Note: if you want more info on ski and mountain jobs, check out the Ski Resort Jobs article, as this article is more focused on getting a job in Vancouver and other Canadian cities.
ADHD Notes:
- There's still a bunch of jobs going in Vancouver, as it's currently in a boom despite the sagging world economy
- There's also a bunch of different websites to look at jobs on if you want something a little more serious
- If you want something retail or bar work, there's a lot of them around as well, and many stores & restaurants have ad's up
You’ve arrived in Vancouver, found somewhere to stay, and now it’s time to look for a job. Either that or you are still in Australia or New Zealand or wherever you are moving from, and you are trying to get a jump on things – good move.
The job market in Vancouver is very strong, which means that there is a bunch of jobs out there, but there’s also a bunch of lookers, so it’s really worth getting a finger on the pulse of the market before you make the big move. Keep an eye on the job sites, see what sort and how many jobs come up that you are interested in and perhaps even apply for some when you are closer to your leave date. I found that companies were pretty unwilling to entertain the thought of hiring someone who is out of the country, and this probably goes the same right across the range up to those who get head hunted. But I guess that sort of person probably isn’t interested in the information on this site!
Job Websites & Finding the right one
Here’s a list of sites that will help you in your job search, and the first four were the ones I used:
Craigslist.ca (Vancouver version, but there is more out there)
Jobs.gc.gov (Canadian Government site)
I also highly recommend the job portal over at Go2 HR, as it specialises in tourism and hospitality jobs, and is particularly interested in getting folks from Canada and other countries into the BC industries.
When I was looking for work (I’m a marketing guy) I actually found that the best website that had the most traffic and the most new jobs was actually Craigslist, which, for those who aren’t familiar with it, is a pretty basic site that actually has area specific sites for a good proportion of the globe and really is just a massive marketplace. I actually discounted it to start off with as it looked too basic, but in Vancouver employers can post jobs for free, meaning that it’s appealing to those who might be just fishing for responses or not wanting to invest too much cash in it. I found that for every two or three jobs that came up on Monster or Workopolis there would be a dozen or more on Craigslist.
Before I actually made the move to Vancouver I figured it would be a good idea to get a mate who already lived here to get me a local mobile phone and number. That way I could apply for jobs using his address and make it sound like I was already in Vancouver. Sounds dodgy maybe, but it also helps you get a bit of a jump on the job market and find out what sort of responses you’ll get from the advertisers, particularly if you communicate by email.
Next thing to note would be that pretty much all of the companies advertising jobs in Canada advise that they won’t contact anyone except those granted an interview. This is a pain, but it never hurts to give them a couple of calls or emails after you’ve sent your application in just to see how it’s going and to show that you are keen.
Interview
The actual getting a job part is up to you, but if you are looking in Vancouver, you are looking in the right place, as there are plenty of jobs around! Both myself and my partner found the exact jobs we were looking for when we came over within three weeks of landing in Canada. Not too bad, considering we were looking for fairly specific positions! There is a multitude of jobs available in Vancouver, as it has decent business and tech industries, and the building industry is going pretty nuts at the moment with a bunch of construction going on coming up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. There’s never enough people to work in the service industry over here either, so if you were looking to break into bar work or something like that, this would be a good place to try, and there is always retail jobs going everywhere.
(June 2010 update: Things are a bit tougher in the job market right now, with the city recovering from both the Olympics and the financial crisis. If you're intent on finding work, you will, but it may take a little longer than you expect. As mentioned elsewhere, it could be worth taking a low-pay job till the "right" one comes along. There is still bulk construction happening, as this city is always building more condo's, and the IT industry still has good circulation, but you need to be prepared to get out there and convince them that you're worth hiring, and that perhaps, if you find the right job, you'll stick around. Many employers are scared of hiring workers on permits as there is a real threat that they will disappear soon after they've finished training/coming up to speed. This may be you, but do what you can to impress them otherwise)
If you're looking for a job to keep you going, or you prefer to work in retail (you meet a lot of fun people that way!) then there are a multitude of jobs going in Vancouver in this area, and I picked up one very easily within days of arriving in Vancouver this time. Places to try would be in the downtown area, as well as Metrotown (check out the careers section on their website too btw), which is the biggest mall in British Columbia, and is very accessible by public transport. We live near by there at the moment and every time I walk through there I see signs up for help wanted, even in winter.
The actual process of getting a job in Vancouver is very similar to Australia, so there’s no real need to change your tactics when it comes to the application and interview process, and being an Aussie could really help you in some respects, particularly the service industries.
Got it!
Once you actually have that job, depending on the actual job you get, you’ll notice a few differences between North America and Australia, in that with a full time position they give you “benefits”. This can be anything from minimal, right through to full blown health, dental, accident and travel insurance coverage, which is quite nice. When you are looking at the salaries, it’s worth paying attention to what is offered on the benefits, as there may be other inclusions like gym usage, sports tickets and assorted other gear. This may make a lower salary seem fairly appealing after all the inclusions.
The other thing to note though with salary positions is that the holidays they offer are shorter, so in your first two years the average time off is two weeks – not much if you want to explore the northern hemisphere! So that’s where the decision has to be made really, whether you go for the career extending office job, or work wherever you need/want/can to pay the bills and keep you travelling a bit longer.
Please discuss this article in the CanAussie Forums
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