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 in integrating into Canada.  A better approach is to prepare to work in Canada before you arrive. With many resources, programs, and services to take advantage of, you’ll achieve the success you desire faster!

Discover how you can better prepare yourself to work in Canada! This article provides you with the essential activities, resources, tools, and steps to take before and after you arrive in Canada. You’ll understand how to gain a competitive advantage and land your dream job in Canada with this three-step approach:

Step One: 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 not commensurate with your skills, education, and experience).

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 to determine 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. If you work in a regulated profession, you require a license or certification to work. Knowing what skills, knowledge, licenses, language requirements, etc, you require before you arrive will make it much 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.

Are Your Work Qualifications Recognized in Canada?

While you may have extensive experience and training, you need to know if Canadian employers recognize your qualifications. If employers do not recognize the value of your international experience, this can be a frustrating barrier to face.

Getting 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 credentials and skills assessed will help you understand what types of jobs you may be qualified 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. In some cases, you can begin these processes before you arrive in Canada.

Related Post:

Learn about Canada’s Job Market | Important Questions to Consider

Once you determine that you’re eligible to work in Canada, you need to 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 specific 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 five in-demand categories: Healthcare, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Trades, Transport, and Agriculture and Agri-food. You can find the complete list of category occupations here.

Research Canada’s Job Market

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. 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 (for example, IT, Marketing, Legal, Human Resources, and Finance)?

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

• • Where is the demand for my occupation the greatest (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 research the labour market, you also have to research cities in Canada as possible landing locations. For example, while wages may be higher in large cities such as Vancouver and Toronto, 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. The best opportunity to achieve success 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.

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. Each occupational overview will help you understand how you can prepare to work in Canada and achieve your career goals. You’ll gain useful information related to pre-arrival activities, skills development, job finding techniques, professional associations, and employment resources. 

Career Pathways

Click on any of the occupations below and discover how you can work in Canada!

Step Two: Make Use of Pre-Arrival Employment Services

Key to your success is making use of 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. Pre-arrival employment services 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.

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 that you need to work in Canada. Also, settlement specialists 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.

The employment support will help you achieve both economic and social outcomes. Accessing pre-arrival employment services before you arrive is vital to successful integration when you arrive in Canada.

Related Post:

Employment Services Help Newcomers Work in Canada

Step Three: 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, Director of Services & Program Development, from ACCES Employment, stated 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 to Canadian employers confidently in job interviews about how you can help them achieve their goals. Post-arrival employment service providers can also help you to understand the culture of the Canadian workplace environment.”

Post-arrival service providers can help you create a personalized action plan that includes things such as finding a mentor, networking, and preparing for your job search.

Crafting Your Job Search Action Plan to Work in Canada

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