Difficulties in Canada

[johnjkjk]

There is a level of implicit bias during resume shortlisting and this has been proven by research. The underlying basis is a fear of poor communication ability rather than racism. The approach to tackle this is to highlight one's superior language skills and try your best to talk to recruiters directly. If however your communication ability is indeed poor, then you need to first work on your English. As a native English language speaker myself, I can tell you that poor communication is very off-putting during interview (for the recruiter).

 

[Hansdza]

There is a level of implicit bias during resume shortlisting and this has been proven by research. The underlying basis is a fear of poor communication ability rather than racism. The approach to tackle this is to highlight one's superior language skills and try your best to talk to recruiters directly. If however your communication ability is indeed poor, then you need to first work on your English. As a native English language speaker myself, I can tell you that poor communication is very off-putting during interview (for the recruiter).

Improving language skills takes time. I've been here for 4 yrs and I barely speak my mother tongue now coz I don't meet many people from my country here but I still need more time to improve my English skills. It is not something you can master overnight. It takes time. For example if you are a native English speaker, how long will it take for you to perfect your French or Spanish skills? It Might take years more than 5yrs or even 10yrs. The question is, do you have that much time before you can get a "decent" job in Canada?

So in my opinion, it's not about mastering English skill but communicating effectively in your second language. It is hard for many immigrants but it is a must thing to do. Follow rules of the game in finding jobs. Get Canadian education or Canadian work experience and expand your network. Show your personal qualities once you have chance to do so. Based on my limited observation, there are some personal qualities that many Canadian born don't have. That is your chance to outperform them and win the competition. you know what I mean..

 

[pie_vancouver]

No racism. Main issue is getting a good job. No job available in the market now.

It depends what job are you looking for and what you really want to do.
Job sites has tons of job ads, some employers are just picky...
There is always racism & discrimination.

 

[54321]

CBC Marketplace did a investigative report on this issue
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blind-recruitment-marketplace-1.3462061

Basically your name on the resume do put you in advantage and disadvantage in the eyes of HR people, but not so much as in "I won't let an Indian man work in my company" kind of barrier.

There's also "glass ceiling" within a corporate. A non-white person are "generally unaccepted" to promote to a senior management position, especially for position related to public relation or sales. Although this is not as common and apparently only in traditionally large corporate like banks.

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It also appears that foreign education and experiences valued a lot less than Canadian education and experiences, which unlike the name and color of our skin, is a genuine consideration for qualification. There are codes and standards that applies only to Canada and nowhere else.

So ethnic discrimination still exist in Canada. Let's not pretend it's not. But probably less serious and apparent than other countries and on a decline.

Sometimes our world is ignorant and unfair. (Like the H1-B which is "random selection" - that's unfair as well)

 

[HannaYanna]

54321
… You must be prepared well, you must have a plan, you must have a motive; Ask yourself; what do I want to achieve in this country? Give yourself a time limit and work towards that. When you have a goal, you aren’t going to suffer from the cold, you are not going to suffer from prejudice; your eyes and ears will be focused on the goal....

Well said and I salute you for sharing this inspiring experience...+1 for you...

 

[johnjkjk]

So in my opinion, it's not about mastering English skill but communicating effectively in your second language.

Your second language won't help you. As I've stated before, most of the fear from the recruiter's point of view is poor communication ability. Even if you have an entirely technical job, you've got to be able to communicate well in a team. There are plenty of reports of PRs who have failed to improve their English after even 10 years. It really makes a huge difference.

We're talking about PR and citizenship here, not merely temporary work abroad. You're presumably intending to make a new life in Canada. Mastering the language is absolutely key and it's really not very difficult if you're determined. I used to speak French when I was younger and I know that I can polish this to a native standard if I'm living in a Francophone environment.

I'm personally determined to learn an aboriginal language.

I'm a strong believer in immigrants making the effort to master English to the highest levels.

 

[foodie69]

You are absolutely right..problem with language is that there might not be any incentive to learn English:

For arguments sake, you live in Chinatown, work there, your accountant is Chinese, your doctor, your supermarket, your taxman, car mechanic. Everyone speaks mandarin, no need to learn English.

I have seen it in any language, especially where large groups of an ethnic group live.

 

[LokiJr01]

That's actually a quick workaround on the language issue. If you're having difficulty learning English or French, then live near areas where your nationality is prevalent (i.e. Chinatown). That way, you can get a decent job quickly and you get to fit right in. Of course, we're talking about immigration so at some point in time, you will still need to interact with many other locals who don't speak your mother tongue.

If you look at it, immigration is more than just paying the processing fees, and preparing the right documents. You also need to invest in yourself - learn Canada's language, step out of your comfort zone, and take risks. That's how you overcome any difficulties when you're living in a new country.

 

[maged_mmh]

I wonder why would anybody want to reside long term in a country they don't want and not willing to learn its language?

you can't live in a cocoon forever!

 

[yash9022]

One another major problem now, which I consider is, Canadian economy. CAD is constantly moving lower and lower due to the international crude prices. Hope for better Canada.

 

[ttrajan]

New comers are getting good jobs in Canada now?

 

[yash9022]

New comers are getting good jobs in Canada now?

Depends on which field they have experience. Usually medical, pharmacy, foreman, construction people are highly paid. But still now its a bit hard to find jobs unless u have high experience.

 

[johnjkjk]

I wonder why would anybody want to reside long term in a country they don't want and not willing to learn its language?

you can't live in a cocoon forever!

Completely agree with this. I appreciate it if someone is on a short work experience/placement and the objective is just to communicate and gain international experience, but if you're seeking to make a new life in a new country, it makes sense to put in the effort and learn the language. I've often seen racism beaten when immigrants respond with a level of fluency better than that of the native born and bred. Communication is key to successful integration.

I also believe that immigrants should spread out as much as possible, to avoid creating urban ghettos. This not only reinforces a racial stereotype but prevents these people from successfully engaging in society as citizens.

 

[johnjkjk]

Question on pay:

What are the laws regarding minimum wage for the likes of an internship or work experience (no contract), that offers only a stipend?

Are unpaid internships legal?

Is the minimum wage calculated before any deductions for the likes of employer-provided accommodation (e.g. when one is working on a remote site and staying in temporary accommodation provided by the employer, which has to be paid for).

 

[54321]

Immigration is a critical decision so the fact that this option is being considered means the applicant is aspiring for something that is either non-existent or hard to find in their country of origin. Healthcare, career, better community, climate, geographic location, better lifestyle - these all play a huge role in one's decision to migrate.

That is not always true --> some people may want a change in their life e.g. many doctors and engineers in our country decide to go abroad to gain overseas experience which they bring back and market it well locally but before they left they were not struggling or had poor lifestyles or lived in poor communities, etc. What you say above is true for some but not all.

As for performing low-skilled work...I would not call it a step backward. It's part of your personal investment in living in a new community. Everybody starts from scratch, and starting out with a menial job is a stepping stone towards greater progress in the long term. Heck, if you come from a 3rd world country and you move to a developed country like Canada, that in itself is a step forward if you ask me

going from working as an engineer/other professions to a low/unskilled/survival job is simply a step backward. no sane person can be proud of it. i believe your argument for coming from a 'third world country' is also not entirely true because those countries no longer appear to be how they were in the 80s and 90s, for educated well-off people in these countries their lifestyles are more or less equivalent to the developed parts of the world (if you visit you will see). in fact the 'third world countries' are the ones that are keeping the fires of the world economy going unlike the snails pace of growth in OECD countries (mind you some of the people from these OECD countries are moving to the third world for opportunities because even they know it is not wise being unemployed or doing pointless part time work - does the media there talk about it?). the world has changed and continues to change and most of us and our countries are not what they were 10 to 20 years ago.