Tools to help your job search in Canada

If you have made up your mind to move to Canada for a career overseas, then you will be naturally curious to know how you can get a job there. The point is even before you move into the country you will have to start making efforts to find a job in Canada.

 

As a first step, you will have to assess your skills and work experience. The next step is to do a study of the Canadian job market and find out which jobs are in demand and which skillsets are required in the Canadian job market. But the point is understanding the Canadian job market can be quite a challenge.

 

 You very well know that Canada is a large country and each province will have its own job requirements. Job opportunities in certain sectors may be plenty in certain provinces and could be nil in others. The job market in the country is diverse thanks to the unique employment opportunities and job market trends in each province that it is difficult to say which province will have more job opportunities in 2020.

 

To successfully land a job in Canada, you must first understand the labour market and where you can fit in. Researching the labour market will help you identify the best job opportunities for you. It will be helpful to know the labour market research tools you can use to do your homework before applying for jobs.

 

Understand the labour market:

The labour market is the interaction between supply or the number of workers available and the demand or job openings. To understand the labour market in a region you must have an idea of the interaction between these two factors. The labour market can also be specific to a sector or industry.

 

Research on the labour market trends specific to the sector that you want to work for in Canada. Find out about the job opportunities in the region you want to move to. This will help you make informed decisions and take the right steps to find your desired job.

 

 When doing research on the sector you are interested in, do a comparison of how your work experience, skills and education compared to those already holding such jobs in Canada and how you measure up.  This will help you understand your chances of success.

 

Your research could throw up alternative job titles you can search for and discover more career options on the country.

 

Research tools:

1. National Occupation Classification (NOC):

A useful tool for your research on the job market is the National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes. The NOC is a database of 30,000 job titles that are organized into groups based on skills and the levels required. Each profession has a NOC code. You can search for your profession and get the following information:

• Duties and tasks
• Education and training required for the profession
• Job titles
• Experience required

The NOC can be valuable to your labour market research. You will know about the common job titles for your profession so that you can look out for them when you apply for jobs. It will also help you compare if your previous work experience matches with the functions of your desired role in Canada.

 

2. Job Bank:

This is an initiative by the Government of Canada to maintain a database of the outlook for different professions for the next five or ten years. The occupations are ranked using a star ranking system. A higher number of stars indicate a good outlook for a job. The job bank also allows you to filter the jobs by region or province to help you find out where your skills will be in high demand.

 

3. Labour Force Survey:

This is a monthly report brought out by Statistics Canada to provide an overview of the labor market in the country. The report gives details of the job market for different provinces and periodic updates about the territories.

 

Access to relevant and reliable information on the Canada job market will help you in your job search and land a job most suited to your skills and experience.