Hi Guys,
To start with, let me thank you for liking my frank post and also, showing your concern and sympathy for me. To Sathish... I will send you my resume by mail and hope to get some enlightening feedback and professional support from you.

Next, let me apologise for restricting myself to labour jobs (as the topic was that), and inadvertently creating an extra ordinary gloomy impression about my status. After leaving Krispy Kreme, I had concentrated on doing a lot of cold calling and included in that was to all the important members of Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce. Four medium large companies asked for my resume and all but one told me that it was clear that I had the experience of their senior most executives - and hence it was difficult to place me anywhere.

One fine evening (late night) I got a call from a senior member of our community asking me if I had applied for a job in so and so company. When I answered in the affirmative, I was ordered to call the MD next morning. I did.....and the person from whom I had lost all hopes of hearing, asked me how soon could I meet him. I did the very next day and that led to another meeting in which he offered me a job - but not that of an accountant! He saw in me a potential which only a few very close family and friends know of - and he was ready to risk that with me - make me the chief marketing and business development guy-with a clear goal in mind that in less than 2 years time I should be equal to the CEO - but nothing to do with accounts and finance directly. The position offered me a very low salary ($1500 pm) plus commissions on sales, but offered good prospects. I will ever remain thankful to that Gujju Bhai.

However I left that job after 3 months since I was offered a senior and very well paying job in Indonesia - and since I had got sick of Canada at that time, I decided to pack bags and return to Asia. (You might like to read my article titled \"Is Canada the right place for you\" which I wrote at that time on this site). Unfortunately, due to some family obligations, I had to reverse my decision and leave a cushy job to return to Canada in August end this year.

However, what I intend to signify here is that even with all the experience and qualification, I needed that networking and lucky meeting between that MD and my respected godfather.

In Sept third week I got another temp to perm job thru Accountemps - in a Japanese multinational – and while the Finance Manager and VP finance want to make me permanent immediately, the president wants to extend the temp position till June!

Regarding advice for interviews and the Canadian mannerisms - thanks friends - but that happens only if you DO GET AN INTERVIEW. The only interviews that I have got till now are from agencies, and they all say that it is very difficult to convince that this guy only holds an Indian passport and qualification - rest everything is western about him. Perhaps my problem is that even though I have never worked in India (except for 4 months in Indian Rayon), my resume does not show any multinational - so how to believe that he can sit with Canadians!!! Job finding clubs and Skills for change have told me that even after toning down my resume and mannerisms, I do convey a feeling of seniority and authority, which they are not looking for.

Accountemps? - I was even considered for joining their team - first interview with Accountemps Markham Manager, Second with Branch Manager Markham for Robert Half and then a breakfast interview with Senior Regional Manager. While the Markham branch was eager to have me on board - the SRM's assessment was \"this guy is senior and experienced - much too qualified for the position offered\" (which by the way was to analyse the clients accounting professional needs and matching them with pool of accountants available - AND YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE IT AS I DID NOT - they don't have (or had) a single accounting background guy in their whole office!!!). The comment from Accountemps head while coming out from first interview was – “oh man, you will go a long way in this country, and very fast too! Which was overheard by the receptionist who on her own added that she has rarely heard such a comment from the manager who has almost 2 decades of experience in this field.
CPA? I did that because it offers short cut to CGA, the local qualification. But while I was preparing for it, the Institute changed the rules and now requires, I think, one full level to be done. But after seeing my two friends who are both Indian CA, CPA and CGA and struggling to keep their present jobs (one of them is 4 years old in this country and never had to do a labour job!), I have decided not to waste time in pursuing CGA!

Even after trying to make it a short posting, it has become quite a long one and I do not doubt that many of you might not read the whole of it – but this time I did not want to give half picture. However, in doing so I have drifted away from the main topic of labour jobs – and I request your forgiveness for that!

But let me tell you of two friends who have got very good jobs with the Provincial Ministry of Finance, one of them a relatively new immigrant. But they haven’t got it because they are CAs – but because one of them has oracle implementation experience and the other one is systems auditor and SAP certified professional! So in my opinion, IT still reins!!

And one last word GG – they do not ask for “Canadian experience” in an interview – if they want it and you don’t have it, they don’t call you for an interview!

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Chandresh, good to hear the positive side of the story as well. Good luck with your current job, hopefully its that ladder up to where you belong. Try to stay in Canada now.

You brought up one good point in your previous post and that was about letting people know how to search for labour jobs when that becomes a necessity. What is the best way of doing this? I guess you have to register with an agency and they take some sort of a written test of your basic skills and aptitude. Then you just wait for their call...

What can one do to improve their chances here? Are there agencies that offer desk-jobs (albeit low paying) and others that only offer manual labour jobs?

Can someone shed more light on this?

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Are you there?

Great input Garvo.
Blue Lobster and Chandresh
You may want to read my post under another thread "How to find sales jobs" which I will post later this evening.
In it I will detail some useful tips.
For odd jobs/labour jobs the there are 3 ways to find a job. In descending order of chance of success:
1. Networking
2. Applying directly at the factories/department stores. Responding to opening in HRDC job bank and newspapers.
3. Temp agencies

Networking is the best way. By networking I mean talking to other people who are working in similar environments. Never be shy of talking to a stranger even....I did and found a job right away.
Applying directly is time consuming, demoralizing and one needs patience. Plus it involves a bit of expenditure too. but often you will get a call within days or weeks.
Temp agencies need to be approached with extreme caution, something I will mention in other thread I mentioned before.
Chandresh
IN this country you must REMOVE all refrences to any other country's work experience. Dont even mention India. And PLEASE don't mention you are MBA if you are applying for a security guard job. Make a list of points that go against you such as long or diffcult to pronounce name, mention of another country on your resume, less experince than what job is asking for, not listing the experience the job responsibilty is specifically asking for etc. Don't give ANYONE a single chance to reject you on any of these points.
Chandresh, Also I must mention, sorry to be a bit heart breaking, that when you hear some too sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet comments about yourself in an interview, it is a clear signal that you have overshot the target!!!!!! Rest of discussion in such interviews is merely time pass!
You yourself have remarked that you know some people who found good jobs.........doesn't that tell you something.....its time to upgrade the skills and mount another attack.
This board has so many users, asking so many questions, but it is a pity that hardly 3-4 people have shared their experiences and input in this thread here. C'mon guys we need more input on how to find labour/odd jobs

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DIE HARD !

For chandresh,
I personally that it is very difficult for a person of your profile to compromise. Everyone knows that acctg. is same all over the world. But it seems that canada tends to differ from rest of the world. As per my previous post and chor-pe-mor's input, acctg. profs having working knowledge of acctg. softwares did not have to struggle a lot in canada. would you want to learn this stuff now??? well, you've got bitter sweet canadian experience now and only you can decide. I wish you all the best.

In response to,


Posted by Chor_Per_Mor
"C'mon guys we need more input on how to find labour/odd jobs"


TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS

If some is interested in doing "odd" job at a bank's inbound call centre(technical support), you may want to contact the following agencies:

SPHERION
ADDECCO
KELLY'S

skills req:
good phone manners
good communication skills(desis should have a clear accent(not very thick)
bilingual french( big asset)
troubleshooting skills for 3201 datapac/tcpip dsl+dialup/routers/DSL modems/3201 active+passive LANs,etc...
Good PC troubleshooting skills
team player


As I understand, the hourly wage is $15-$17 which I feel is not that bad.


Bank usually hires a batch of 10-12 on and often.

something that I just remembered from 6 yrs ago.
When I was in the labour market with altered resumes, downplaying my qualifications/experience. I started telling my interviewers (labor job) that the reason I am doing the job is that I am in school on one of the 2-3 yr programs (do your research on programs) and needed a job in the meantime. Most of the interviewers could relate to this at some level, its the Canadian way of climbing up in life for many. Besides, they have to be convinced that you will not leave them as soon as you get another opportunity. Nobody wants to go thru the process of hiring people week after week. It does cost $ to conduct a hiring process too. This tactic really worked for me. Remember that in hiring you as a mature student...they get a mature outlook with a students flexibility. Not a desperate immigrant who has no choice. I was able to do 2 jobs (I was working as a boy friday and security guard during the same period) at the time of my own choosing and besides could find the time to focus on finding the job that I really wanted. I also used the flexible timing to look for more financially lucrative labour jobs. Infact, I had 1 warehouse job and 1 driver job lined up as offers and the boy friday and security job at the same time. I had to choose between which job to keep (four jobs at the same time is stretching it too thin). That must have been a lucky month for me cause, at the end, I did not have to choose. I also got a good offer in my field.
I almost forgot my old strategy. Hope someone else can put it to good use. It may even be useful for someone who really does want to go back to school.
Cheers!

p.s: all the labour jobs I got were from the newspaper or the online hrdc jobbank (too lazy to search for the link right now)

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Nice discussion there I must say!

Jake3 's suggestion is really good about working odd jobs while working to get a credit or university degree or local qualification for we immigrants!

However, I do not fully agree with Chor Per Mor when you say

- don't mention other countries' experience- how can you do that till you have not got your Canadian jobs atleast for a year or so?
- don't mention India - what about people who come to Canada directly from India (and many of them would have had their first foreign trip)
- (for NON LABOUR JOBS) - and as Sathish might agree - what about experience from countries more advanced or better than Canada for your profession (in my case, Singapore and Hong Kong and UK which are amongst the major financial centres of the world or for an engineer to mention Germany and for a software guy to mention India/Singapore and so on and so forth)

In case you guys did not note it - in last two years I got only three JOB interviews - and I was offered ALL THE THREE - Krispy Kreme, Gujju company and now one more. I worked at two temp jobs - and both offered me permanent jobs - one of which slipped out as soon as they came to know I am a CA ! (which meant I was not only good for the clerical position but also eqally good for the manager's position who wanted to hire me). All the other interviews have been with agencies and HRDC sponsored places like Accountemps/PTC/Creative Fiinancial staffing/RH Job finding club/Skills for change/Controllers on call/PMJ

And when I said two of my friends got good jobs in MOF - they are both CAs, one a CMA and CFA also - but they are doing jobs NOWHERE RElated to accounting and finance - purely IT! That too from experience, not professinal qualification (one of them)

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

Chandresh
I don't think you still understand the Canadian experience question well.

'- don't mention other countries' experience- how can you do that till you have not got your Canadian jobs atleast for a year or so?

Thats what YOU have to figure out.it can be easily done. If you had even one small job you can always stretch it back by few months more. Is there any law that allows an emloyer to check when exaclty you arrived in Canada???????????????????????????
If you mention that you were a smart cookie in India or Somalia....good luck to you.

- don't mention India - what about people who come to Canada directly from India (and many of them would have had their first foreign trip)
I am not sure what exactly you are saying here.

- (for NON LABOUR JOBS) - and as Sathish might agree - what about experience from countries more advanced or better than Canada for your profession (in my case, Singapore and Hong Kong and UK which are amongst the major financial centres of the world or for an engineer to mention Germany and for a software guy to mention India/Singapore and so on and so forth)'

I again don't think you have read my other posts clearly Chandresh. I have already mentioned that a relative of mine, way back in 1969, arrived in Canada from UK with solid experince in UK in radio frequency jobs and he too was asked for Canadian experince.
Haven't other users on this board mentioned already that they were asked for Canadian experince even though they had worked in US for several years??????????????????????????????????????
Please guys read CAREFULLY and let the gravity of situation sink down
No one in Canada has time or vision to see what kind of experience and usefulness smart cookies from Ghana and Peru bring here..........they want you to HAVE Canadian experience.
Get it or forget it

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DIE HARD !