Certified teacher and out of Canada for 7 yrs. Will I find a job back in Canada?

[Yasmeenxox]

Hi to all. My husband and I have been discussing our plans for when we resettle in Canada. I am very educated and have two bachelor degrees from Canada. Bachelors of Fine Arts (four years) and Bachelors of Education. I am also certified for junior intermediate level. I want to find a job in Canada when I resettle. I know it difficult to find a job because I experienced it when I was there and all my friends are also telling me that it will take many months for me to find a job that I like. When I was in Canada I tried becoming an Art teacher and had a hard time finding a job even in my field of education. I started volunteering in Canadian public schools for a while and when I was getting no luck, I applied to South Korea as an EFL teacher. I have now been an English teacher for seven years in South Korea. Fortunately, I have plenty of experience in the EFL field (English as a Foreign Language.) When I return to Canada, I want to retry finding a job in my field of Education an ESL teacher. Do you think my experience will be counted or ESL schools in Canada look for a Canadian experience? What is the procedure to become a supply teacher in public schools?
Secondly, I don’t have any experience my field of Fine Arts even though my second Bachelors degree is in Fine Arts, Multi Media. Will it be difficult for me to find a job as an illustrator or graphic designer? Unfortunately, I don’t have a portfolio. Which field am I more likely to find a job in Education or Fine Arts?
If worst comes to worse, I will work as a cashier at a convenient store or work for Zellers or a coffee shop. It doesn’t matter I just want to work. I have heard that times are tough for everyone in Canada. Even people that are there now are having a hard time find a job in department stores and coffee shops. How difficult is it for Canadians that are in a foreign country? Does anyone have any advice for a Canadian citizen who is planning on resettling in Canada? What should I do for job hunting? I know networking is very important but to be honest I do not know many people since I have been out of Canada for so long. I have also tried job seeking websites and they don’t even respond to my resume. What should do? Any advise is except able!

 

[scylla]

I think you probably have a higher chance of finding a job as a teacher - but it's difficult to say how long this might take. To the best of my knowledge, there are still way more teachers than positions in Canada and it's typically difficult to find teaching jobs. I assume your overseas experience will help somewhat - but I don't know how much (probably not equivalent to having taught in Canada). Supply teacher processes vary from area to area. I would recommend you google "supply teaching" and the city / province you expect to settle in.

Entering the illustrator / graphic designer field would be doable if you had experience. But since you don't, you'd be starting in this field from scratch and might have to do additional schooling. Pretty much everyone I know in these fields has a related diploma in addition to (or instead of) a degree.

 

[JRPW]

Where do you plan to settle?

 

[nonothavingfun]

Hi Yasmeenxox,

Just by talking to more Canadians, you'll soon find out that the situation for teachers in Canada is grim... but exceptionally difficult in some provinces more than other (Ontario, Nova Scotia etc). Your experience abroad will count for something! If you could come back, get your CELTA or TESL/TEFL (if you don't already have it) and start making some Canadian contacts in education that would be ideal. There are teaching opportunities in Canada.. you just have to be willing to make the move. Sask/Alberta .. any rural parts of Canada, NWT, Nunavut and First Nation's reserves (would go well with your ESL experience) will have teaching opportunities for you.

Each school board is different, so what you'll need to do is either find the school boards in the areas you'd like to work and check out their hiring practices on their web site. (A lot of boards will only go through applytoeducation.com for their hiring) or you could search online and narrow it down that way. Applytoeducation.com and educationcanada.com/ will post jobs... but there are other sites as well..

If you want to become a supply teacher in the public schools you'll have to find the board you want to supply for, find out their hiring practices (like I mentioned) ..all boards are different.. some let you apply to be on the supply list once a year, and some several times a year.. all depends on the demand. If you're applying through applytoeducation.com for a supply teaching job then you have to pay $12 for each board you want to apply for. In Ontario most supply teachers are supplying for 5-7 years unless you have any French qualifications. However, there will be a shift coming since the B.Ed. program will be 2 years in Ontario starting in 2015 and the baby boomers are on their way out.

Look up 'information interview' and when you end up living in a town/city in Canada you can network that way.. I'm just learning about it myself, but when jobs are scarce, it's the best way after re-locating.

I only have Ontario experience with my B.Ed... not sure how it works in other provinces. I got my fine arts degree in Canada, taught in Korea for 4 years and came back to Canada and got my B.Ed in 2013. I found that my experience abroad was received well and it has helped me. : ) If you got your B.Ed. in Ontario, renew your OCT membership and get some AQ's (additional qualifications) .. that may be the same in other provinces. An AQ for ESL, and Special Education Part 1 would be ideal. They're $700 each but the bar is set high where jobs are scarce.

Also, join some Facebook pages for occasional teachers.. there are general ones, and ones specific to school boards. People are pretty good to help out.