When you arrive in Canada, you’ll probably be eager to land a job as soon as possible.
For most newcomers, one of the main priorities is to find employment in the field of their choice and this is a very stressful and challenging process.
There are subtle differences between applying for a job in Canada and what you may be used to at home. And with this in mind, in this guide, explore some suggestions for a successful Canadian job application.
If you use these tips and tricks wisely, your chances of getting a job will be significantly increased!
1. Build a Canadian resume
Your resume is extremely important if you want to get your dream job in Canada.
The Canadian format for a resume is slightly different from what you may be used to.
There are two important things that your resume should display front and centre:
- Your relevant experience
- Your achievements
Your resume should be short (not be longer than two pages) and to the point, with an emphasis on the experience which is relevant to the position that you are applying for. In terms of layout, it should be tidy and neat. Poor punctuation and spelling mistakes won’t help you make a good impression!
In the header section, you should have your full name, address, your email and your phone number.
After this, you should have a summary of your skills. It should include your strengths and what are you good at.
This section is followed by your professional experience. Here you should outline all the related jobs that you have worked in the past.
You should add the company name, the duration of the work, your job title, your responsibilities and your achievements.
The last part of your resume should be your education and your qualifications. Here, you need to add your bachelor, master or PhD or whatever is relevant to you.
Then, this part is followed by all the certifications and licenses that you have acquired. If you have any Canadian license or permit, you should mention that as well.
The resume should be very concise, precise and with good examples.
2. Build references
Reach out to your past employers, colleagues and connections. Get some reference letters with recommendations. This will be very useful when you make an application for a job. References are valued very highly in job markets in Canada.
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3. Build your LinkedIn profile
It’s no secret that LinkedIn is the top professional social networking site with 133 million users in the United States alone and reaching 200 countries worldwide.
It’s very important for employers and recruiters to have your profile up to date. You should have a representative profile picture and your LinkedIn profile should match your resume.
If possible, try to get recommendations through LinkedIn.
One thing that you may not know: The skills you have added in LinkedIn count as keywords. Even if you don’t have a certain word anywhere else in your profile, adding it as a skill will make your profile show up when someone searches for that word or a particular phrase.
What is more, LinkedIn lets you put up to 50 keywords on your profile.
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4. Include a cover letter
Cover letters are incredibly important to your application and help you get noticed by the employer/ recruiter.
Even in the cases when the application says that a cover letter is discretional, some employers will not even consider the application unless it is included.
That being said, this is an easy way for them to narrow down the number of candidates because the ones who submit both, a cover letter and a resume, have shown more dedication. So they are more likely to be selected than someone who has just sent in a resume.
Get specific about the company, the job and how your qualifications make you a perfect fit for this position. Your cover letter should not ever spill onto 2 pages. So, shorten it!
Spend at least 30% of the document talking about what you already know about the company — company values, company news, recent projects. Make the company feel special and you will have a bigger chance to be invited for an interview.
5. Send an email to say thank you
After your meeting, send the interviewer an email to say thank you. This courteous gesture is a great way of reminding them about yourself – this can only be a good thing in view of the selection procedure ahead.
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