🇨🇦 How to Find a Job in Canada: A Comprehensive Guide for Newcomers
Are you a new immigrant or planning to move to Canada? The first thing you need to do is to get a job. Many people think of Canada as a friendly country, but in reality, finding a Canadian job as a foreigner and paying off your living expenses is not easy at all. In this article, we will share with you how to find a job in Canada, how to make a Canadian resume, and improve your LinkedIn profile. We will also provide you with the best Canadian job sites and a few tips that will help you to find a high salary job as a foreigner or new immigrant. So, without further ado, let's get started.
Table of Contents
1. [Creating a Canadian Resume](#creating-a-canadian-resume)
2. [Writing a Canadian Cover Letter](#writing-a-canadian-cover-letter)
3. [Improving Your LinkedIn Profile](#improving-your-linkedin-profile)
4. [Best Canadian Job Sites](#best-canadian-job-sites)
5. [Attending Job Fairs](#attending-job-fairs)
6. [Using Employment Agencies](#using-employment-agencies)
7. [Applying Directly to Companies](#applying-directly-to-companies)
8. [Preparing for a Canadian Job Interview](#preparing-for-a-canadian-job-interview)
9. [Following Up After a Job Interview](#following-up-after-a-job-interview)
10. [Top 10 Part-Time Jobs in Canada with Zero Experience Needed](#top-10-part-time-jobs-in-canada-with-zero-experience-needed)
Creating a Canadian Resume
A resume or CV is a document that has all details about your work experience and education. It's the first thing your employer looks at, so it's very important to make a good first impression. Here are a few tips that make your Canadian resume stand out:
- **Never indicate your age or ethnicity.**
- **Avoid mentioning your personal information** like your relationship status or sexual orientation because no one cares and it's not relevant to the job.
- **Use keywords** because most Canadian hiring managers use online software to select the best resume, so they search based on keywords.
- **Include your international experience** on your resume, even if it's a volunteering position because it shows that you're not afraid to relocate and adjust to a new culture.
- **Link your LinkedIn profile, website, and email address** to your resume so that with just one click, the hiring manager can view your profile.
Writing a Canadian Cover Letter
A cover letter is how you introduce yourself to a Canadian employer when you apply for a job. You want to make a great first impression because your cover letter allows you to get into more details than your resume, and it can open the door to an interview and potentially landing a job. Here are some tips for writing a good Canadian cover letter:
- **Customize your cover letter** if you are applying to many similar jobs by just adjusting a few words for each job.
- **Update the company name, job title, and contact information** because if you forget to change the hiring manager's name, he won't be impressed.
- **Keep it short** because no one spends their time reading your two-page cover letter. A great cover letter is short and respects the reader's time.
- **Focus on the employer's needs** instead of your life story. Address the employee's needs instead of using the word "I" over and over again.
- **Don't be needy.** Instead of writing, "Please consider me as your sales representative," you can write, "Your need for a top-performing sales representative is an excellent match for my three-year history as a top-ranked salesperson."
Improving Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is by far the most powerful tool for a job seeker. It allows you to expand your connections in your industry, which increases your chances to get a job in Canada. Here are some tips to improve your LinkedIn profile:
- **Choose the right profile picture.** Your LinkedIn profile picture should be different than your Tinder profile picture. If it's a picture of you standing on a beach holding a beer, make sure to get a professional photo in informal clothes and good lighting because it adds personality to your profile.
- **Use keywords related to your job industry.** Updating your profile for job searches is a very important step. Loading your profile with keywords related to the job you're looking for will bring up your profile in searches by recruiters.
- **Have your own custom URL on LinkedIn.** By default, your public LinkedIn profile is very long and unprofessional, so make sure to go to your profile and edit your link and change it to your name.
Best Canadian Job Sites
There are many Canadian job sites that will help you find a job, and we will share with you the most popular ones in Canada. Obviously, the main one is Job Bank, which is Canada's national job posting website, and it was launched in 1996. As you can see, there are over 100,000 jobs available in Canada right now, and you can search based on your job location and categories. For example, if we click on foreign workers and filter based on our location, we'll have all of these available jobs. We can reduce the distance to 10 kilometers and filter based on salary and language. Some other popular Canadian job sites are Indeed, LinkedIn Job, and Glassdoor. In every province, there is a provincial job site. For example, here in British Columbia, it's bcjobs.ca. There are other companies like Monster, ZipRecruiter, and more. So make sure to browse some of these websites that we just mentioned and get familiar with how they work.
Attending Job Fairs
Many universities and companies organize job fairs. Some of these fairs are in person, and some of them are online, and they usually take two to three days. You can Google job fairs and attend one of them in your city, but as far as we know, every university in Canada hosts job fairs at least two times a year. We remember when we started studying at BCIT, which is in Vancouver, just after two weeks, they hosted a job fair, and we went there. We talked to two or maybe three employers, and one of them invited us to a job interview, and everything went well. But unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and it ruined everything. So make sure to go to these job fairs because they work really well for newcomers and students. Websites like Eventbrite and Meetup are also good ways to find upcoming job fairs.
Using Employment Agencies
There are many employment agencies that can help you find a job in Canada. Recruitment agencies in Canada can be nationally or internationally licensed. The nationally licensed ones can only help job seekers in Canada, but the internationally licensed ones can recruit from overseas. You can Google Canada employment agencies to find a few, but some popular employment agencies in Canada are Robert Half, We Understand, and Haste. Employment agencies cannot ask for money from job seekers to help them find work. However, they can charge additional services like resume or interview preparation. So beware of any scams or agencies asking you to pay a fee in exchange for a job offer, especially if you haven't moved to Canada yet.
Applying Directly to Companies
A good way to start your job search in Canada is to make a list of companies you'd like to work at and then check the career sections on their websites. Most of these companies let you send the job application for available positions directly through their website. Some examples are Nike, Zara, and H&M. If you want to take it to another level, you can reach out to your employer through LinkedIn and introduce yourself there.
Preparing for a Canadian Job Interview
In Canada, the interview process takes longer than your home country and involves multiple rounds of interviews over the phone, online, or in person. The first step is to analyze the job description. Make sure to take your time to read the job posting and use it as a guide. A typical job posting will highlight the responsibilities, qualifications, and previous experiences. The second step is to build your elevator pitch, which is a short 20 to 30 seconds introduction where you introduce yourself. It's basically the answer to "tell me about yourself." The third step is to prepare to answer common interview questions. The first interview will often have similar questions like "tell me about yourself" or "why are you applying for this job?" The fourth step is to dress to impress. Whether you have an in-person or online interview, it's very important to wear your best formal outfits and avoid outfits with bright colors. Finally, make sure to have a professional outro. Instead of being awkward and having nothing to say, you should have a 10-second outro to thank the interviewer for this opportunity and tell them to feel free to contact you if they have any further questions.
Following Up After a Job Interview
After your job interview, checking in with the employer and showing your enthusiasm for the job can set you apart. We highly recommend sending a follow-up email after your job interview to show your interest and thank them for their consideration. You can simply say, "Dear hiring manager, it was my pleasure talking with you today. I really appreciate learning more about your company, and I'm looking forward to meeting with you in person and discussing our cooperation further. Regards, your name." That's a very easy task, and as far as we know, almost 90 percent of people don't do that, but it might secure a job offer.
Top 10 Part-Time Jobs in Canada with Zero Experience Needed
If you're looking for a part-time job in Canada with zero experience needed, make sure to watch our next video. We will share with you the top 10 part-time jobs in Canada that can pay anywhere from $16 per hour up to $100 per hour.
As always, thanks for reading, and we hope this article helps you find a job in Canada. Good luck!
Highlights
- Finding a Canadian job as a foreigner and paying off your living expenses is not easy at all.
- A resume or CV is a document that has all details about your work experience and education.
- A cover letter is how you introduce yourself to a Canadian employer when you apply for a job.
- LinkedIn is by far the most powerful tool for a job seeker.
- Job Bank is Canada's national job posting website, and it was launched in 1996.
- Many universities and companies organize job fairs.
- There are many employment agencies that can help you find a job in Canada.
- A good way to start your job search in Canada is to make a list of companies you'd like to work at and then check the career sections on their websites.
- In Canada, the interview process takes longer than your home country and involves multiple rounds of interviews over the phone, online, or in person.
- Checking in with the employer and showing your enthusiasm for the job can set you apart.
FAQ
**Q: Is it easy to find a job in Canada as a foreigner?**
A: No, it's not easy to find a job in Canada as a foreigner. You need to have a good resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. You also need to attend job fairs, use employment agencies, and apply directly to companies.
**Q: What is the best Canadian job site?**
A: The best Canadian job site is Job Bank, which is Canada's national job posting website. It was launched in 1996, and there are over 100,000 jobs available in Canada right now.
**Q: How can I improve my LinkedIn profile?**
A: You can improve your LinkedIn profile by choosing the right profile picture, using keywords related to your job industry, and having your own custom URL on LinkedIn.
**Q: How can I prepare for a Canadian job interview?**
A: You can prepare for a Canadian job interview by analyzing the job description, building your elevator pitch, preparing to answer common interview questions, dressing to impress, and having a professional outro.
**Q: Should I send a follow-up email after my job interview?**
A: Yes, you should send a follow-up email after your job interview to show your interest and thank them for their consideration.
