by Dipanjan Guha

Created on: May 02, 2008

It takes a very special person who can leave their country and start over in Canada. The following are the top ten ways to find work in Canada:

1. A good way to learn about your occupation in Canada is to have information interviews with people who are working in your field, associations and licensing bodies. An information interview is when you meet with someone and ask them questions about what they like about their job, dislike and the future potential to name a few.

This will help you become better informed about the industry. There are other ways to find out about your field such as websites and printed reports. However, talking to an expert or someone already employed will give you a greater insight.

2. Certain terminology in your occupation may be different in Canada. You may want to go to the library and the Internet to learn the language your industry uses.

3. Start to reformat your rsum to a Canadian style. Information that may have been relevant in your own country may not be relevant in Canada. In some other countries it's normal to write your marital status, age and religion. In Canada this should not be mentioned. We have the Ontario Human Rights Code, which protects us against discrimination. Also, have someone look over your rsum before you send it out. You can go to a non-profit employment service and have your rsum critiqued for free.

4. 80% of the jobs are unadvertised and in the Hidden Job Market'. Tapping into the Hidden Job Market' involves a lot of networking and making cold calls. These two methods may seem a little intimidating but they are worth trying. 20% of the job market consists of jobs that are advertised on the internet, newspapers and trade magazines. I recommend using these methods a little bit during your job search. However, if you focus on the Hidden Job Market', there's less competition.

5. In your own country you probably had a big network of contacts, however in Canada your network may be small. I have a challenge for you. It's time to re-build your network in Canada. Socialize with people, attend job search workshops offered by your community, volunteer, attend job fairs and join associations. Talk to everyone! Your family doctor, your children's teacher or a priest may be able to help connect you to people. Remember that people like to help other people.

6. Unfortunately you may not be able to have the same job in Canada right away. Try to find a job that's related to your field of expertise. If you are an engineer find a

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