Employment in Canada

WORK CULTURE

How to get Employment

What Recruiters Want?

Recruiters are seeking candidates who can successfully:

Demonstrate an authentic passion and confidence to adopt a specific role.

Respond promptly to an appropriate opportunity and make him/herself available as quickly as possible.

Present a strategically customized resume tailored to a specific position with relevant use of keywords.

Articulate the ideal marketable skill set in a goal-driven and results-oriented value proposition.

Present him/herself with a high level of professionalism, politeness, and integrity.

• In addition, recruiters require attention to these basics:
• Be ready for change.
• Know who they are.
• Express genuine interest in the position.
• Know what they want.
• Say “yes” to new opportunities and risk-taking.

Tips for Adapting to a Canadian work place:

Know Yourself

We often don’t recognize our own culture until we are exposed to something different. Notice what seems unusual in the workplace; rather than assuming others are doing things wrong, consider the possibility that the difference is due to culture.

Embrace Diversity

Canada is an unusually diverse country, so it can be challenging to identify Canadian workplace “norms”; they will be different according to who owns or runs the organization and the types of workers who are employed.

Ask Questions

Canadians are very open to questions and appreciate you asking rather than making assumptions. However, they also expect you to work independently. If you need to get something done, do the best you can with the information you have.

Pay Attention to Time

Being “on time” at work means being ready to work by the time you are supposed to start (i.e., not just arriving at work, but actually at your desk or operating your equipment). It’s typical to start work a little bit early and leave a little bit late, rather than cutting your day short. Ensure you come back from breaks and lunch on time, too.

Respect senior employees and supervisors

Even though they seem casual. It’s not uncommon to call your boss by his or her first name in Canada, but it’s typical to begin more formally (e.g., Mr., Ms., Dr.) with senior members of the team until invited to be less formal. Follow others’ lead; usually your supervisors or managers will introduce themselves the way they’d like to be addressed (e.g., Hi. I’m Jonah.) Sometimes people are more casual or informal within the workplace but more formal when speaking with customers or clients (e.g., to the patient, “Stephen, Dr. Smith will see you now” but to the doctor, “Jonah, Stephen is in Room 102.”)

Practice the local language

Even if it seems unnecessary to speak English at work or in your community, many more opportunities will be open to you as your language skills improve. Recognize the impact of accents and regional dialects. Even native English speakers have trouble understanding each other if they’ve learned the language in different countries or parts of Canada. Try not to be offended if people don’t understand you. Speak slowly, ask for help, and where necessary consider adopting the local accent and idioms so that you can be easily understood.

Learn organizational rules about relationships

In some workplaces, it’s considered inappropriate or even unethical to have personal friendships, especially romantic relationships, with clients, customers, or co-workers.

Rules are rules, even if they don’t always make sense

Canada is somewhat unique in that our occupations are regulated provincially rather than federally. This means that even if your certificates or degrees are recognized in one part of Canada, they may not be sufficient if you move to another province. This is true for Canadians as well as immigrants and international workers. You may need to take additional training or write specific exams if you want to move to another part of the country.

Discuss your career goals.

Canadian employers expect you to manage your own career. If you are interested in more challenging work, have a conversation with your supervisor. Be patient, as it may take some time to move ahead. However, employers appreciate you taking initiative, so if there’s a project you could contribute to, don’t hesitate sharing your ideas and letting your supervisor know what other skills you have to offer.

Help people understand your background

Help people understand your background and Your reason for coming to Canada. Perhaps you’re in Canada to stay as an immigrant, or perhaps you’re here as one step in your international/global career. Canadians may assume that your goal is to stay, and encourage you to take an entry level position as you get established. This may be a good idea if your goal is to work in a Canadian workplace and settle into life in Canada. However, if you’re here as an international worker, your needs and goals may be different.

We often don’t recognize our own culture until we are exposed to something different. Notice what seems unusual in the workplace; rather than assuming others are doing things wrong, consider the possibility that the difference is due to culture.Canada is an unusually diverse country, so it can be challenging to identify Canadian workplace “norms”; they will be different according to who owns or runs the organization and the types of workers who are employed. Canadians are very open to questions and appreciate you asking rather than making assumptions. However, they also expect you to work independently. If you need to get something done, do the best you can with the information you have. Being “on time” at work means being ready to work by the time you are supposed to start (i.e., not just arriving at work, but actually at your desk or operating your equipment). It’s typical to start work a little bit early and leave a little bit late, rather than cutting your day short. Ensure you come back from breaks and lunch on time, too. Even though they seem casual. It’s not uncommon to call your boss by his or her first name in Canada, but it’s typical to begin more formally (e.g., Mr., Ms., Dr.) with senior members of the team until invited to be less formal. Follow others’ lead; usually your supervisors or managers will introduce themselves the way they’d like to be addressed (e.g., Hi. I’m Jonah.) Sometimes people are more casual or informal within the workplace but more formal when speaking with customers or clients (e.g., to the patient, “Stephen, Dr. Smith will see you now” but to the doctor, “Jonah, Stephen is in Room 102.”) Even if it seems unnecessary to speak English at work or in your community, many more opportunities will be open to you as your language skills improve. Recognize the impact of accents and regional dialects. Even native English speakers have trouble understanding each other if they’ve learned the language in different countries or parts of Canada. Try not to be offended if people don’t understand you. Speak slowly, ask for help, and where necessary consider adopting the local accent and idioms so that you can be easily understood. In some workplaces, it’s considered inappropriate or even unethical to have personal friendships, especially romantic relationships, with clients, customers, or co-workers.Canada is somewhat unique in that our occupations are regulated provincially rather than federally. This means that even if your certificates or degrees are recognized in one part of Canada, they may not be sufficient if you move to another province. This is true for Canadians as well as immigrants and international workers. You may need to take additional training or write specific exams if you want to move to another part of the country. Canadian employers expect you to manage your own career. If you are interested in more challenging work, have a conversation with your supervisor. Be patient, as it may take some time to move ahead. However, employers appreciate you taking initiative, so if there’s a project you could contribute to, don’t hesitate sharing your ideas and letting your supervisor know what other skills you have to offer.Help people understand your background and Your reason for coming to Canada. Perhaps you’re in Canada to stay as an immigrant, or perhaps you’re here as one step in your international/global career. Canadians may assume that your goal is to stay, and encourage you to take an entry level position as you get established. This may be a good idea if your goal is to work in a Canadian workplace and settle into life in Canada. However, if you’re here as an international worker, your needs and goals may be different.