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Employment agencies
For most new immigrants, this is perhaps the best route to that first job.
There are dozens of excellent employment agencies in all major cities
at which immigrants are welcome to register. Some agencies restrict
themselves to specific fields, such as accounting, computers or
bilingual staffing, while others may offer only temporary assignments.
It is advisable to first draw up a list of placement firms in your area
(you will find them under ‘Employment Agencies' in the Yellow Pages)
and phone to check if your field of expertise is covered. You will be
asked to fax in your resume, and if it meets their basic requirements,
you will be offered an appointment for an interview or test.
These appointments should be approached with the same importance you
would give to an interview with a prospective employer - in fact, the
agency is considered your employer for any jobs you may get through
them. Dress appropriately (a suit or at the very least a tie for men,
formal outfits for women), ensure you make the appointment on time, and
please, no children in tow!
If you have access to a computer, brush up on any program skills you
have listed on your resume. It is also advisable to check beforehand
how long the interview and test are likely to take so you don't end up
being late for other appointments.
Although most agencies will have their own standard forms for you to
fill, you should carry a copy of your resume. If nothing else, it might
help you remember all the details you need to provide. Also carry your
SIN card, your passport with the stapled "landing certificate", as well
as any other identification you might have such as your Health Card or
driver's licence.
It is illegal for companies in Canada to discriminate against
job-seekers on the basis of nationality, race, creed or colour, and you
will not be asked to provide information on any of these. If you feel
any of the questions are discriminatory, raise it with the person
administering the test.
If you have listed certain skills in your resume, such as specific
computer programs, shorthand or data entry, be prepared to be tested on
these! The tests can take up to an hour or even more if you have
several skills listed.
The most common tests are for keyboarding speed (the fancy new term for
typing skills), Microsoft Word, WordPerfect and Microsoft Excel. How
the tests are administered varies from agency to agency, but they are
generally computer-monitored and assessed to see how you rate.
Many employment firms also now have IQ and other tests that gauge you on everything from spelling to number-crunching ability.
The tests are followed by an interview with a job counsellor who will
probe you on the kind of job you are looking for. You will have the
opportunity to spell out whether you prefer permanent or temporary
employment, the field in which you want to work, the areas to which you
are prepared to travel, and the minimum wage you expect.
Unless you have good reason to decide otherwise, show yourself to be
flexible in each of these departments. For example, insisting on
permanent employment in the area around which you live and in the very
same field as you have been working in will merely limit the agency's
ability to find a job for you.
A couple of things to remember: Most jobs obtained through agencies
start out as temporary assignments. Placement firms often use this
opportunity to obtain feedback from employers about you, your skills,
temperament and work ethic. If you pass this test, chances are fairly
high that you will be offered a permanent job in the near future,
either by the agency or by the company itself.
Secondly, job-hopping is considered fairly normal in Canada. There
aren't any restrictions on moving from one firm to another as you might
face in, say, the Middle East. Nor is the practice frowned on as it
might be in parts of Asia or the Far East. So feel free to take up
whatever temporary assignments may come your way until you find a
permanent job that you are happy with.
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