First, when did you immigrate to Canada? Was it before or after 2009/recession?
We landed in Jan 2011, but returned to our home country and then moved back in June 2011 when I had secured a job.
If you immigrated when job market was healthy (as it used to be in US), then your advise would be irrelevant today.
But if your experience is relatively recent, I have some more questions to ask.
Assuming your timeline refers to your landing (06/2014), please kindly tell:
1. What was the first job you were hired for?
Process engineer at a petrochemical plant in Manitoba
2. How exactly did you apply for it?
Recruiter found me via monster.ca
3. What was the next, "better" job you applied for and got hired?
Same field, different company, located in Alberta.
4. How exactly did you apply for it?
Submitted an online application. Also helped that a former colleague worked there and was able to serve as a reference in the online application.
5. What job do you have now?
Related field, but in a different petrochemical process - same city in Alberta.
6. How exactly did you apply for it?
Online through a job posting on indeed.ca. No references this time.
When I ask "How exactly did you apply for it?", I mean where did you search for a job? How did you find out about it? How did you apply for it (online, in person)?
I checked indeed.ca about once a week, only applied to jobs which appeared relevant. Before landing my current job, I had another offer from a company in Sarnia, but chose this one since didn't require relocation.
Both my undergrad and grad degrees are from the US, which certainly helped in the P.Eng process. I also worked in the US for a couple of years between degrees.
Not sure if it helps in your case, but until I had secured my first job, I was fully intent on moving here permanently and starting an MBA in Ontario. I had applied and obtained admission in York and McMaster for their part-time MBA - the rationale being that I could keep the tuition costs low and with support from savings and maybe odd/survival jobs keep things going until something came along. If a potential recruiter would ask what I was doing, I could point towards the MBA to indicate personal/professional development, which would (at least in my mind) avoid a gap in my resume.
Thank you.