Working in Canada | A Guide to Land Your Dream Job!

Working in Canada is an exciting prospect for many newcomers. Moving to a new country is a time for new beginnings, cultural experiences, and rewarding career opportunities. It’s also a time when you’ll face many changes.

Like many courageous newcomers seeking an exciting change, you may take the leap, move to Canada, and deal with challenges as they arise. However, this approach can hinder your success. A better approach is to prepare to work in Canada before you arrive. With many resources, programs, and services to take advantage of, you will better integrate into Canada and achieve success faster!

Discover how you can better prepare yourself with vital activities, resources, tools, and steps to take before and after you arrive in Canada. You’ll gain a competitive advantage and land your dream job in Canada with a three-step approach.

Step 1: Prepare to Work in Canada Before You Arrive

A common challenge newcomers face is that Canadian employers may not recognize their foreign credentials. This can happen when newcomers work in regulated professions such as healthcare, engineering, and some trade occupations (i.e. electricians). Without credential recognition, you may face challenges working in your profession or:

• Unemployment

• Underemployment (working in jobs that do not align with your skills, education, and experience and pay less).

Beyond credential recognition, newcomers also need help to overcome barriers such as a lack of “Canadian work experience” or gaining relevant work experience. These challenges are frustrating and can lead to financial difficulties and disappointment when you arrive in Canada. However, there are many free employment programs and services that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funds to help newcomers overcome these barriers. These supports can help you prepare to work in Canada. Taking advantage of employment services can eliminate the stress of navigating your job search.

Determine if You’re Eligible to Work in Canada

An important first step is determining if you’re eligible to work in Canada and what you require to work in your profession or trade. Most occupations are non-regulated, however, about 20% of occupations and trades are regulated in Canada. You must have a license or certification if you work in a regulated profession. Knowing what skills, knowledge, licenses, language requirements, etc, you require before you arrive will make it easier to continue your career in Canada.

Are You Eligible to Work in Canada?

To determine if you are eligible to work in Canada, it’s important to consider these questions:

• Is your profession or trade regulated in Canada?

• What designation, license, or certificate do you need to obtain?

• How long will it take to complete the licensing process and how much will it cost?

It takes time to complete the licensing process for regulated professions. And, it will cost money. Therefore, it’s important to understand the education and work requirements before you arrive in Canada. When you know what to expect, you can prepare financially, and avoid unpleasant surprises. Learn what newcomers must know about education evaluation and credential recognition.

Do Canadian Employers Recognize Your Qualifications?

It’s vital to know if Canadian employers recognize your international qualifications. While you may have extensive experience and training, it can be frustrating when employers don’t recognize or value your international skills, education, or experience.

Getting recognition of your foreign credentials and work experience recognized is a large factor in how quickly you can continue your career in Canada. You will need your credentials assessed if you:

• Immigrate to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker

• Work in a certain profession or trade.

Getting your skills assessed to work in Canada will help you understand what jobs you qualify for. Or, you may discover that you require more training, education, or Canadian work experience. Related to this are two important processes: education evaluation and credential recognition. These are two separate and distinct processes. You can begin these processes before you arrive in Canada in some cases.

Learn about Canada’s Job Market

Once you determine you’re eligible to work in Canada, research the job market including the outlook, trends, and existing opportunities. Canada offers many exciting industries, each with unique job markets. Some sectors, such as healthcare and construction trades are experiencing growth due to labour shortages. However, some industries are struggling. So, you must research your profession to assess how easy or difficult it will be to continue your career in Canada.

In 2023 in response to the growing labour force needs, IRCC introduced the category-based selection process to target Express Entry candidates with experience in these six in-demand categories:

• French language proficiency

• Healthcare

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

• Trades

• Transport, and

• Agriculture and Agri-food.

Research Canada’s Job Market: Important Questions to Consider

Researching the job market will help you to analyze key developments, identify in-demand jobs, and understand the job outlook for your profession or trade in Canada. The Canada Job Bank is a great research tool to help you get started. Here are some relevant questions you can consider:

• What challenges is my industry facing in Canada? Is the industry growing or contracting?

• What trends such as technological changes or demographics are creating opportunities?

• How are trends affecting my functional area (i.e. IT, Marketing, Legal, Human Resources, and Finance)?

• What is the outlook for my industry and occupation across Canada?

• Where is the greatest demand for my occupation (provinces and cities)?

• What wages or salary can I expect to earn in different cities? Are the wages or salary in line with the cost of living (i.e housing costs) in the specific cities?

While it’s important to learn about the labour market, you also have to research cities in Canada as possible landing locations. Succeeding in Canada lies in settling in the right community. Ideally, a city that aligns with your professional, financial, and personal goals for you and your family.

Research wages, cost of living, and housing costs in different cities. For example, wages may be higher in large cities such as Vancouver and Toronto, but housing in these cities is also the highest in Canada. Consider that when you settle in a smaller city, you can often get a larger home for less money, ideal if you have a family.

How to Research Your Profession in Canada

You can research industry and labour market trends on social media, LinkedIn, trade, and government publications. And,  you can check out career pathways overviews to discover what you require to work in more than 20 occupations. The overview will help you understand how to prepare to work in Canada and achieve your career goals.

Step 2: Make Use of Pre-Arrival Employment Services

A key to success is pre-arrival employment services for newcomers. Many pre-arrival services are funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This means the programs are FREE to use. Most pre-arrival employment services are available online and can help you to:

• Understand licensing or certification requirements for your profession

• Access employment counselling and coaching services

• Establish local connections with professional associations and employers

• Access training to develop or enhance your language skills and work-related vocabulary

• Integrate into the job market and settle successfully in communities across Canada.

How to Access Pre-arrival Employment Services

You can take advantage of many pre-arrival settlement services. Settlement agencies provide services to newcomers such as one-to-one job counselling.  Settlement specialists can help you identify the skills and licenses you need to work in Canada. They can advise you on how to obtain job experience or certificates. And if you can begin the process while still in your home country, you may save time and money. It may even reduce the length of your job search when you arrive in Canada.

Accessing pre-arrival employment services before you arrive is vital to successful integration. The employment support will help you achieve your professional goals.

Step 3: Create an Action Plan to Work in Canada

Having laid the foundation by completing steps one and two, you can now create an effective action plan to work in Canada. A vital element must include accessing free post-arrival employment services when you arrive in Canada.

Cameron Moser from ACCES Employment, states why post-arrival employment services are valuable:

“You need as many people who can be a helpful partner with you. Importantly, you’ll discover how to speak confidently in job interviews about how you can help Canadian employers. Post-arrival employment service providers will also help you to understand the important workplace cultural environment.”

Cameron Moser, ACCES Employment

Post-arrival service providers can help you create a personalized action plan including finding a mentor, networking, and preparing for your job search. If you are already in Canada, click here to find free newcomer services to help you work in Canada.

Crafting Your Job Search Action Plan to Work in Canada

With many employment services, resources, and programs to take advantage of, you’ll be better positioned to enter Canada’s workforce.  When you follow the three steps outlined, you also achieve results faster, with less stress, and more confidence!