Follow up Bill's story

Canada Immigration Forum (discussion group)


 
       
Subject: Follow up Bill's story
  Just got a break from my toddler who decided to sleep early so I got into the internet and read all nice comments on Bill´s story.

I totally agree with you Bill ... and recently my spouse and I were talking about the fact that we moved to Calgary but nearly 4 months later I still don´t have a job. Life cannot be shiny without a job that is for sure. And we are thinking of moving to a smaller town ...

.... however, moving to wherever with no job will not help.

Your "90 days period" depressed me because we passed that ... everyone including recruiters have told me that Calgary is the right place for a job for a person like me .... so why am I still unemployed ?

Anyway we have decided to stay here longer as .... very soon we will contribute to Alberta growing population as we are in the "making" of a new Canadian citizen who will see the light in less than 2 months. At least I feel proud to make a contribution to that ;)

I am not sure about "we write our own destiny" .... I think somehow it is already planned.

Anyway once I will get a chance I will update the forum with a summary of our experience here after 4 months so try to get infor that could be of interest of future immigrants .... right now just wanted to comment on Bill´s good story!

[13-08-2008,01:14]
[**.146.39.116]
CBV333
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
It´s always good to hear from you, CBV, and to hear about your experiences. There are a few of us "new Canadians" here now and our stories can really help each other out. And, a huge CONGRATULATIONS is in order on your upcoming family addition! You must be so thrilled! :)

Bill, I was so sad to hear about your unfortunate accident as an introduction to your new life in Ft Mc. What an awful new beginning. I have to admit it helped to hear it, though.

Richard: I never was clear about how you ended up in SSM or what your circumstances were there, or why you left. I´m glad that you were able to separate your experiences in a remote location with those available in Canada in general.

I absolutely agree with you and would recommend that immigrants from the US (and similar countries) check out suburban locations as places to locate in order to minimize culture shock. It is very true that rural and small town Canada is quite different than lesser populated areas of the US. Here in SJ, which is a sizeable "city" for this part of the country, they just got their first Indigo bookstore and it was HUGE news. Mail order is going to be my friend.

On the other hand, I´m already getting used to less traffic, though I really have to watch my speed. One of the first things our 5 year old commented on was how slow Canadians drive! I´m discovering a few things that I appreciate having available--a yoga studio, a coffeehouse with organic/fair trade coffee, a pizza place that uses local and organic ingredients. These are things that make me comfortable to have around me, they reflect my values and interests and makes me hopeful that in this sea of unfamiliar faces there might be a few people here with whom I can relate.


[13-08-2008,10:25]
[***.166.78.243]
wannabecanadian
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
CBV,

Good to hear your valuable "contribution" news. I sincerely wish that the new comer would bring good luck to you.

Sorry to know your apparent bad luck so far (though would be glad but surprised to know hearing the opposite).

?everyone including recruiters have told me that Calgary is the right place for a job for a person like me .... so why am I still unemployed ?? My explanation is; exaggeration. There should always difference bet?n facts and fiction. Alberta has demands, true, but not for all. What I understood is the demand is mostly in the general labor market and for very selective professional sectors. Though even in the selective professional sectors I fail to understand why you have to face problems. As a geology specialists, in Alberta jobs should chase after you, not the other way. When I moved to ON first, I was like in your condition too. With ongoing construction there, everyone assured me that job shouldn?t be a problem. Other immigrants may have problem, but with my US background it?ll be just a matter of time. At the same time I used to read news like how severe the labor shortage is.. Ultimately that time never came closer to me. Be positive motivation is always everywhere needed. Not only in Canada. Though I think that after a certain point it becomes kind of self deceiving

For ?normal? or ?abnormal? any immigrants there are some common factors for basic survival. Job is the key to all. Without a stable desired job all other goodies may turn out to be almost meaningless. It is like multiplying a big number with 0. People have to realize that to get a job in a desired field must not be mixed up with luster for money.

You may try your luck in BC too. Though I would suggest that before moving there you may use some local BC addresses in your resume and have some realistic idea about the market. Believe me, the key to success in grabbing the first job in Canada is networking (or nepotism), always bear that in mind. If folks don´t disclose this truth to you then I would say that they aren´t your freinds.

Wish you good Luck.




[13-08-2008,12:25]
[***.254.208.246]
DC
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)

Hi CVB,

I didn´t mean the "90 day probation" as the "it".
If you think about a project I mean ... a work project, what is involved?

a)Timeline, budget and the goal.

And as much as possible we have to try to square our actions.

Our new life in a new country is no different than that. It is important to set a timeline, keeping in mind the budget to get closer to the goal.
I can understand your frustation of not being employed by now.

I remember hating that feeling of "Vulnerability", when I started to work for a telecom company in Edmonton, I spend a few years trying to understand how the "system" worked, making contacts everywhere.
I was willing to work my butt off no matter what.

Try to get your membership with APPEGA that sure helps, specially with big organizations where your resume is reviwed by the "bean counter" and not a professional Geologist or Engineer.

Usually the interviewer of the HR department knows JACK about of what is required for the position she/he is looking for credentials and previous experience and that used to drive me bonkers.

Just for giggles take a look at this:

http://jobview.monster.ca/GetJob.aspx?JobID=74157192&JobTitle=Geologist+%3f+Modeling&q=Geologist&sid=4&vw=b&AVSDM=2008-07-23+14%3a00%3a00&pg=1&seq=2

Wannabe,

I am glad that my first cultural shock helped you out, if you think about it actually is quite funny, it wasn´t back then but sure a lot of people laughed about that one when I tell the story.

I could´ve gone back home so many times when the sun wasn´t shinny......

I choose to grab the bull by the horns and make it for dinner if you know what I mean.

Cheers

Bill

[13-08-2008,13:14]
[***.34.111.122]
Bill
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
lol people, 4 month and no job, what kind of job are you looking for?

Lots and lots of jobs in Calgary. take a plank a little lower haha

[13-08-2008,14:46]
[***.209.209.129]
Anonymous
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
CBV, I wonder if your impending deliver has a few employers feeling nervous. Perhaps they are seeing instant maternity leave or time off etc. or some such thing.

I am confident that it is all going to be fine.

[13-08-2008,14:48]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
Sorry Bill for kind of laughing at your story; it´s only because my own experience was making me feel so lousy and awful that hearing about someone getting through a terribly bad situation made me feel like someone understood. I know someday I´ll laugh about going through this too.

CBV: I´m so hoping something turns up for you soon. It is so terribly frustrating to know your qualifications and not be able to get them through to the right people. We went through it for a year and a half (long distance) and we nearly gave up several times. It´s not much consolation, but eventually your persistence will pay off. For now, I hope you can concentrate on your little one and your little one to come and can keep yourself healthy and sane. I´m sending you positive thoughts from the East Coast... :)

[13-08-2008,15:03]
[***.166.78.243]
wannabecanadian
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
wannabe, I´m glad to hear things look much brighter for you there. It just might be a matter of time in making the adjustment. I´m a bit concerned about the swing of emotion, which tells me that only time will truly tell if it works for you guys. I was the same, euphoric one day and then unhappy with my decision the next. Again, give it a chance and hopefully the good impression will hold up.

SSM has a population of 75k and I just checked SJ has about 68k. I felt a little closeted-in in SSM with its small size and distance from any large metropolis. Maybe because I grew up in Chicago, I don´t know. But perhaps SJ has more charm as a town than SSM, with its one industry steel mill.

My SSM move was mostly due to proximity to Chicago (11 hour drive straight north), very affordable housing, and spectacular scenery of the Great Lakes. Kind of silly maybe, but easy to pack and haul one´s stuff to than halfway across a continent. Also easy to go back and forth while selling the old homestead. Maybe a cleaner break like you´re doing is really the best.

[13-08-2008,23:08]
[**.47.173.225]
Richard
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
Thanks all for your comments and sharing stories. This is very interesting to hear from all different point of views.

Regarding my job search, I found a good explanation why it is taking so long, it is more on what DC suggested. The Calgary job market is focused on very specific professional whether geologists or geophysicists and I do not match the requirements because #1 I have a degree in physics and #2 my speciality is not in demand in Alberta ... therefore my job search is focused on other areas like BC or SK.

What I did not know before coming to Calgary is that "mismatch" matters while my understanding was that "they give you training anyway" .... so being logical and analytical, it is somehow not surprising that I did not get a job as yet.

My case should not be taken as example for other new immigrants, I am sure anybody can find jobs rather quickly. My case is a bit complicated but I have not lost my enthusiasm and I keep actively looking and contacting people. I am sure something will work out. I will share experiences whenever I have something to tell.

Else, I love Canada !!! Overall things are just better than the US, at least for us.

More details later!!! Thanks all.

[13-08-2008,23:26]
[**.71.223.153]
CBV333
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
Richard: I appreciate your concern! :) We are trying to look at this through rational eyes, as a job relocation rather than as an immigration decision. Likely, we are not in this particular area forever, so we´ll try to enjoy our time here as much as we can. We love the general area, and to get skip over to PEI or Cape Breton for the weekend is like a dream to us (or it will be, once we´re settled enough to be able to do that).

Yes, the city is small and that is going to be a huge adjustment. The area is actually around 120,000 and we live outside the city, in a lovely valley being settled by other young families. It is rather suburban (sort of an affront to our urban selves) and rural, and altogether a new, if temporary, experience. The city itself might not be too different than SSM--also a company town (in this case, Irving Oil) and plenty of industry. There is some great maritime architecture downtown, which I´ve only barely explored. There are lots of possibilities for the city to beautify and renovate its decaying infrastructure, and it will take a lot of time. Trying to see it for what it is, and not for what we WANT it to be.

We went through the same decision making process, wondering if we should settle closer to our US home figuring it would be easier (and safer--you can always visit after all!). For us, that would mean Southern Ontario, which definitely holds its own charms and will always be comfortable for us. This is a whole new thing, and very different than when we were younger and moved all over the country on a whim.

I´m hoping that you are getting closer to finding a place you want to try out, and hoping that you are getting some job leads. Hope you continue to keep us up to date.


[14-08-2008,11:08]
[***.166.78.243]
wannabecanadian
(in reply to: Follow up Bill's story)
wannabe- yes, I completely agree with you. Having a job in hand is a completely different scenario than just moving someplace and hoping for the best; that somehow that part will work out. (Bill´s point too.) That was my situation and probably not well thought-through. So I think you have a much better head start and basis than I did. Also hoping your spouse likes the company and new position there.

Thanks for your thoughts and good wishes about our situation. I took a position here for a while to get my resume (cv as they like to say there) current. So expecting to make the move in about 6 months. Now working for the U.S. federal govt. (my previous employer and agency), where job security is about as good as it gets down here, so tough but nevertheless easy decision to eventually leave.

Requesting indulgence from CBV for hijacking this post. You´re doing so well, that no input was required! Many of us here hope to hear more about life and experiences in Calgary.

[14-08-2008,21:44]
[**.47.173.225]
Richard