Getting your first Canadian job as an international graduate
Are you an international student completing your studies at a Canadian post-secondary institution and do not have a job offer to commence employment in Canada? Does that mean when you complete your educational programs in Canada and you transform from an international student to a global graduate, you will have to begin the job search process afresh?
As a result, to help international graduates start their job search soon, We’ll share some guidelines and tips to make the process easier below.
Note: These tips are aimed at international students who have already sorted out their work situation in Canada, for example, with a post-graduation work permit or another type of work visa.
Hints for finding your first job in Canada
Identify your career path
- Find out information on careers and employment.
- One of the online resources for job searches is Indeed.com.
Start your job search
- By Industry: Look for positions that are related to your occupation.
- By Degree: Search for the basic job positions and the ones that you qualify for.
Preliminary Job Review
- It is important that you review the job postings so that you can have an idea of the kind of resume that will enable you to secure the job when applying.
Research potential employers
- Research companies of interest for informative features of culture and waging.
Job Tenure Insights
- Please remember that the employees of so-called Gen Z, which are rather young people, tend to change jobs after spending only two years and three months at most.
Use LinkedIn, for instance, to search for jobs, get connected, and meet new people.
Find out if you are eligible to get in Canada →
The Power of Networking
Networking has been considered to play a central role in the Canadian job search. It enables international students and other employment seekers to get access to employment opportunities that are sometimes not advertised on the Internet.
Why networking matters
Employment Access: It is believed that most of the job openings are not advertised to the public but through referrals.
Survey Insights:
- A LinkedIn survey conducted in August 2020 showed that about 72% of the employees had their jobs tweaked through connections.
- Records from a survey carried out in 2022 showed that out of the 500 people interviewed, 210 of them got their current jobs through networking, including referrals.
Networking also assists the seekers in this regard because they are more aware of the industry updates within the Canadian employment market.
Understanding Networking
Networking is a process where people come together mainly in an informal setting and exchange information and ideas, preferably among individuals in the same field. It can also be useful, especially to new job seekers, for instance, those who have just graduated and get to ask questions and get directions that help them get a job.
Who to Network With
- Friends and family: Assuming you are focusing on getting a job, begin with people you know.
- School Alumni: Reach out to your past students from your college or school.
- Job Fairs: Communicate and connect with the attendees and the recruiters.
- Networking Events: Go to functions that are primarily meant for meeting new people.
The crucial steps on how to write your resume
It is, however, incredibly important to ensure that your resume is unique enough to get a glance from potential employers.
Tailoring Your Resume
It is recommended to adapt each of the resumes by inserting the keywords, phrases, and special requirements that the employer stated when announcing a vacancy.
Expert Tip
As said by career coach Naresh Singh Sihmar, while applying for a job, customization of the resume oriented to the specific job listing enables the candidate to demonstrate that they are the best fit for the position as they have worked on their resume according to the requirements stated in the job description (LinkedIn, 2023).
Practical Application
For instance, if, in the job postings, you commonly see “bachelor’s degree in marketing,” make sure that you write this as it is in your resume rather than “degree in marketing from university” or something to that effect.
Key Takeaway
Optimizing your resume makes you more relevant to the position advertised, thus putting you in a better position in the job market.
Excelling in interview preparation
This way, when it comes to meeting a potential employer, one is well-armed with folder after folder and any other paraphernalia that may be required in interviews; this impresses the employer with the kind of preparedness one comes with.
Importance of Preparation
A study by Forbes (2023) shows that about 36% of interviewers make their decisions based on voice and confidence, meaning a candidate needs to prepare fully.
Practical Strategies
- Mock Interviews: Rehearse with relatives and other loved ones to help you prepare the answers and how you are going to deliver them.
- Answer preparation: Make sufficient preparations for a mock interview so that one can work on responses to the most likely questions.
Understand the employer
Remember yourself with the employer’s values and a mission statement that complements answers to the expectations of the job.
Getting your first job in Canada after graduation is not an easy process, as you need to prepare well to be employed by your ideal company. Optimize your application and prepare yourself, your resume, and your network to reduce the risk of not being considered. Though time will be consumed, the effort and action that one is going to put in will make him or her land a fulfilling job in Canada and start a caring career. It is essential to stay patient and persistent in such situations, as all the work is done for the eventual result.
