Jobs on the Net

The growth of the Internet has opened up a whole new world for both recruiters and job-seekers. You can now not just research a company from the comfort of your home, you can also simplify your search for the right job.

There are several avenues open to you when surfing the Web for employment opportunities.

Arguably the best route Is to check the web sites of major daily newspapers. Many publications post their Jobs Available classifieds online. Most of these sites provide a searchable database, which means you can list key words that will help you narrow your search. (For example, If you are looking for an accounting position, entering "account" as a key word will bring up a list of all posted jobs that have the word in the text).

Some publications, such as national newspaper The Globe and Mail or the weekly Employment News, also offer the option of sending you an e-mail each time vacancies in a specified field are posted at their site.

There are now also several web sites devoted to jobs. Some of these are operated by employment agencies, others by Internet-based firms which offer job listings as part of their services. These sites differ from mainstream news publications in essentially one respect: they allow job-hunters to post their resumes online. The site thus becomes a sort of meeting place for employers and job seekers: while the latter can search for current openings, employers can sift through resumes posted online whenever they have vacancies.

You can find links to some of Canada's biggest job sites here.

Here's a tip if you are planning to go the online route: Create your resume as an ASCII text file. Don't worry if you haven't heard the term before - ASCII (pronounced ‘As-key') is merely ‘unformatted' text which can be read on any computer and in any word processing program.

The government lends a hand

One of the first things immigrants must do after entering the country is get their SIN card, which is easily obtained at any Human Resources Canada Centre.

This same centre also offers a number of employment-related services, including providing a searchable databank of jobs. Many firms and government agencies list vacancies here, so make it a point to visit the centre occasionally! It is unlikely you will find many senior positions on the list, but for those seeking entry or mid-level jobs, this is a good place to start.

The Human Resources Centre also provides some very useful services for immigrants, such as help with creating resumes to Canadian standards, learning the basics of widely used programs such as Microsoft Word and even assistance in ‘networking' with other job-seekers. Most of the services are free, though you may need to book time if you want to work on the centre's computers.