A million job vacancies in Canada!

Vacant job positions hit record high in Canada!

Finding a job in Canada has never been easier!

Headlines like these may make it seem like simply studying in Canada is enough for international graduates to land a job here. There’s no doubt that the pandemic has resulted in a churn in the labor market and businesses and employers are looking to hire more than a million people for these vacant positions.

However, this doesn’t mean you can afford to be complacent or overconfident about your prospects of studying in Canada and finding a job after graduation. 66 percent of the vacancies are concentrated in just five sectors and majority of these jobs are low-wage positions.

This means you cannot simply take it for granted that you will easily get the job with the Post-Graduation Work Permit in hand after completing your studies.

If there aren’t enough vacancies in your area of expertise or if only low-wage positions are available, you may end up being forced to accept a low-paying job or one that does not really match your skills and expertise.

A less-than-ideal first job will only make it tougher for you to get a better job going ahead, which means you need to have a clear career plan from the very beginning. Here are some actionable tips that can help you improve your prospects of securing a good job after completing your studies in Canada.

Go beyond the Degree and Focus on In-Demand Skills

Listening skills, critical thinking skills, complex problem-solving abilities and technical expertise—these are some of the skills and abilities that Canadian employers look for in potential candidates.

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There’s no formal course or program that will make you an expert listener, which means simply getting a degree or completing a course will not automatically make you worth hiring for jobs.

Apart from acquiring these skills, you will have to build up your CV to showcase them, which means you will have to select your co-curricular and extra-curricular activities very carefully.

Simply being a bookworm won’t suffice but simply selecting other activities won’t help either. Once you understand what potential employers are looking for, you must plan the process to make sure your CV highlights skills, abilities, talents, and the qualifications they are looking for.

Study and Work at the Same Time

All international students are permitted to work on or off campus on part-time basis during the academic session and on full-time basis during their vacations. This experience does not count towards Canada Experience Class eligibility, but it can help boost your prospects of qualifying under the Federal Skilled Worker program.

Immigration prospects apart, you should use this opportunity to network with potential employers in your field of study. Remember, working part-time will be helpful only if it is related to your academic program.

If not, then the general experience may help but you may struggle to compete against local students who may have more targeted skills that employers may be looking for in candidates.

Further, the question whether you should continue part-time study or opt for unpaid internships, especially in the latter half of your academic program can be very confusing.

There may be no perfect answer, which mean you will have to take a judgement call. The smartest option would be to have an immigration advisor by your side to help you take an informed decision.

Keep All Options Open

While having a clear plan is important, it’s equally important to keep all your options open when you are studying in Canada.

From the Federal Startup visa to PNP streams for international graduate entrepreneurs, there are many business and startup immigration options for international graduates in Canada.

If you have a disruptive business idea, then convincing a designated agency to invest in your idea may be enough to help you qualify for permanent residence. Or you can setup your own business and work on a work permit for one to two years and qualify for PR once you have fulfilled the Business Performance Agreement.

Choose our province of study wisely and stick to provinces that have additional options for international graduates. Don’t be too rigid and focus only on jobs in Canada.

If entrepreneurship is feasible, then you should explore this option too with the assistance and guidance of a qualified and credible immigration attorney.