The art of job hunting, and landing that dream job is something I am still not yet quite skilled at. The process is often long and tedious for the average, every day person, but when I first began looking for my first ever ‘big-girl’ full time job, it felt like I got dropped in the deep end of the pool. I had no idea as to what to do first.
So think of this blog post as your 'older sister' giving you some tips based on what she’s learned in her just two years of full-time employment in Canada, knowing that she’s far from a pro, but wanted to share since she started with 0 knowledge (if there’s anyone out there who feels the same.)
In this post I’ll be going into:
This post is mainly based on job hunting and employment from a 9-5 perspective. My knowledge on entrepreneurship is probably as much as that of my knowledge of molecular science, aka 0, but some elements of the 9-5 cross over into entrepreneurship so hopefully this post can be helpful to anyone who may need it!
Tap any of the titles above to be taken to that section of this post.
Types of jobs
The options you have out there for types of jobs are endless. People can do almost anything to earn some cash which is crazy when you think about it, but for the sake of this post and my blog, the types of jobs I’m referring to are the following:
💼 Part-time Jobs
💼 Full-time jobs
💼 Student jobs
💼 Internships/Volunteering
These are the four main ways I’ll be going into that you can be employed, earn a wage, or have something you can proudly display on your resume.
💼 Part-time jobs
These are usually jobs with hours of work that don’t surpass 30 hours a week.
Part time jobs are arguably easier to find than full-time jobs. They carry less hours, and typically work in a shift type fashion (though this would vary).
Wages also vary with part-time jobs, less hours can sometimes equate to lower pay, but a key benefit of working part-time is usually having a bit more flexibility in terms of determining when you can work/when your shifts would be. Again however, this varies based on what types of jobs or the job field you're looking at, and well, the companies and businesses themselves.
Some examples of part-time jobs can include:
➟ Servers.
➟ Receptionists.
➟ Delivery Drivers.
➟ Almost any student on-campus job.
💼 Full-time jobs
These are usually jobs with hours of work that are at minimum, 35 hours a week. So a regular 9-5 (which isn't only for the hours of 9am - 5pm, but can also be 8-4, a typical 8 hour day or 40 hour week etc.), can be categorized as a full-time job.
When I was in school, international students were limited to working 20 hours a week during the semester, no more no less once you were on a study permit (though we were allowed to work full-time during breaks like summer.)
However, last year November (2022) up until December 31st 2023, the Government of Canada introduced a new initiative that allows international students to work more than the once limiting 20 hours a week during the semester, although certain conditions apply.
To check if you are eligible, please read through this Government of Canada page here, under the section: "Who can work more than 20 hours per week off campus."
💼 Student jobs
Student jobs are those jobs that you work, while also being enrolled as a student, whether full-time or part-time. It's very common to meet lots of students who are not only enrolled as full-time students, but are also working part-time for various reasons.
While it's understandable that many people may not want to take any focus away from their studies and academics, especially as an international student, and not want employment to get in the way of that, if you find yourself one semester with a lighter academic workload, it doesn't hurt to take a look at what employment opportunities are out there.
Employment opportunities allow you to not only earn some extra income (which in today's inflation environment, never hurt,) but it's a great way to get some working experience you can add to your resume, meet new people, develop your professional goals and skillset (all of which come in handy in almost any environment) and so much more.
Jobs are available both on-campus, and off-campus. You need to ensure your study permit allows for off-campus employment if this is something you're thinking of pursuing.
For more information on eligibility, requirements and restrictions on working in Canada as an international student, please refer to the Government of Canada website here - "Studying and working in Canada as an international student."
💼 Internships and volunteering opportunities
I’ve left these for last since they can intersect with the three other job types I listed above - Student Internships, Part-time volunteer work and more.
For those of you not familiar, and may be looking into university programs for yourself, or someone else, there is something in Canada called Co-op (Cooperative education) which means that included in your three/four year program, is a work term/period where you essentially do an internship for a company that aligns with your program or interested field of work, and earn credit simultaneously.
Tap here for a helpful link that goes more into the dynamics of co-op, and here for more information on Co-op programs and Work Integrated Learning in Canada.
Some schools in Ontario, Canada that offer co-op programs and examples include:
➟ Humber College: Bachelor of Design - User experience
➟ Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson): Bachelor of Engineering - Chemical Engineering Co-op
➟ University of Toronto: Honours Bachelor of Arts - Public Policy (Arts & Science Co-Op)
and so many more!
If pursuing Co-op as an international student, you’ll also need to get a Co-op work permit, but this is explained during your application and admissions process - it’s often received at the same time as your study permit when you first arrive in Canada at the border, though individual cases will differ. If you're looking for more information on the co-op work permit, McGill University provides a detailed explanation and instructions here: "Co-op/Internship work permit."
For those of you who don't require a work term to graduate/complete your degree, there are still numerous internships available. Many schools have portals where you can search not only for internships and volunteer opportunities, but for almost any job type that I've listed earlier.
Other websites that I usually search through when doing my dreaded job hunting are:
➟ Indeed
(If you're already employed, you can also search through the careers page of your company if looking for an internal move.)
The main difference between volunteer work and internships, and the other types of jobs I've listed, is that volunteering and internships are sometimes labelled as 'free labour,' and often looked down upon due to the limited wage provided, if any at all in some cases.
Though the discussion topic that “any experience is good experience” is common, especially among students, my tip is to just be mindful of your schedule, and of your time. Take a minute to sit down with yourself and determine whether you can afford to not earn a wage (some people do require the experience over the funding) but also cast a wide net, and don't settle on anything you don't feel comfortable doing.
Know your worth, and the value that you can bring.
Nonetheless, volunteer work can be extremely rewarding - and as a student especially, there are so many way to get involved on, and off campus.
Some of my recommendations for on campus include:
➟ Orientation (frosh) leaders
➟ Orientation volunteers
➟ Club leaders, club members
➟ Student union (At some schools, student union executives get paid.)
➟ Library, lab, school office assistant, residence reception and more.
Resume building + software used
When it comes to job hunting, regardless of the type of job you're looking for, even volunteering opportunities, a resume is almost always required.
Your resume (also sometimes referred to as a CV) essentially lists your life achievements - all your bragging rights, on an average of 2 pages (the usual recommended length for a resume.)
On this you'll list various things - a small summary about yourself, your contact information, your title, your education and achievements, your work experience, and anything else that highlights you, and your achievements - awards earned, volunteer experience and more.
Here's an example pulled from Beamjobs.com through their article: "17 College Student Resumes That Landed Jobs in 2023."
Looking at current examples are great, as they can be useful guides when tailoring your own resumes, and beam jobs provides several examples - From students who are currently enrolled (undergrads), students who have no work experience just yet, internship tailored resumes and a few job field specific examples as well.
For those of you who are current students (and recent grads) looking for a helpful guide including tips on what to include and not include on your resume, check out this link here: "Student Resume Examples & Guide for 2023."
In terms of software I typically use to create my resumes, those that provide templates where you just plug in your information and they generate your resumes for you not only simplify the process (compared to formatting a document through Microsoft word for example) but also give you a number of professional templates that look clean and put together, and will help boost your chances of getting the employers' attention.
A couple examples include:
➟ Resume.io (My personal go to, for both resumes and cover letters - $2.95 for 7 day trial.)
➟ Resume Genius (240+ free downloadable resume templates for Microsoft Word and Google Docs that you can fill out manually.)
➟ Career.io ($4.70 for 7 day trial)
In addition to these template websites, I also refer to grammarly.com to check my spelling and grammar, especially for the cover letters.
Some tips I've learned from being in the job search environment for about 2 years now, speaking with others in the same boat, and mixed with dozens of posts I've seen on LinkedIn when it comes to resume creation, updating and editing are as follows:
➟ Contact information is very important to include on your resume, but you don't have to provide specifics such as your apartment number, street name and more depending on where you're applying. Just listing your city and province should suffice.
➟ A photo is rarely encouraged and rarely necessary. An unfortunate reality of the world we live in, is that discrimination is rampant, and often underlying/indirect. Hiring managers and panels can judge applicants based on their names, and how they look before they even begin to sift through someone's credentials i.e, the real thing that should determine someone's eligibility for a position.
➟ Try and keep your resume short and sweet - 2 pages is usually the recommended length if you find yourself going past one page. Keep it short, list your biggest achievements, and use 'power/action words.'
- Instead of using phrases like "I did this" or "I completed that" try using phrases like "I campaigned for" or "I cultivated" etc.
- For a extensive list of resume 'power words' check out this link here: "226 Resume Power Words to Convey Your Qualifications."
➟ Many say that after about your first year of university, you can remove your high school information from your resume (though individual cases will vary.)
➟ It's often recommended to tailor your resume to the job you're applying for, but that can be extremely tedious - however this is where your cover letter can come in.
Another Cover Letter???
Personally from my experience with job hunting, one of the most tedious aspects in the whole process, is creating and editing a cover letter.
It's a universal feeling, going through a job application plugging in your information, feeling good listing your achievements, then seeing them request a cover letter and immediately getting turned off from applying.
The reality of job hunting, is that you're almost 'pimping' yourself out - Highlighting your best qualities and qualifications, and being your best cheerleader as to why you're the top fit for this position over everyone else.
That cover letter, is pimping yourself out 101 if you think of it. You're using that *one* page to tell the hiring panel why you're the best and why they should essentially hire you on the spot.
Cover letters are a key final part of a job application, and are usually recommended to be tailored to the job posting you're applying to. List your achievements as well, and pull 2-3 of the job requirements or duties from the job posting and explain where your experience falls in line with this.
Looking for examples? Check out the links below:
➟ Sample cover letter - Student with no work Experience - From the Youth Central
➟ Cover Letter examples and tips for Recent Grads - From indeed.com
➟ How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your Cover Letter - From Resume Genuis
*Pro tip* - Create a folder where you store all material related to job hunting - Resume copies, every cover letter you've submitted, a list of places you've applied to etc.
You might need to refer to an old cover letter that you can adjust when looking for positions that fall within the same field.
Here's a template for a mini table I created to track my job applications as well, if anyone wanted a quick done up table you can input with your own data to make the tracking a little easier.
It has tabs to list the companies you apply to and the positions you apply for, the job types, dates you applied and where - even some columns to list the usernames and passwords for the talent profiles you'll typically have to create when applying to new companies.
Here is the link to access it: "Job Applications Tracker Template." - Download it and edit as you see fit!
The links I noted under the resume section of this post, also have cover letter templates!
And don't forget Grammarly.com to double check the spelling and grammar!
Job importance for Permanent Residency (Through the Canadian Experience Class Program)
For those of you who are international students, about to graduate, or recently turned foreign workers; when it comes to job hunting - if you have the dream of attaining permanent residence in the future as part of your Canadian immigration journey, something that I didn't learn until I was nearing the end of my degree, was that in order to apply for permanent residency, there are a number of minimum eligibility requirements you have to meet.
Having a minimum amount of skilled work experience is one of those requirements.
There are numerous programs for applying for permanent residency in Canada - one of the more popular streams that international students turned foreign workers apply to is the Canadian Experience Class program through Express Entry.
Under this program, you need to have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in the 3 years before you apply. The tricky part is that this job experience can't be obtained in just any job - rather, there are specifications that have to met in terms of job types and duties. This is all broken down in the Immigration and Citizenship's page about the Canadian Express Class program here.
In simpler terms, you have to have gained your work experience that you'll be reporting when you apply, through specific job types and job duties. Jobs are classified based on the National Occupation Classification (NOC), which are broken down by TEERS - "The training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) required to work in an occupation." - Per The Government of Canada.
TEERS are further grouped from 0-5. For your work experience to meet one of the eligibility thresholds, it has to fall within TEERs 0-3.
The table below shows examples of occupation types and examples of the different TEERS:
For more information, check out the Government of Canada page: Find your National Occupation Classification (NOC)
When job hunting, you can cross reference the jobs in the NOC with those which may or may not quality towards the required Canadian skilled work experience.
My advice in regards to this however, and something I unfortunately did, was box myself in, in terms of the job types I felt that I could only really land, rather than putting that faith in myself (and that little sprinkle of delusion) that I could go for any job I wanted. Don't be like me and box yourself in.
Some follow up advice here as well - While on your job hunt, read the job descriptions provided and assess how qualified you are for the positions yes, but if you see a couple specifications you lack, don't automatically assume you’re under-qualified.
You have nothing to lose by applying for any job you find interesting. Don't limit yourself - the worst they can say is no - and sometimes recruiters don't even send a message to say if they moved on in the search process. Believe and trust in yourself during the job search process.
An additional note in terms of the Express entry/permanent residency process: Ensure you are collecting important information once employed, such as copies of your pay stubs, as this is one of the forms of documentation Immigration Canada may ask from you to verify the job experience you include on your application. If you change jobs, you'll likely lose access to any HR portals to download the information after, so make it a habit to save a copy of your pay stub each pay period, and save it in a folder.
You'll also have to get a proof of employment letter from any and all employers for the work experience you include in your application, so keep this in mind when it comes to developing and maintaining professional relationships as well, as you'll have to go back to these people if you left.
I'll go more into my experience with applying for Express Entry in a designated post coming later this year.
Work life brings with it a heightened level of independence - It feels good to be able to make money, your own money, afford the things you like, and feel responsible.
Some key times of the year to job hunt include:
➟ September (September Surge - I've seen people all over TikTok talking about this.)
➟ January - The start of the year always brings new opportunities.
➟ April/May - Abundance of Summer jobs and internships become available.
➟ July/August - Great time especially for students looking for jobs for the upcoming academic year.
Employment, and the search for it doesn’t come without it’s challenges, and the ups and downs, as with many things in this life, but it’s something that when you find the right place, or you find something you love doing, it’ll never feel like ‘work.’
The transition to full-time work especially can be a tough one, it came with many a shock for me, which I'll go into with another post of some of my reality shocks of the 9-5 work lifestyle.
Until then, just remember to be easy on yourself, the search process can take as little as a few weeks for some - to a few months for others, just keep at it.
Also don't be surprised if you have to go through a few job trial runs before you get there, and find something that really makes you happy. Always remember your value, and the worth you bring to any environment.
Don't stick around somewhere you're not happy, have a backup plan, and happy job hunting!