Find a job in Canada from outside canada in 2023
For years it’s been close to impossible for foreign nationals to find a job in Canada without a work authorization. But with labour shortages being at all times high, this is changing. I keep hearing more and more from various employers about how hard it is to find employees. Particularly this is true for retail, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, accommodations and food services industries. Read on if you want to know how to find a job in Canada in 2023
As of 2022 one in three Canadian businesses (36 per cent) report they are currently facing a shortage of labour. That figure climbs to about 45 per cent within the manufacturing and construction industries and 58 per cent in the food and accommodation sector. As of the second quarter of 2022, there were more than a million vacant jobs in Canada - the highest quarterly number on record.
What to consider if you want to find a job in Canada in 2023
If you’re looking to immigrate to Canada via a job offer – this is the time to start acting. A few things to consider here:
Don’t trust every advertising that offers a guaranteed LMIA or a job offer in Canada. LMIAs being sold left and right, and a lot of them are fake unfortunately. With a very strong interest to immigrating to Canada, applicants are ready to pay thousands of dollars for a chance to come to Canada, but often times such offers turn to be scams. Be very careful and only consider job offers provided directly by employers, not agents.
Applicants from outside Canada often have the required experience and skills, however, they lack presentation. Employers in Canada are used to a certain standards of resumes and cover letters and applicants are often not ready for that. Be prepared – update your resume and cover letter to meet the Canadian standards.
Finding a job in Canada is not a matter of 2-3 weeks. It may in some cases take months and you need to be prepared to face a lot of rejection and still keep going. The patient ones win.
How to prepare your resume and cover letter
First of all, you need to understand what exactly the Canadian employers are looking for, what types of resumes they are used to seeing. Here are a few tips:
Your resume shouldn’t take more than 2 pages
Create a master resume template and then update your resume for each job application, only including relevant work experience for that particular position
Make sure to list at least 5-7 duties and responsibilities for each relevant position you held
Demonstrate results with numbers and metrics
Avoid general statements, be very specific and deliberate with every piece of information you add to your resume.
Here are two resources I recommend my clients for better resume writing:
An amazing resume writing website - https://www.myperfectresume.com/ This website offers great templates and really helpful wording on duties and responsibilities based on various occupations. It’s one of my favourite tools.
One of my favourite Youtubers with lots of great advice on resume writing and job search https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu Check him out.
Provinces and cities with labour shortages
Remember, that Ontario and BC, especially, larger cities in these two provinces are going to be extremely competitive. Focus on smaller cities with lower population. Employers in these areas are particularly desperate. How do you find these cities? Government actually makes it easier for employers in cities with serious labour shortages to hire employees by creating specific immigration programs. Below I listed some examples.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot – includes a list of cities in rural areas with higher labour shortages. This list includes a few cities in Ontario – North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault St. Marie and Thunder Bay; Manitoba – Brandon, Altona/ Rhineland; Saskatchewan – Moos Jaw; Alberta – Claresholm, British Columbia – Vernon and West Kootenay area. Go onto each of these communities website, explore occupations in high demand for these areas and their requirements. And start looking for jobs in these specific cities.
Here is the website of this immigration program - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/rural-northern-immigration-pilot.html
Alberta's Rural Renewal Stream
Alberta PNP also created a specific program to help smaller communities fill labour shortages by hiring foreign workers – it’s the Rural Renewal Stream.
Again, communities with smaller populations are included in this program - City of Brooks (including: Town of Bassano, Village of Duchess, County of Newell, Village of Rosemary), City of Grande Prairie, Town of Whitecourt, Town of Taber (including: Municipal District of Taber, Town of Vauxhall), Town of Innisfail, Municipal District of Smoky River (including: Town of Falher, Town of McLennan, Village of Donnelly, Village of Girouxville), County of Grande Prairie (including: Town of Sexsmith, Town of Wembley), Town of Trochu, Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Municipality of Jasper, Town of Edson, County of Barrhead (including: Town of Barrhead), Big Lakes County (including: Town of High Prairie), Town of Hinton.
Here is the website for this particular program - https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream.aspx
Atlantic Immigration Program
The famous Atlantic Immigration program was created by the IRCC to help New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island hire foreign workers and support their permanent residencies to fill their labour shortages. Here is the website for this program - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/atlantic-immigration.html
Job search platforms in Canada
Here is the list of the most popular job search platforms in Canada:
https://www.kijiji.ca/b-jobs/canada/c45l0
https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca
https://www.workopolis.com/en/
Again, remember job search is not something that can be completed in one week. Make sure you constantly read about the Canadian labour market, update your resume, apply for jobs and don’t give up. Reach out to us if you’re interested in getting our support in your job search. You can book a consultation here.
About author:
Sao Khadjieva is the Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant with over 10 years of experience in Canadian immigration. Sao focuses her practice on study permits, Provincial Nominee programs and Express Entry as well as business immigration to Canada. Find out more here.