Hello Fellow Desis,

Hope all is well at your end.

We wanted to have your guidance and inputs in our approach for job search. This mail is longer as I intend to provide detailed information on the subject.

At first, let us begin with our background and the homework we have done for job search as a matter of your information.

We (Gujarati family) landed as new immigrants on Permanent Residence in Toronto in early April 2009 and after first few days settled in Mississauga. During our over 2 months of stay and with the following initiatives undertaken, we are still yet to receive any positive responses to our applications. Setting up interviews is a far fetched idea as we do not even receive any calls for interviews in regards to my application.

 We attended local community centre which gave us basic information on Canada and then eventually I was put up with Employment Advisor at the centre. Employment Advisor asked me to enroll for free course on Sales & Marketing (which is my profession) with another community centre.

 I enrolled for the free 3-week program on sales and marketing with this centre, which was basically a refresher course giving inputs on the intricacies of the function in Canadian business perspective. This program was a refresher course in sales & marketing and it gave me inputs on customizing my resume for a particular job, preparation of cover letters, cold calling, interviews, etc.

 I have been applying to job advertisements posted on the web and in print media. My strategy for job search: research the employer, customize my resume for the position and tailor-make my cover letter. Applications are either sent by email or faxed (as necessary). Wherever contact numbers are available, I follow up with the employer within 1-2 days of sending my application and the response I get is they will let me know. My follow up goes cold as despite several subsequent calls, I do not get any concrete reply from them.

 I am also doing cold calls, speaking with the Human Resources department, checking for any relevant job openings and on getting a clue, I send across my resume to them and follow up, but to no avail.

 Presently, I am also working as a mentee under a mentor under the Mentorship program who has fine tuned my resume, given me inputs on cover letters and giving me information on cross-cultural issues emerging in offices due staffs coming from different cultural backgrounds.

 In one or two few occasions, I did get a call from a potential employer. But they put all the participants through a one-day seminar and in the end of it had one-on-one talks with each and were informed that they will contact us. I was never contacted by them. While they took my full day for the training, was not paid for attending this sales training nor did I get the job. The only thing I was benefited was the free sales training.

 I am applying for all types of jobs – entry level, middle management level, same industry and different industry where my skills can be transferred. So I have not left any stones unturned.

 I am given to understand that many jobs are unadvertised and the positions are filled up through references. I have tried my best to seek references and search for such positions. But I neither did I learn of any hidden job nor did I get any references. I have been speaking with almost everyone, networking, and following up on leads they provide, but to no avail.

 Even now, I am repeating the above strategy and continuously applying for all suitable job positions.

I have been actively searching for jobs, as highlighted above and still yet to land up a job!

I sincerely urge and request your support for assisting me in my job search. I will appreciate any help on the subject matter, as I am now getting at a stage of 'kind of desperation' for getting an employment.
(I am aware of present economic downturn and am highly optimistic of landing up with a good job. However, my funds are fast dwindling and also have a family to support and feed in Canada).

Please let me know if you are aware of any job available and whom to approach and whether I can take your reference, if required?

I invite your views, comments, feedback and most importantly let me know if you know of any jobs available please.

With best regards

Your strategy is well appreciated, and that is the "normal way" all people search for jobs in this market. However, a correct advice can be offered if you can please tell us about your qualifications, a brief of experience, and your salary expectations?

Teddi,
You are doing a lot, and all in the right direction. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that all our effforts to find work get us the work we want and when we want it. We can only try to do all that we can and to the best of our ability and hope for the best.
If funds are a great worry, there are many survival jobs that give you sales/customer relations experiences of a much lower level. Big stores and chains (Costco/Walmart/Tim Hortons etc) often have vacancies. All I can say is that even if you are forced to take up a job that is very different from what you expected keep your eye on your goal and dont give up having a positive attitude in life. That more than anything else will see you and your family through the initial tough period of settling in this country.

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Immigrant Parents in Canada http://groups.yahoo.com/group/immigrantparentsincanada

Hello Fellow Desis,

Thanks for the guys who have responded to my post. I indeed appreciate it.

Given below is a brief background of my professional endeavors, as required:

Academic:
MBA (Marketing)-University Of Mumbai
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Transformation Management
B.E. (Electronics & Telecommunications)-University of Mumbai.

These qualifications have been assessed by World Education Services (WES), Canada, and are EQUIVALENT from a recognized university in Ontario.

Professional Stints:
Worked in senior and middle managerial capacities in areas of general management and sales and marketing in the Gulf (Middle East) and Indian markets in automobile and telecommunications industries. I possess over 15 years of global experience with both manufacturing organization and dealership operations.

While I hope the above information would be sufficient, please let me know in case you require any specifics.

Looking forward to your valuable guidance and information on (suitable) available jobs, I remain.

With best regards

Teddi, I am seeing a good strategical approach , however I am seeing one thing missing which is so called Canadian Experience, probably this could be one reason...I am not sure, have you tried working as a volunteer with any organisation, perhaps you need to find one such and later can refer that as your canadian experience...(just a note)...dont just concentrate to work for a voluntry org which has your ethinic back ground, but be open to any. As others suggested take up a survival job to meet your financial needs for survival support to go on, no shame or ego in that matter...all work is respectable unless its immoral to yourself or against the law.

Other small things to keep in mind is keep polishing your language skills,specially your vocabulary and accent, give attention to your dressings, learn new etiquettes and sharpen your knowledge. I am sure you must be considering all these too.

You seem to be a very strong and positive person, so do not loose hope and don't get into depression, let the positive thought process continue...

Wish you all the best , I am sure you will get success. God bless you

PEACE always

Hi Teddi

You have adopted the appropriate approach and with time, success will come.

An acquaintance has had success with this program, where he had a paid internship which translated into a full-time opportunity at the end.

http://www.skillsforchange.org/npw/index.html

Teddi;
Very right and appericiable approach, better than many including mine.
Bit of luck play its part here. After 10 days of landing, while coming out from a GURU KA GHAR (Sikh Temple) after free meal; I got offer of job at full serve gas pump and joined; leaving all the job hunting courses. There after, while sitting in the office of immigration agency, I used to fill my forms in India; overheard 'calls' of 'Any Civil Engineer here'. Thus joined as surveying field assistant. Life started.
After some days, you will also post here; how you landed in your first job. Best wishes and good luck.
-Ben Gupta