CANADIAN NEWCOMER 3

How to Job Search in Canada

5 min readJun 12, 2020

When it comes to searching for your new job here in Canada, organisation and structure are key; I treated looking for a job, as a job. And so should you!

Before diving into this article, please make sure to catch the other entries in the series, available at the following links:

Here are some tips and recommendations to follow as you go about your search:

Have a Routine. Time-management is important, but so is discipline; once you have woken up (in the morning!), get dressed and get on with it!
Don’t get stuck too deep in the search. Make sure to take lunch/ tea/ coffee/ walk-the-dog breaks to give your brain a rest
Come 4 or 5pm shut down your computer so you can enjoy your evening in Canada!
From a practical point-of-view, I recommend setting aside space where you can focus on your “work”. If you are in the work mindset, it will be easier to concentrate
Focus your search. Don’t blindly apply for 250 jobs. Narrow your search and concentrate on fewer, but higher quality, matches. To improve the chances of success in your search, next think about what roles you are applying for, and where you are applying — do the requirements match your skills & experience? Do you know why you want that job, at that company? Or are you just applying “because”? Be specific!

Consider your resume; is it suitable? Is your resume Canadian standard? If not, make it so. If you took advantage of pre-arrival services, excellent! They will be able to help you understand the typical format and contents of a Canadian resume. If not, you can find templates and examples of Canadian-style resumes online.
Do you use the same resume for each position? If yes, stop! I recommend writing up a “master resume”, which details every position or past work experience/education you have, and can be 5, 7, 10, or more pages long! Put as much detail as you can remember. When you start writing, your memory will be triggered, and it’s amazing what details will come up in your mind
Now that you are applying for a job, be specific and targeted. Copy specific sections from your master resume into a tailored resume for each application. Make sure your resume highlights the key skills or experience you have that will make the hiring manager see you as a winner.
Have a resume that focuses on skills and achievements, and make sure you are using keywords that match the job description
Have you reviewed your resume vs ATS? Canadian employers use ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to filter resumes. They match for keywords between the job description and your resume. I know it is a lot of work, but if you apply with a uniform resume to multiple jobs, you won’t pass at the first hurdle
To make sure you have good chances, try this tool to check if your resume can pass ATS:

What's an ATS? How to Write a Resume to Beat the Applicant Tracking System

Here is everything you need to know about applicant tracking systems and how to beat them. We've all been there: You…

ca.topresume.com

Do you have a cover letter attached? If not, make one! This is another chance to talk about yourself and why you are a good fit for the position. The resume is for facts. The cover letter is a chance to write about yourself and add something more human. Don’t miss that opportunity to reinforce your application!
Skills improvement via LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Udemy and other online courses. If you find a job that sounds appealing, but you are not proficient in their software, learn it! Or if you need to upskill to suit a position, now is the time. When people know you have been out of work, they ask “So what have you been doing?”. Have an answer at the ready!
In order not to lose track, keep a record of your applications (a simple spreadsheet in Excel or Google Docs will do the trick), and keep it up-to-date.
Record the date when you have an interview or spoke with an HR manager. Once you start having interviews, typically if you don’t hear from a company or HR manager after 2 weeks, it is okay to get in touch again. Make sure you keep your name in the mix by reaching out to the interviewer or the hiring manager to stay updated on your status.

Summing Up

Have a daily routine! Be disciplined! Be targeted with what and where you apply. And take a break sometimes. Good luck!

Who Am I?

Hello, I am Garry. Nice to meet you. Here is my LinkedIn profile. After 15yrs living in Japan, I moved to Canada in late 2019. Since I got here, I have learned a lot from friends, great mentors and advisors, pre- and post-arrival services, and good old-fashioned internet research! I would like to expand on those points and share more, through a series of posts/articles that can help you on your journey here in Canada.

Also earlier this year I talked about some of these things in a LinkedIn article, and in a webinar with NewCanadians, I discussed with some smart people about the newcomer’s job search and the impacts of COVID-19. Please check them out!