Keep in mind there are almost no jobs!

[info-gc]

===========================================
THE JOB 2002-2005
======================================

It was Sunday evening in February 2002; I was just cooking my dinner when the phone rang. Could it be my landlord's husband trying to expel us from the house again? I pick up the phone to find out it is a headhunter located in the States who had an opportunity for me. After the initial screening call, he placed two more calls and was seemingly satisfied with what he heard.

In March 2002 I had an interview scheduled in a town 100km east of Toronto for this job. Not having a car, I took the bus. Instead of showing up at 2PM I was there at lunchtime. The managers were very friendly and accommodating. They did not follow the usual procedure of doing an office style "interrogation". Rather they took me out for lunch! While I was chewing on my Lake Erie perch, they were explaining what the role entailed! Then I had a plant tour and I also received a cheque for my travel expenses. Later in April they scheduled a second interview with a company representative from the States. The guy was an immigrant himself with a Doctor's degree. We clicked right away. He was a smart and friendly fellow and a great person! Ten minutes after this interview I got the job. This required me to move to that new community. The position was about to start May 5, so I had hopes of doing my humble temporary job till at least the end of May. Fat chance! Not sure how I let one person at Greentech (now I remembered the name) know that I was leaving, but the secret came out and that was my last day. That night my agent at the Temp agency called me to say I was not supposed to report to work on the next day. (silly me)

The job I had was quiet good. Their team was great and very friendly. I had an office with no windows but many offices in Canada are like that. Since they had a few data management issues, I managed to come up with a couple of database applications that made me almost a hero. The position involved traveling and I flew to the States a few times which was also fun. The company that I visited was similar to ours, and I could apply some of the same methods. They had a very nice manager and we became friends.

In the fall of 2003 our manager left. For a period of 6-8 months we were looking for a replacement. The job was offered to my manager, but he did not want to take it, so we ended up with a fellow from outside.
He wanted to make fast changes and this saw a couple of my colleagues go right away. The new manager installed friends of his own in those positions. I, on the other hand received a new office (no windows again) and a substantial raise. The guy thought for a while that I could do his job while he is only delegating duties. It did not work.

One day he is hinting I have to go to the States again as they needed me there. That year I needed a PR card to come back to Canada and I did not have it. After I applied and all fees were paid by the company one day I got the card and was immediately handed out an airplane ticket for a business trip to the States. That same night I discovered that my passport had expired. It still had a US business class visa in it valid till 2012 (a 10 year one). Nothing could be done. I took the chance.

At the airport I nearly made it. Then the officer realized that 03.02.2005 meant 3 February and not 2 March and I was sent to a detention area where I waited till my plane took off. I was then fingerprinted and released. Had I known back then it would have been so much easier to just put a mask on my face. ;D

This incident sealed my fate, as those guys in the States were furious I did not make it. But I was not fired. What happened was, I was slowly prepared that the position was coming to an end. Then I signed resignation papers and was offered a small severance package in return. The company closed a couple of years later. When I joined it had about 150 employees. When I left it had close to 60 left.

 

[Benjamin Sapkota]

hi info....
very interesting bro....... i feel as if i am watching a movie (dont take it otherwise )........ carry on bro..... ur story has lot of lessons to be learn for prospective immigrants............

info... it would be wonderful if u could help us to plan in a better way so that we settle early......

may god bless u

regards,
benjamin

 

[Pippin]

I dashed home from early Christmas shopping with my daughter and was delighted to see the second installment (have you put any thought into journalism???). Doesn't seem right to be delighted to read of your troubles, but your writing style is great! I hope there will be more installments to come. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your challenges. Who knows, someone may be reading it and think...hmmm, I know a great job for him. (Secretly, I am hoping there will be a surprising twist at the very end!)

 

[info-gc]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE 2000-2005
================================================
Things happen sometimes; good dinner, a couple of drinks and looking for adventure. She was convinced she had found that someone. I was not. Our days were happily spent in traveling and hiking and our nights were comfortable with wine and burning candles.
All but one. The night when I came back from a late dinner with company guests and I found my girlfriend laughing, asking me to read the doctor's note. She, or rather we were expecting a child.

My application as a single person was in progress and I had just received a letter that my visa was ready for pick up. I did nothing and said nothing; just collected the visa and waited till my son was born. Then I took the flight.

There was so much excitement. My freedoms were somewhat reduced, but I was up in the air under the bright blue skies looking down at all the lakes of Labrador.

When in 2002 I was finally hired I started a Common Law sponsorship application which produced two unexpected results. First I received a letter stating misrepresentation for not declaring my dependent at the point of entry. Back then I made good money paying high taxes. Whether this played a role or not, I cannot tell, but I soon received a second letter stating a decision that they will not pursue further action against me.

And the sponsorship application? - you will ask. Guess what? They told my girlfriend that the application will be turned down unless we married within a month. Needless to say this resulted in a "very romantic" wedding in an old government building where only 3 other people were present.

In 2003 I now had my wife and child start their lives as immigrants in Canada. My wife does not drive so she had a difficult time walking around to those places the temporary labor agencies would send her. She was trying to do her best though. After a year of struggle and knowing her parents are not doing well (she as well as I were the only kids of our parents), we planned a summer visit. I could only take 2 weeks off, and she could take the whole summer. Our tickets were purchased in January, but in March we learned we were going to have a second child. Then in April I already knew my job was not going to last much longer but no changes to the travel arrangements could be made.
===========================================================================================
...................to be continued

 

[wxyz123]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE 2000-2005
================================================
Things happen sometimes; good dinner, a couple of drinks and looking for adventure. She was convinced she had found that someone. I was not. Our days were happily spent in traveling and hiking and our nights were comfortable with wine and burning candles.
All but one. The night when I came back from a late dinner with company guests and I found my girlfriend laughing, asking me to read the doctor's note. She, or rather we were expecting a child.

My application as a single person was in progress and I had just received a letter that my visa was ready for pick up. I did nothing and said nothing; just picked up my visa. Then I waited till my son was born and took the flight.

There was so much excitement. My freedoms were somewhat reduced, but I was up in the air under the bright blue skies looking down at all the lakes of Labrador.

When in 2002 I was finally hired I started a Common Law sponsorship application which produced two unexpected events. First I received a letter stating misrepresentation for not declaring my dependent at the point of entry. Back then I made good money paying high taxes. Whether this played a role or not, I cannot tell, but I soon received a second letter stating a decision that they will not pursue further action against me.

And the sponsorship application? - you will ask. Guess what? They told my girlfriend that the application will be turned down unless we married within a month. Needless to say this resulted in a "very romantic" wedding in an old government building where only 3 other people were present.

In 2003 I now had my wife and child start their lives as immigrants in Canada. My wife does not drive so she a had a hard time walking around to those places the temporary labor agencies would send her. She was trying to do her best. After a year of struggle and knowing her parents are not doing well (she as well as I were the only kids of our parents), we planned a summer visit. I could only take 2 weeks off, and she could take the whole summer. Our tickets were purchased in January, but in March we learned we were going to have a second child. Then in April I already knew my job was not going to last much longer but no changes to the travel arrangements could be made.
===========================================================================================
...................to be continued

buddy you can publish your book and make money

 

[kathe]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE 2000-2005
================================================
Things happen sometimes; good dinner, a couple of drinks and looking for adventure. She was convinced she had found that someone. I was not. Our days were happily spent in traveling and hiking and our nights were comfortable with wine and burning candles.
All but one. The night when I came back from a late dinner with company guests and I found my girlfriend laughing, asking me to read the doctor's note. She, or rather we were expecting a child.

My application as a single person was in progress and I had just received a letter that my visa was ready for pick up. I did nothing and said nothing; just collected the visa and waited till my son was born. Then I took the flight.

There was so much excitement. My freedoms were somewhat reduced, but I was up in the air under the bright blue skies looking down at all the lakes of Labrador.

When in 2002 I was finally hired I started a Common Law sponsorship application which produced two unexpected results. First I received a letter stating misrepresentation for not declaring my dependent at the point of entry. Back then I made good money paying high taxes. Whether this played a role or not, I cannot tell, but I soon received a second letter stating a decision that they will not pursue further action against me.

And the sponsorship application? - you will ask. Guess what? They told my girlfriend that the application will be turned down unless we married within a month. Needless to say this resulted in a "very romantic" wedding in an old government building where only 3 other people were present.

In 2003 I now had my wife and child start their lives as immigrants in Canada. My wife does not drive so she had a difficult time walking around to those places the temporary labor agencies would send her. She was trying to do her best though. After a year of struggle and knowing her parents are not doing well (she as well as I were the only kids of our parents), we planned a summer visit. I could only take 2 weeks off, and she could take the whole summer. Our tickets were purchased in January, but in March we learned we were going to have a second child. Then in April I already knew my job was not going to last much longer but no changes to the travel arrangements could be made.
===========================================================================================
...................to be continued

Your posts made me recall Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Able, supposed to be you are now in the generation of Kane & Able so next generation of your? who knows? one day you might have illustrated "The Prodigal Daughter or Son" like JA

Writting profession might have been your future goldmine and you should seriously try to put focus on writting as you are able to smoothly deliver your message to audience until last sentence!

Cheers!

 

[ihabkal]

I don't know why you immigrated in the first place. what were you looking for? I am 100% sure that you were unexperienced and unskilled, but now did you learn from your own lessons of life?
1st lesson, never live with a stranger, it always ends up badly, especially if you're from a different culture.
I would say all that happend to you is your fault and not Canada's. Travelling on expired passport?

 

[info-gc]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE AND RELOCATION 2005 -2006 - 1
================================================
This is the point where the two stories will meet.

My wife and son left for home in May 2005 and in mid June I was out of work.
That was it!
They called me in the office and offered me two options, one of which was to resign and take the benefits package.

By that day I was so exhausted with the whole game, with even seeing that manager, that I realized if I stayed, I could end up in prison for assault or battery. That person was a devil's incarnate. His sly blue Irish eyes were slowly studying the victim, waiting for the time it could be devoured! No management style, no thought about people, no desire to unite the team behind him, no computer skills to even figure out what I have done. The plant he managed before he came on board was closed too. He was hopeless.

Why was I waiting for this day to come? Why didn't I leave the sinking ship?

Well, I tried, I tried many times and it never worked. Once unemployed it was easier to schedule interviews and in the matter of 10 months I had 12-14 of them. Not a single one worked. It was crazy!, Ridiculous!, or was I crazy and ridiculous? There were interviews with GE, Canada Post, CIBC, packaging companies, heavy machinery companies, even a satellite dish manufacturer for the military. This last company was the only one to make me feel professionally unprepared. A guy asked me what my favorite regression method was.
By the summer of 2006 I grew tired of that! And in the meantime my daughter was born back home.

My EI was still paying me good benefits, but that was not enough. I was sending money home (as always). You can work and supplement your EI income by approximately 1 day a week. If you earn more they start deducting money from your EI payments. So I worked. One day at a kitty litter factory, another at a plastic molding facility but the wost by far was my day in the Dog Biscuits plant. That waste they put into the dog food STINKS! It can make you puke or faint. A young girl was working restlessly there. She shared with me, they hired her in a permanent position. She was happy.

Enough is enough, I though, I have to get out of this evil place.....

 

[kathe]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE AND RELOCATION 2005 -2006
================================================
This is the point where the two stories will meet.

My wife and son left for home in May 2005 and in mid June I was out of work.
That was it!
They called me in the office and offered me two options, one of which was to resign and take the benefits package.

By that day I was so exhausted with the whole game, with even seeing that manager, that I realized if I stayed, I could end up in prison for assault or battery. That person was a devil's incarnate. His sly blue Irish eyes were slowly studying the victim, waiting for the time it could be devoured! No management style, no thought about people, no desire to unite the team behind him, no computer skills to even figure out what I have done. The plant he managed before he came on board was closed too. He was hopeless.

Why was I waiting for this day to come? Why didn't I leave the sinking ship?

Well, I tried, I tried many times and it never worked. Once unemployed it was easier to schedule interviews and in the matter of 10 months I had 12-14 of them. Not a single one worked. It was crazy!, Ridiculous!, or was I crazy and ridiculous? There were interviews with GE, Canada Post, CIBC, packaging companies, heavy machinery companies, even a satellite dish manufacturer for the military. This last company was the only one to make me feel professionally unprepared. A guy asked me what my favorite regression method was.
By the summer of 2006 I grew tired of that! And in the meantime my daughter was born back home.

My EI was still paying me good benefits, but that was not enough. I was sending money home (as always). You can work and supplement your EI income by approximately 1 day a week. If you earn more they start deducting money from your EI payments. So I worked. One day at a kitty litter factory, another at a plastic molding facility but the wost by far was my day in the Dog Biscuits plant. That waste they put into the dog food STINKS! It can make you puke or faint. A young girl was working restlessly there. She shared with me, they hired her in a permanent position. She was happy.

Enough is enough, I though, I have to get out of this evil place.....

Well done, try to continue this story until ending phrase " and they lived happily ever after". We audience wanna see the satisfactory success of the hero at the end

 

[ihabkal]

if you can't find a decent job before the recession you will not find one during the recession. so I guess your story is more related to your life situation and not to the economy.

 

[info-gc]

================================================
FAMILY LIFE AND RELOCATION 2005 -2006 - 2
================================================

Too much concrete, too many straight roads and featureless buildings, this must be the problem, I thought; people had grown concrete hearts. Lets move on, there are better places out there. Out West? The Mountains! The Lakes! The Trout!

I started emptying my apartment, getting rid of toys and furniture. A neighbor negotiated a price for my computer desk, but when the day came he asked for a discount. We both lost. The desk was scrapped. My mattress ($600 worth of hard earned savings) went under a deck in a friend's house and was destroyed by mice that same year. Not a problem, I could have never brought it along with me and I could not sell it.

In a few days all that I had could fit inside my car. This was the day to turn my back on this big ugly place. My overloaded car had some trouble picking up speed, stopping or turning but I was careful. The journey was memorable and I still had hope back then.

Mid July 2006; my EI benefits are about to expire. I am in my new home - a small place tucked in the hills. Finally some scenery! Now I can find my way around.

Receiving EI makes you eligible for a number of things including the Wage Subsidy program. This program basically pays the employer 1/2 of your wages. In other words the employer has a person for 1/2 price and the rest is paid by the government. You may say this is an unfair advantage to the other applicants. You are right but this is how it works.

Seeing my wage subsidy form two companies offered me employment (as a regular laborer, of course, not as an engineer)
Conditions at one of the companies were absolutely atrocious. They also asked me to buy my own tools - hammer, belt, whatever, so I chose the second company. It looked far more advanced and civilized and it was!

Hard work, but not too bad. I was handling huge aluminum parts, doing minor assembly work and gasket installation, kitting sets and sometimes sorting parts. Then I started a second job as a security guard to stay afloat. Sometimes the first job would offer me overtime hours and I would still do security work on the previous night. Yes, I would spend 10 hours lifting heavy parts, take a quick bite, spend the night at a site (Job2) and in the morning return to job 1.

I still do not know how a person can handle a security job. It was very tough on me, as I was always tired. There were only black thoughts running through my head. It is difficult to focus, difficult to think of something other than the lonely miserable situation you are in. But yes, some people have it worse. I could have been in Afghanistan.

In spring of 2007 my daughter was almost 2 years old and I had not seen her yet. The employer was understanding of my situation, and let me have my vacation plus a week of unpaid leave.

My daughter was doing fine, she had started to walk but my mother in law looked extremely lean, downright scary. While I was still there she lost her voice and was in 2 weeks diagnosed with cancer. When I had to leave this time, I was leaving her with my wife, and I knew that was the last time I see her. :'( She had made every effort to conceal her decease not wanting to bother anyone, She was still active and helping with groceries and the kids when I arrived. Was I to blame for her condition.....it could be me.

I came back to Canada and carried on with the crazy cocktail of job1+job2+fishing. One morning when I was just about to leave the site I have been securing all night a call came. It was my wife. Her Mom had passed away!

 

[ihabkal]

my life story is much more dramatic than yours, but it taught me something: everyone has problems, you're not the only one. every single person has problems. my mom died when I was 19 from cancer. I had to leave my house, car, furniture and everything in the USA when my H1B expired in 2005, I returned to Lebanon where my childhood was spent in bomb shelters or hiding in bathrooms and corridors to face a few more wars including the aggression of 2006, bombings of 2007, 2008, clashes in my neighborhood between gunmen this year and two nights ago.
Man you think you got it bad? almost everyone got it bad. I could write twice as much as you and still have more to say. First two weeks int he US I slept on the floor, my wife was pregnant and we both slept on a couch till she delivered. my neighbours had AIDS, my other neighbours had the cops coming in and out (in Toledo, Ohio), man you had it good compared to what I had. At least you had PR which can take you anywhere in the world, I consider myslef living in a big jail called Lebanon where everyday I have a dramatic story. Every single day someone here pushes me towards hating this country and wanting to leave to Canada.
I had $900 when i first left Lebanon with my wife. How long can you eat with $900???
Man you had a vacation compared to me. Your first mistake: you live far from your wife. that can make a man go crazy or go to a whore house and get diseases. Never leave the wife man. How could you stay away from her and the kids?

 

[kathe]

my life story is much more dramatic than yours, but it taught me something: everyone has problems, you're not the only one. every single person has problems. my mom died when I was 19 from cancer. I had to leave my house, car, furniture and everything in the USA when my H1B expired in 2005, I returned to Lebanon where my childhood was spent in bomb shelters or hiding in bathrooms and corridors to face a few more wars including the aggression of 2006, bombings of 2007, 2008, clashes in my neighborhood between gunmen this year and two nights ago.
Man you think you got it bad? almost everyone got it bad. I could write twice as much as you and still have more to say. First two weeks int he US I slept on the floor, my wife was pregnant and we both slept on a couch till she delivered. my neighbours had AIDS, my other neighbours had the cops coming in and out (in Toledo, Ohio), man you had it good compared to what I had. At least you had PR which can take you anywhere in the world, I consider myslef living in a big jail called Lebanon where everyday I have a dramatic story. Every single day someone here pushes me towards hating this country and wanting to leave to Canada.
I had $900 when i first left Lebanon with my wife. How long can you eat with $900???
Man you had a vacation compared to me. Your first mistake: you live far from your wife. that can make a man go crazy or go to a whore house and get diseases. Never leave the wife man. How could you stay away from her and the kids?

ihabkal!

Kudos to you for your amazing endurance of hardships and strong determination!You will certainly win one day!

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."

Arabian Proverb

 

[lloydnina]

wew!..this is geting very serious..don't get me wrong..i know its relieving to share problems and know someone listens..however,can we be a bit positive here? i just thought that, its better if we will not stop by sharing only the negatves of immigration but how can we " aspiring and hopeful new immigrants" survive these problems. For sure, we will all have our share to these experiences but if we will be discouraged already even at this very start of our venture..i don't think this will help. if i am wrong..i am sorry..this is just my viewpoint.

lloyd

 

[ihabkal]

lloyd, the title of this thread is one of the most negative I have seen on this forum. It is like a death sentence for the hopes of every wannabe immigrant like me. It is like he is telling me I will fail before I try no matter where I come from or what my background is.
"There are almost no jobs"
This title is a joke. I spent last night watching a documentary about baby boomers and how they are retiring, leaving tons of jobs across the next 5 years both in the US and Canada.