or your religion. This is discrimination. It is also discrimination if you are refused a job because of your age, sex, marital status, disability or sexual orientation.