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| Subject: Job scene is not all that bad |
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Job scene is not all that bad
I am software engineer by profession. Came to Canada in 2002 and went back to India after spending one month here. Got married and finally arrived in Calgary for good in Dec, 04. Probably it was not a good time to come here because hiring is pretty low in December and January due to Christmas and New Year vacations. I came here alone. Sponsored my wife and then started looking for a job in my field. Started putting my resume on jobsites like www.monster.ca, www.workopolis.com etc. etc. Also started forwarding my resume to couple of contacts in Toronto area, started applying through news papers etc. etc. Didn´t
get any response from anywhere after applying to somewhere around 50 places including jobsites, job alerts, newspapers etc. And then came across canadiandesi.com. Went through some of the posts and believe me really started cursing myself that why did I leave such a well paying job with MNC in Gurgaon with such a good future. Thought of packing my bags and going back because I still had my job back in India. I had come here on a 2 months leave but as they say ? You come to Canada you commit a mistake, you go back and you commit a blunder. So just
thought of giving Canada some more time.
Finally no more leave extension was possible and so had to resign with heavy heart of course.
Some people suggested me to move to Toronto area because there are more jobs there but then there are more people too. I was even suggested to do any odd job to pass time but I was kind of determined not to do that ? one reason because I was staying at my uncle´s place and so dint have to bother about any bills or anything. It was beginning of Feb by then. Christmas and New Year fever was over and
job situation was picking up a bit. So with renewed energy and vigor, I started job hunting again. Came across some more jobsites like www.thingamajobs.ca, www.appliedthought.ca, etc. Reformatted my resume and posted on these sites. Also applied to 2-3 jobs through local newspaper Calgary Herald. Meanwhile kept on brushing up my concepts in .NET/Oracle/SQL Server.
Finally one fine day got a call from appliedthought.ca staff about an opening with a company in Edmonton. A telephonic interview was arranged which went off very well because I was well prepared. Then company took an online test on .NET and was offered a permanent job as software developer in .NET. Dream come true!!! I joined there on March 1 and am happy to get a job in my field which
seems to be such a remote possibility after going through Canadian Desi posts.
And its not that I am saying that situation is not bad
just because I got one job. Its that ever since I have got 8 calls ? 5 for contract positions ranging from 2 to 8 months in Calgary out of which one was having good scope of becoming permanent. Other 2 were through the ones which I had applied through Calgary Herald and that too on the basis of my non-Canadian experience. So far I haven´t updated my resume with my Canadian experience. So job situation in Calgary/Edmonton area is quite good atleast in .NET. Out of last 2, I have cleared final rounds
of both of them and hoping to get offers from both sometime next week.
By no means it´s a success story. Probably it takes a lot more than getting one job to make a good success story but atleast things have started moving in right direction.
Couple of observations which I have made during job hunting and which helped me a lot:
? Spend time on resume. Try to look at it with employer´s eyes and see if you had been the employer would you have been impressed by your resume
? Customize your resume according to job advertisement. Give the employer what s/he wants. Its better to apply to 5 jobs with customized resume than to apply to 20 jobs with same resume for all
? Brush up your concepts meanwhile and be prepared because sometimes you might be called for an interview on very short notice of 2-3 days
? Get a laptop/desktop. Money spent will be worth every penny
? Get a cellphone and put the number on your resume making it easy for employer to contact you and you won´t miss it
? And above all don´t lose heart if you don´t get response. Keep applying. Its when the things get worse that you must not quit.
? Put your resume on major jobsites like www.monster.ca,
www.workopolis.com but particularly on less known like
www.appliedthought.ca because atleast I got my first job not through monster or workopolis but through applied thought.
? If possible come here alone, stay at some friend/relative´s place if possible and don´t think of doing any odd job because once you start doing that you start getting used to that and end up doing that only.
All I wanted to say was that don´t be negative. If you have patience and perseverance, you´ll surely make it sooner or later.
[17-05-2005,18:00]
[**.117.33.160]
Kenny |
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(in reply to: Job scene is not all that bad)
Article taken from :
http://www.canadiandesi.com/read.php?TID=8134
[17-05-2005,18:02]
[**.117.33.160]
Kenny |
(in reply to: Job scene is not all that bad)
Kenny- good for you. You could teach Canadian job hunters a few things.
[17-05-2005,18:14]
[***.181.198.246]
sharon |
(in reply to: Job scene is not all that bad)
Hi Sharon,
Well thats not my story. I read this story on another discussion forum www.canadiandesi.com
After reading so many negative posts by Mr. Canuck OR ex-Canuck OR CIC OR Vinod OR P. Savarie (IP **.157.172.27) I thought that we should post about people who have been successful in Canada.
[17-05-2005,18:44]
[**.117.33.160]
Kenny |
(in reply to: Job scene is not all that bad)
Yes, kenny is right, i have spoken to a lot of immigrants from asia, they are doing well in Canada and are happy.
[18-05-2005,03:20]
[***.91.105.11]
sab |
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