MBA (Master of business Administration) from a USA University

[alylosan]

Hello Every Body,

I see a lot of people saying that Quebec does not recognize other countries Educations and Experiences. Well I was just wondering do they recognize at least Degrees from the United States??

I am a recent graduate and I have a

• MBA (Master of business Administration) in Finance
• Bachelor in Internation Business
• Certification in International Business
  

My goal is to become a Financial Analyst. I am currently living in the US and waiting on my PR card. I am 24 years old and I speak both French and English Fluently. Please share your experience and knowledge with me because after reading some of the other forums, my hopes just went down

 

[Canadian Career Coach]

It will often depend on the country where you received your degree. It's always a good idea to have your credentials qualifed to your target country/province.

http://www.credentials.gc.ca/

 

[clubcanada]

as an MBA it's not so much about 'recognizing' as from an academic point of view an MBA accepted in canada - so there's no need for an evaluation of your degree. BUT canadian employers pretty much focus on and prefer local degrees as the know the schools and can determine the quality. If you look for a job in toronto you'd be better of with a degree from UTO or York. Therefore, what counts in your case is more your work experience prior and after your MBA. If you planning to live and work in Canada you might consider to get a canadian degree...

 

[alylosan]

Thank you both for your responses! But there is no way I am going to start school all over again when I just graduated...I am 24..If they won't recognize my Bachelor in International Business and my Master of Business Administration in Finance from a United States University then I guess I will have to find other options besides Quebec...That is unbelievable..But I believe in myself and with the help of God I will find something that is related to my education ( Managers, Financial analyst, Banking)..Thank you guys for your inputs it really motivates me more!

 

[abelkwh]

it does not only apply to Quebec that yr degrees may not be recognized in Canada, its all over Canada that u will face the same problem!

It also does matter where yr US degrees are from, are they from States Unis or Private Unis or colleges and are they from Ivy Leagues?

 

[AllisonVSC]

I am US educated PR (BS and Masters degree) with 20 years experience in program management, teaching, and directing a national non-profit org in the US. I have lived here for almost 2 years without work (I am fortunate that I came through family class and my partner can afford to support both of us so I have not been forced to take a "survival" job). You might think that the US and Canada are so similar that employment and credential recognition wouldn't be a problem for us, but from my own experience and quite a bit of study on this issue I will tell you it is!

I also thought there was no way I was going back to school, but I did. I am currently studying immigrant employment issues as part of an internship program to gain Canadian work experience and I can tell you a few things that I have learned...

Four years after landing, less than half of the employed immigrants (and only 68% were employed after 4 years here!) worked in a field related to their education and over 60% report encountering problems trying to find employment. Underemployment continues to be a big problem for immigrants.

The most common problems cited with regard to finding employment were lack of job experience in Canada, problems getting foreign work experience or qualifications recognized/accepted and language problems. Foreign credential recognition problems were particularly pertinent for skilled workers.

The unemployment rate four years after landing for all the immigrants (I'm citing a longitudinal study) was 19%. This was much higher than the Canadian average rate of 6.8% in 2005. After four years in Canada, immigrants who chose to live in Québec had an unemployment rate of 28%, which was well above that for all the immigrants in the study (19%) and higher than any other province.

 

[abelkwh]

This really sounds like a problem for new immigrants and no wonder, the Canadian govt now has to reduce the FSW scheme and also reduce the number of immigrants from other countries without Canadian work experience or Canadian qualifications.

 

[alylosan]

My degrees are from a Private College..I do not think I would face those problems just because I am a recent graduate and still young 24 years old... and I speak French and English very well...I am willing to do internships and try to advance in within the company...Well I think it all depends on how hard you look.. If you want a job badly then you will do anything to succeed...

 

[AllisonVSC]

There is no doubt you will be able to find A job - sales, services, manufacturing, tourism, etc. The likelihood that you find a job that adequately uses your knowledge and skills is low if you don't have Canadian degrees or work experience. Wages for male immigrants are on average $0.67 for every dollar made by a Canadian-born male with the same qualifications even though immigrants are something like 3 times as likely to hold at least one post secondary degree.

I'm not trying to suppress your optimism for coming to Canada, just to give you a realistic perspective on what your are likely to experience in terms of employment prospects.

I suggest you have your credentials assessed while you are still in the US ("private college" has a much different connotation here; most think technical school, not university equivalent). Check out the certification requirements for Certified Financial Analysts, the schedule of exams, membership and exams costs as well as pass/fail rates. There may also be a trade association for FAs that offers credential evaluation which will allow you to be certain that your credentials match the Canadian equivalence for your MBA, as well as your bachelor and certification in international business. Doing this before you move will help you "hit the ground running" in terms of your job search.

On one positive note (and believe me I wish I had more than just one), your ability to speak English and French fluently is a big plus if you intend to settle outside of Quebec because there is a scarcity of competition for jobs that require both and employers will pay on average 30% more for candidates with these special skills. You might want to check out the job situation in Ottawa.

Best of Luck. Allison

 

[scylla]

AllisonVSC has already given you some great advice. Here's a bit more...

Definitely expect to start with an entry-ish level role if you're aiming for the finance industry - and expect heavy competition from other grads for coveted roles (e.g. internships, rotation programs). Fortunately or unfortunately, MBAs are a dime a dozen in the finance industry now a days. If you're interested in become a financial analyst, you'll probably want to add one or more certification during the first few years of your career. Depending on where your interests lie, this might be a CA, CMA or CFA designation. I don't think this is something you should be trying to sort out now, but start looking into things once you've landed your first role.

If you want to work for one of Canada's big national banks, your best career options by far will be in Toronto (they are all headquartered here).

 

[clubcanada]

The unemployment rate four years after landing for all the immigrants (I'm citing a longitudinal study) was 19%. This was much higher than the Canadian average rate of 6.8% in 2005. After four years in Canada, immigrants who chose to live in Québec had an unemployment rate of 28%, which was well above that for all the immigrants in the study (19%) and higher than any other province.

I don't give that much on this kind of stats as these figures are very difficult to track and a baselining is quite impossible. everyone makes his/her own experiences. mine are not quite compatible with what Allison stated. I got a job without any prior canadian experience nor canadian degree. I know at least four people in a very similar situation who were able to land a job within 3 months in their specific areas in late 2009 - no one took a survival job nor a huge pay cut. these were all positions in TO with a salary +$80K for jobs in business consulting, IT management and marketing.

 

[alylosan]

I don't give that much on this kind of stats as these figures are very difficult to track and a baselining is quite impossible. everyone makes his/her own experiences. mine are not quite compatible with what Allison stated. I got a job without any prior canadian experience nor canadian degree. I know at least four people in a very similar situation who were able to land a job within 3 months in their specific areas in late 2009 - no one took a survival job nor a huge pay cut. these were all positions in TO with a salary +$80K for jobs in business consulting, IT management and marketing.

Thank you Clubcanada for some positivity and hope..I believe that if you are qualified and know exactly what you are looking to do then it does not matter..Employees will select candidates that they feel like they could get the job done no matter of where they are from and where they got their degrees from. And by the way I am looking for an entry level job since I been in school for my whole life and haven't got any professional work experience (just internships and minimum wage jobs). I am not moving to Quebec for a minimum wage job...an MBA degree is expensive in the US. I went to Grad school to have a good job that pays well not for a minimum wage job. But I am confident that everything will be alright...

 

[scylla]

Alylosan -

If you are interested in the national banks, you should start looking at the career sections of their web sites now. I believe all of them have career areas on their sites that specifically cover new grads. This will give you an idea of what types of roles might be available and how you can apply. Again, the majority of the roles available will likely be in Toronto.

 

[clubcanada]

Thank you Clubcanada for some positivity and hope..I believe that if you are qualified and know exactly what you are looking to do then it does not matter..Employees will select candidates that they feel like they could get the job done no matter of where they are from and where they got their degrees from. And by the way I am looking for an entry level job since I been in school for my whole life and haven't got any professional work experience (just internships and minimum wage jobs). I am not moving to Quebec for a minimum wage job...an MBA degree is expensive in the US. I went to Grad school to have a good job that pays well not for a minimum wage job. But I am confident that everything will be alright...

on what basis can you apply for an PR if you don't have any work experience?

 

[AllisonVSC]

on what basis can you apply for an PR if you don't have any work experience?

I wondered that too, clubcanada. My first thought was family class, but I think Quebec skilled worker class does not require any work experience based on the "who can apply" questionnaire on the Quebec immigration webpage.

http://www.form.services.micc.gouv.qc.ca/epi/index.jsp?languageCode=en