Jobs in Canada

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.

How to find a job?

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. The application process in Canada is very commercial and you have to actively sell yourself.

Talk to everyone who may be able to help you, and give each of them a copy of your updated resume.
You can also search in newspapers & magazine classified ads, bulletin boards, Cable TV scrolling ads, and government-funded Employment Centers.
Many businesses advertise job openings through employment agencies. But be aware that agencies are profit-seeking companies. They may charge a fee for their services, or deduct a percentage of your pay.

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.

International educational assessment services
- International educational assessment services in Canada
  
  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
  95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
  Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
  Telephone: 1 (416) 962-9725
  Fax: 1 (416) 962-2800
  E-mail: info@cicic.ca
  URL: www.cicic.ca

Provincial evaluation services
- Provincially mandated credential assessment services
  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
  45 Charles Street East, Suite 700
  Toronto, Ontario
  M4Y 1S2 Canada
  Telephone: 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 équivalences d'études)
  Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens
  et de l'Immigration
  Suite 200
  800, De Maisonneuve Boulevard East
  Montréal, Quebec
  H2L 4L8 Canada
  Telephone: 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
  Ministry of Learning
  Government of Alberta
  4th Floor, Sterling Place
  9940-106 Street
  Edmonton, Alberta
  T5K 2N2 Canada
  Telephone: 1 (780) 427-2655
  Fax: 1 (780) 422-9734
  E-mail: iqas@gov.ab.ca
  URL: http://www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca/
  
  International Credential Evaluation Service
  4355 Mathissi Place
  Burnaby, British Columbia
  V5G 4S8 Canada
  Telephone: 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: http://www.bcit.ca/ices/
  
  Manitoba Credentials
  Recognition Program
  Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Citizenship
  Settlement and Labour Market
  Services Branch
  5th Floor, 213 Notre Dame Avenue
  Winnipeg, Manitoba
  R3B 1N3 Canada
  Telephone: 1 (204) 945-6300 or
  1 (204) 945-3162
  Fax: 1 (204) 948-2256
  E-mail: immigratemanitoba@gov.mb.ca
  URL: http://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.

Employment in regulated professions and trades
- Employment in regulated Professions and Trades
  
  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

Language skills
- Language skills
  
  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.

Job opportunities
- Job opportunities
  - 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 résumé 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 résumé 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 résumé (in English or French). When you do this, your résumé goes into a database that can be searched by employers. Try visiting the following Web sites, run by the federal government:
  - www.hrdc-drhc.gc.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.
  - ele-spe.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca: 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.SkillNet.ca: This is a large network of job and career information Web sites. It can link you to full-time and part-time job opportunities.
  - 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.
  - http://integration-net.ca/: This site is run by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It includes links to many different types of jobs and other useful information for newcomers.

Employment laws
- Employment laws
  
  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.

Discrimination
- Discrimination
  
  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.

Deductions and Taxable Benefits
- Deductions and Taxable Benefits
  Whether you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, when you are hired, your employer will deduct money from your pay cheque to pay for the following:
  
  Income tax
  All Canadian residents who are old enough to work must file an income tax return each year, whether they earned any money or not. That is the law. If you are working for an employer, a percentage of your pay cheque will be deducted and sent to the federal government to cover the income tax that you owe. If too much is deducted, you will get a refund. If you paid too little, you will have to pay more. This money helps pay the cost of government services.
  
  Canada Pension Plan
  A small part of your pay cheque goes into this plan. When you retire, you will receive a monthly pension from the federal government. The amount will vary according to how many years you worked in Canada before retiring and what your salary was. Residents of Quebec pay into the Quebec Pension Plan, which works the same way as the federal plan. These plans also include survivor's pensions for the spouses of deceased pensioners, disability pensions and death benefits.
  
  Employment Insurance
  When you are working, a small percentage of your pay cheque will be deducted each month to go into the Employment Insurance Account. Your employer contributes to the account as well. Employment Insurance gives money to eligible, unemployed Canadian residents for a short time, while they look for a new job or take some training to learn new skills.
  
  Taxable benefits
  Your employer may provide some benefits (for example, life insurance, special medical care, a dental plan or a private pension plan) that are taxable.
  
  Union dues
  If you are in a union, and the union has an agreement with your employer, some money will be deducted to pay for the union dues.