BEST PAID SURVIVAL JOBS

[newtone]

If you are good at making money and don't want to share it with your less fortunate neighbours, then you are better off living somewhere else. However, if you live in a country with no or little social safety net, you need to make sure you have insurance that will take care of you if anything happens to you.

One should have a choice how they want to distribute/share their money and help less fortunate people, not just give it to the government blindly, cause there are lot of people who abuse the Canadian social assistance program. I guess you are right in that case there is no point making more money, one could just lay back and not work at all and get social assistance from the government since someone else making more money and the government will tax them heavily in order to provide money to less fortunate. Free money is always welcome.

 

[Leon]

I guess you are right in that case there is no point making more money, one could just lay back and not work at all and get social assistance from the government since someone else making more money and the government will tax them heavily in order to provide money to less fortunate. Free money is always welcome.

Yes, you could.. if you want to live on $500 a month

I'd say I would rather make 10k a month, even if I have to pay 50% tax.

Not that you even pay 50% tax if you make 10k. I am not sure what numbers the guy punched into the CRA calculator to get that. I can not get it to go that high. I put 1,000,000 a month in Ontario and it is getting close, 49.5% deductions.

 

[rpk]

I think it is not just the money that matters, it is that you want to do a decent job for your qualification. I don't believe in depending on social assistance, doing nothing. You get more frustrated, that you are wasting your time. I wouldn't mind earning to my full capacity with job for my qualifications, and pay 50%, rather than getting free money. You are wasting your quality time.

 

[jnathan]

Any assurance that getting education after landing would find the immigrants jobs they wanted?

 

[Rossei]

Feeding back to the original inquiry about survival jobs,

Working in Clubs as bartender/helper/server/waiter in Toronto DT would produce more. Tips on weekend nights shocked me. Working in downtown restaurants would be at second. I don't have any personal experience but I saw UofT students earning more than I made doing an engineering co-op full-time ($26/hr). They were my roommates and not working full-time either.

 

[Hasni]

Very important subject, please keep the topic alive by pouring in some useful info as it is something that most of us are going to be engaged in rightaway ! ..would be more helpful if guys contribute by sharing their personal experiences of how they got a survival job !!

 

[iamariez06]

I feel restaurants are good surviving jobs, like the other post said though they might be low paying you get any where from 50-200 in tips every day and not including discounted meals or free.

I have had friends work in factories though its hard work its good pay as well and it depends, some just lift boxes and some where making plastic moulds( I am not sure of the exact pay). McDonalds offers 50% discounts on food for employees and walmart offers 10% on your entire purchases. Call centres are easy to get in and offer good pay about $11 per hour and some offer commission.

my friends did a jobs at Springmaster, its a lawn moving and aeration though its all on commission its very good pay the highest may friend got was $600 a day and the lowest was $60 he worked though out the summer for 4 months. You go door to door and ask them for their lawn and some would have already called the company and set up the time so you would just go and do their lawn

Also try YMCA careers section they are very helpful, they will help you with your resume/cover letter and will find you a job.

Hope that helps

Hi! I am currently working in a call center and is scheduled to migrate by the middle of the year. Do you know any call centers in Montreal? And how much would be the average pay? I had been working in this industry for almost 2 years already.

 

[rohitm]

I am really interested to know the answer to the original question of OP. About 6 weeks ago I took a survival job in Ontario. I work in a candy factory as a daily laborer, and get paid only $10.50/hour. The work is physically demanding, and I work for 12 hours a shift. Typically I work 2 or 3 shifts a week. I really hate this job, but I guess I can't complain until I get something else. This job I do only during the weekends because I have a 40 hour job. This survival job gives me some extra cash which I need to support my family and clear some debt.

I am planning to take such survival job for 2-3 years. Does anyone recommend taking a one year college program on any of the skilled trades, such as welding, drafting, autoCAD, etc.? Will this certificate be helpful in finding a better paid survival job once I finish the course? Any suggestion will be helpful.

 

[Leon]

I am really interested to know the answer to the original question of OP. About 6 weeks ago I took a survival job in Ontario. I work in a candy factory as a daily laborer, and get paid only $10.50/hour. The work is physically demanding, and I work for 12 hours a shift. Typically I work 2 or 3 shifts a week. I really hate this job, but I guess I can't complain until I get something else. This job I do only during the weekends because I have a 40 hour job. This survival job gives me some extra cash which I need to support my family and clear some debt.

I am planning to take such survival job for 2-3 years. Does anyone recommend taking a one year college program on any of the skilled trades, such as welding, drafting, autoCAD, etc.? Will this certificate be helpful in finding a better paid survival job once I finish the course? Any suggestion will be helpful.

If you are considering doing a trade, you should try to apply as a first year apprentice before you waste a year on a course. If you find it hard to get an apprenticeship, you can do the year and it will make it easier to get signed up because you already know something. Even as a first year apprentice, you will probably make more money than you do in your factory job. You will most likely be attending school for a couple of months per year during which time you can get EI and each year you complete the work experience + school, you move a year higher on the apprenticeship scale and get a good raise.

You can make good money as a welder and they are in demand. Same for plumbers and electricians as far as I know.
Drafting is not really a trade as far as I know. If you know AutoCAD, you can try for a job as a draftsman but having a course may help convince them that you know your stuff.

 

[rohitm]

Thanks Leon for your reply. I consider taking a trade just to have a second job (20-25 hours a week), and obviously this can give me a better salary than any other survival job.

How do I enroll for an apprentice program? I have a masters degree in manufacturing. Will I be over qualified for an apprenticeship program? Couple of programs are of interest to me - Metal fabricator, Industrial Mechanic (Millwright), General Machinist, or Welder. I am comfortable with these because I am familiar with some of the course contents from my undergraduate in engineering days. But, I need more machine or practical skills in Canada. Each apprentice program that I am interested in is one year long, requires lot of commitment. I do have a 40 hour job. I do not how could I finish such a program while keeping my job.

If you are considering doing a trade, you should try to apply as a first year apprentice before you waste a year on a course. If you find it hard to get an apprenticeship, you can do the year and it will make it easier to get signed up because you already know something. Even as a first year apprentice, you will probably make more money than you do in your factory job. You will most likely be attending school for a couple of months per year during which time you can get EI and each year you complete the work experience + school, you move a year higher on the apprenticeship scale and get a good raise.

You can make good money as a welder and they are in demand. Same for plumbers and electricians as far as I know.
Drafting is not really a trade as far as I know. If you know AutoCAD, you can try for a job as a draftsman but having a course may help convince them that you know your stuff.

 

[Leon]

Thanks Leon for your reply. I consider taking a trade just to have a second job (20-25 hours a week), and obviously this can give me a better salary than any other survival job.

How do I enroll for an apprentice program? I have a masters degree in manufacturing. Will I be over qualified for an apprenticeship program? Couple of programs are of interest to me - Metal fabricator, Industrial Mechanic (Millwright), General Machinist, or Welder. I am comfortable with these because I am familiar with some of the course contents from my undergraduate in engineering days. But, I need more machine or practical skills in Canada. Each apprentice program that I am interested in is one year long, requires lot of commitment. I do have a 40 hour job. I do not how could I finish such a program while keeping my job.

The way to enroll for an apprenticeship program is to find a job. You have to look for an employer in the field you want to apprentice in. You go there and say you are interested in apprenticing. If they are interested in hiring you, they may either offer you a full time job as a helper to try you out with the intention of signing you up for an apprentice after a couple of months if you turn out to be reliable or they may even sign you up as an apprentice right away. You will in any case have to give up your current factory job to work full time for this employer and most likely for better pay as well.

The employer is then obligated to teach you the trade. In the beginning, you may be helping out with mundane tasks but bit by bit, they will teach you things you need to learn for the trade. Some trades take 3, others 4 years to apprentice. In some of them, you spend 2 months a year in school, in others 3. You will have to research that for the particular trade you are interested in. After completing your first year of work experience, you should look into registering for the school part. You will of course have to ask your employer when it suits them to let you take time off for school. During your school, you will get EI (you will of course need to apply for it). During your school, you will do shop training as well as possibly some math, drafting etc. You will take exams and do projects. After you have completed your first year school, you return to your job as a 2nd year apprentice and get your payrise because you are now capable of more tasks and more valuable to the employer. Repeat that for as many years as the apprenticeship takes and you will become a journeyman, take the red seal exam and be qualified to work as a journeyman in your trade in any province.

You can look at training standards in Ontario here: http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/membership/resources/training-standards and here you will find some info as well: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/apprentices/app_train.html

The one year course you are talking about would be known a pre-employment training and it not actually necessary in order to apprentice. I took a course like that and it did not really get me a head start. I spend 8 months in school, full time (one school year) and for it, I got credit for the 2 month first year school for my apprenticeship. During the time I had entered my pre-employment program, there was a lady who started working directly for the same employer I ended up with as a first year apprentice. Of course I did not meet her until I started working there but during the time I was in school, she was working and making money and later she did enter school and complete the 2 months of first year school that I already took during my pre-employment thing. However, me spending 8 months and her 2, she was still 6 months ahead of me with work experience towards her apprenticeship and she had 6 months of income that I didn't have because I was in school. Besides, I did not qualify for EI while I took my 8 month program which she got during her 2 months program. You see that by taking that year, I did not get a head start. Actually, she had a head start on me. Therefore, I don't recommend that you do that unless you have difficulty getting a job in the first place. If that is the case, then go ahead and take the year because it will help you get your foot in the door but only for that reason.

You can not be overqualified for an apprenticeship. You just say you are changing careers if anybody asks. I met quite a few people who were apprenticing who had university degrees before doing an apprenticeship.

 

[shamrock21]

hi coke 14

You can try this website. Quite informative in the general sense. hope it helps

http://www.livingin-canada.com/work-salaries-wages-canada.html

this link gives incorrect numbers - the lowest retail and similar job pays $10.25 per hour. I wouldn't trust it at all.

 

[shamrock21]

The way to enroll for an apprenticeship program is to find a job. You have to look for an employer in the field you want to apprentice in. You go there and say you are interested in apprenticing. If they are interested in hiring you, they may either offer you a full time job as a helper to try you out with the intention of signing you up for an apprentice after a couple of months if you turn out to be reliable or they may even sign you up as an apprentice right away. You will in any case have to give up your current factory job to work full time for this employer and most likely for better pay as well.

The employer is then obligated to teach you the trade. In the beginning, you may be helping out with mundane tasks but bit by bit, they will teach you things you need to learn for the trade. Some trades take 3, others 4 years to apprentice. In some of them, you spend 2 months a year in school, in others 3. You will have to research that for the particular trade you are interested in. After completing your first year of work experience, you should look into registering for the school part. You will of course have to ask your employer when it suits them to let you take time off for school. During your school, you will get EI (you will of course need to apply for it). During your school, you will do shop training as well as possibly some math, drafting etc. You will take exams and do projects. After you have completed your first year school, you return to your job as a 2nd year apprentice and get your payrise because you are now capable of more tasks and more valuable to the employer. Repeat that for as many years as the apprenticeship takes and you will become a journeyman, take the red seal exam and be qualified to work as a journeyman in your trade in any province.

You can look at training standards in Ontario here: http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/membership/resources/training-standards and here you will find some info as well: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/apprentices/app_train.html

The one year course you are talking about would be known a pre-employment training and it not actually necessary in order to apprentice. I took a course like that and it did not really get me a head start. I spend 8 months in school, full time (one school year) and for it, I got credit for the 2 month first year school for my apprenticeship. During the time I had entered my pre-employment program, there was a lady who started working directly for the same employer I ended up with as a first year apprentice. Of course I did not meet her until I started working there but during the time I was in school, she was working and making money and later she did enter school and complete the 2 months of first year school that I already took during my pre-employment thing. However, me spending 8 months and her 2, she was still 6 months ahead of me with work experience towards her apprenticeship and she had 6 months of income that I didn't have because I was in school. Besides, I did not qualify for EI while I took my 8 month program which she got during her 2 months program. You see that by taking that year, I did not get a head start. Actually, she had a head start on me. Therefore, I don't recommend that you do that unless you have difficulty getting a job in the first place. If that is the case, then go ahead and take the year because it will help you get your foot in the door but only for that reason.

You can not be overqualified for an apprenticeship. You just say you are changing careers if anybody asks. I met quite a few people who were apprenticing who had university degrees before doing an apprenticeship.

Really useful info. Thank you very much.

It is too late to change the career being 40 year old?

 

[Leon]

No, the oldest apprentice I heard about was 56. It is common in Canada to change your career. Sometimes because you want to change, sometimes because you can't get a job in your field and sometimes people just haven't gotten around to specializing in anything until they are a bit older.

 

[Farhana89]

How long can it take to get an odd job like mcdonalds or stores in toronto??? Can i get it fast? And one more thing i m immigrating with my husband in 4months pregnancy will that be a problem in getting survival jobs??