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You’ve heard it said, probably until you’re sick of it, that the best way to find a job in Canada is through networking. Sure. Wonderful. Except when you’re new to Canada, or not even there yet, you don’t exactly have a network, do you? And trying to build one is like looking for a needle in a haystack. How on earth do you find people in Canada who work in your field and who might actually be useful to you?

Well, there is a way, and it’s through using the professional networking website LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com). Don’t know it? Check it out. Unlike other networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace or even LoonLounge, LinkedIn focuses 100% on what people do for a living and how well they do it.

When you create an account on LinkedIn, you build a profile. That profile will be similar to your resume: it will show the jobs you’ve held, the successes you’ve had in those jobs and the progression of your career. You can also ask people who have worked with you to give you testimonials, which will appear on your profile.

All well and good – but what happens then? Well, nothing, if you just sit back and wait for things to happen. Make connections, first of all with people you know – because you never know who they might know. Look at their connections – the people they have added as ‘friends’, or professional contacts, on LinkedIn. Maybe there’s someone on that list you would like to be connected with – so that’s when you ask your contact to ‘introduce’ you.

It doesn’t stop there. Another great strength of LinkedIn is groups. Check out groups for your profession, to start with. You can narrow this search down to country (Canada), or to province, if you know where you plan to live. I have newcomer job-seeker clients who have joined local or regional groups for IT professionals or engineers, for example. Once you’re in a group, you have something in common with other group members, and therefore a reason to contact them or ask them questions. You can join in discussions in the group, or ask questions to the group as a whole. You can learn about issues affecting your profession in the region.

There are also general groups for geographic regions. For instance, I am in London, Ontario, and here there are two networking groups for professional people through LinkedIn. These groups organise occasional face-to-face meetings, to allow members to connect. If you’re already in a group for the city where you intend to move, you’ll have a built-in network awaiting you when you arrive, with people you could call on for advice and meetings you can attend to get to know people.

All these are excellent reasons why LinkedIn usage has gone up by 20% in the last year!

Here are a couple of excellent articles about using LinkedIn productively.

http://blog.linkedin.com/2009/04/09/matthew-schwartz-msj-grab-recruiters-attention-with-these-8-simple-linkedin-tweaks/ : a recruiter talks about what employers like to see when they read a LinkedIn profile – and more and more employers check job candidates out online before deciding to interview them! This article will help you to ensure that your profile reflects your abilities as strongly as possible.

http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/15/20-ways-to-use-linkedin-productively/ Other ways you can use LinkedIn to help you with networking, job-seeking, company research and many other useful tasks.

A few final tips on making the most of LinkedIn:

• Make sure that your profile is not only complete, but error-free! I’ve seen many profiles with typos, spelling and grammar errors, and that kind of thing gets noticed. If you’re still learning English, ask someone, preferably a native speaker, to look it over for you and make suggestions. (And, no, much as I’d like to offer, I simply don’t have the time to do this for you. Sorry!)

• Make sure that any testimonials are also written in clear, error-free English (or French, of course, if you’re aiming for Quebec). If you’re trying to impress a Canadian employer, this matters.

• Check your LinkedIn mail at least a couple of times a week, if you don’t have alerts delivered to your email. You might have requests to connect with people, or even people approaching you with questions, and you don’t want to give a bad impression by not replying.

• Start showing your LinkedIn profile on communications, perhaps as a signature in professional emails or in posts on (serious, not social/partying) blogs or discussion forums. It gets it looked at. Many job-seekers now include the URL of their LinkedIn profile in their resume. You can customise your URL to include your name – there are resources online to explain how to do that.

• As on any other forum: don’t ask people for jobs! It embarrasses them and gives them a bad impression of you. DO ask them for suggestions, or for information – for example, if you connect with a manager in a company in your field, ask what qualifications or experience they look for when hiring, or ask if they would take a look at your profile and suggest any experience or training they think would make you a stronger candidate. Ask questions to check out local labour markets, as well; for example, if you’re in a group for software engineers, ask where in Canada the demand is highest for this occupation and what the most in-demand skills are.

• Any networking website is only as useful as what you’re prepared to put into it. If you don’t USE LinkedIn – to find connections, join groups, research companies and so on – then there’s no point in being on it. In online networking or marketing, people don’t come to you; you have to come to them.


See you on LinkedIn!

Taken from the Globe & Mail: 19 June 2009

You can read the full article here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-
business/canadas-need-for-foreign-talent-remains-strong/article1186666/



Canada's need for foreign talent remains strong

Accounting firms are frustrated with slow immigration system, difficulty in securing work permits for skilled professionals

CATHRYN ATKINSON

Special to The Globe and Mail, Friday, Jun. 19, 2009 03:47AM EDT

Experienced chartered accountants from abroad are still in great demand in Canada even though the current economic crisis is causing layoffs in other sectors.

And, luckily, the federal government has mostly been listening to concerns about the shortage, business immigration lawyer Jonathan Leebosh says.

Mr. Leebosh, a senior manager in Egan LLP, an immigration law practice allied with Ernst & Young, offers accountancy firms assistance in moving staff and personnel to Canada.

"It's a very interesting time," he says. "Historically, there has been a shortage [of CAs] over the last 10 years. There's always been demand for accountants that Canada itself hasn't been able to meet."

Accountancy is one of 38 occupations listed as being needed in this country for the foreseeable future by Immigration Canada. Mr. Leebosh says Immigration Canada is being more focused in terms of what type of immigrants are allowed into the country.

"To me, the story to tell is that accountants are still in demand in Canada, maybe not to the same degree as a couple of years ago, but they are recognized as an occupation in demand."

Mr. Leebosh's firm works with human resources departments of chartered accountancy firms, including Ernst & Young, and helps them shape their hiring strategies.

His biggest difficulty, he adds, is the slowness of the immigration system, with permanent residency taking up to 12 months to complete. And then there is Canada's notorious difficulty in providing short-term work permits to fill immediate employment gaps.

"Apart from all the procedural issues, what is happening now is that the government is taking steps they feel are necessary to ensure that Canadians are offered jobs before foreign workers," he says.

But qualified Canadians are in short supply.

"Our clients identify their accountancy needs and once they're identified, they're probably in desperate need for them, and they can't really wait 12 months," Mr. Leebosh says.

"Typically we are trying to get work permits for people in the interim. It would be wrong to say that the short-term work permits aren't there, but they are certainly very challenging to obtain."

Fiona Macfarlane says 25 per cent of Ernst & Young's work force in Canada are skilled immigrants. Originally from South Africa, she emigrated in 1987. After a struggle to find work, Ms. Macfarlane is the firm's Americas chief operating officer, tax, a $3-billion practice.

"At a recent tax event we had all the people from the practice in Canada come together, and we welcomed the audience in their native language. We had to stop at about 15 languages. We were running out of time. It was amazing and very moving," she says.

"You think about where the clients are coming from ... they may not be headquartered in North America any more. They may be headquartered in China or Dubai. So to have that kind of skill set and context within your own practice can be very powerful."

Ms. Macfarlane says Ernst & Young put a lot of effort and resources into programs.

"We depend on immigrants for our economic growth. We try to level the playing fields. We have Succeeding-in-Canada training, we have cross-cultural training," she says. "Once you understand there are differences and understand your own biases, it's much easier for you to figure out what the other person is saying and help them be successful."

Tim Forristal, the vice-president of education at the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, says Canadian employers want to be able to hire foreign CAs with confidence. "Canada is looking for lots of people right now, especially those with an international financial reporting background," Mr. Forristal says. "Establishing best practice [in setting qualification levels in foreign CAs] is a huge part of our mission."

The CICA has approved 13 foreign designated accounting bodies, whose members need only to pass local tax and law exams in the province or territory in which they intend to practise. They are: Ordre des Experts Comptables (France), the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Institut des Réviseurs d'Enterprises de Belgique, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Instituto Mexicano des Contadores Publicos, Nederland Instituut van Register Accountants, New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy in the U.S.

Four foreign designated accounting bodies have been determined not to be equivalent: The Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, the Philippines Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom.

And a further four are under review: the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

Foreign CAs from other jurisdictions are not automatically eligible for exemptions from any education or examination requirement of the Canadian CA program. They can ask for assessments to see if any exemptions apply. If not, then they must complete all requirements.

Authorities have announced that graduates of three-year, full-time law degrees from any Common Law country, will now have their degree recognized in Canada. Graduates from countries including Australia, England and India will now be able to practice law in Canada without having to redo much of their undergraduate studies.

Law professionals from these countries will still be required to pass a series of exams to ensure that they are familiar with Canadian standards and processes, but the recent change will make the transition much easier for immigrants from these countries looking to practice law in Canada.

Foreign credentials recognition has become a large problem for immigrants coming to Canada, where taxi cab drivers often hold professional university degrees. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, has made it a focus of his time in office to improve the situation. Currently under review, he claims that great changes will be made within the year in order to make foreign credential recognition easier for immigrants to Canada.

CTV.ca and the Globe and Mail, two prominent news resources in Canada, both reported this week on Canada’s current shortage of healthcare professionals, in particular regarding a shortage of nurses.

Current statistics show that nationally, Canada is short 11,000 nurses. This labour shortage produces longer waiting times for patients in Canadian hospitals and clinics, and a stressful working environment for the nurses. As a direct result, nurses statistically require double the amount of sick leave than any other professionals in Canada, increasing the strain on the working nurses. ‘Burnout’ is common by just 36 months into working full time.

Nursing associations and hospitals warn that there is the potential, if nothing is done to improve the situation, for this shortage to become worse, given the increasing population size of Canada. The shortage could reach 60,000 nurses by 2022. This will not only make nursing jobs more difficult, but drastically reduce the quality of health care available to Canadians.

The government has been discussing multiple options to prevent the situation from worsening. Ideas include increasing funding to nursing schools in order to expand their programs and add to the number of qualified nurses graduating and moving into the work force each year, as well as improving retention of both nursing students and working nurses in order to not lose as many workers to ‘burnout’. Nurses associations, schools and the government are committed to not only preventing an increased shortage, but to improving overall work environment for the nurses.

The situation means that coming to Canada with nursing experience could place you in a good position to quickly become employed. Alternatively, going to a Canadian school to studying nursing as a part of your immigration to Canada is a very good option for newcomers looking to find a good job in Canada.

One more thing to take into consideration: a good salary. Average wage for nurses in Canada provides a healthy standard of living, with a reliable income. The average national annual salary for a full time nurse is $66,000. To put it in perspective, check out the average salary of Canadians across the country on the Virtual Canada Explorer
(http://www.loonlounge.com/virtual-canada-explorer/) . You’ll find, for example, that the average individual salary in the province of Alberta is approximately $29,000 while salaries for full and part time nurses in Alberta range from $38,000 to $91,000 per year. In addition, nurses receive good benefits, sick leave and vacation time.

Interested in becoming a nurse in Canada? Join the LoonLounge Occupation community of Nurses (http://www.loonlounge.com/community/members/3/301/ )

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Pénurie d’infirmières et d’infirmiers au Canada

CTV.ca et le Globe and Mail, deux sources majeures d’informations au Canada, ont tous deux rapporté cette semaine que le pays connaissait une pénurie de personnel hospitalier, plus particulièrement d’infirmières et d’infirmiers.

Les statistiques actuelles démontrent qu’au niveau national, ce ne sont pas moins de 11,000 infirmières et infirmiers qui manquent à l’appel. Cette pénurie de main d’œuvre se traduit par des listes d’attente plus longues pour les patients dans les cliniques et hôpitaux canadiens ainsi que par un environnement de travail plus stressant pour les infirmières et infirmiers. Conséquence directe de cette situation, les infirmières et infirmiers sont les champions canadiens du congé de maladie avec un taux deux fois supérieur à la moyenne nationale, toutes professions confondues. La tâche en est d’autant plus ardue pour le personnel restant et les cas d’épuisement professionnel (ou « burnout ») sont fréquents après seulement 36 mois d’activité à temps complet.

Compte tenu de l’accroissement de la population canadienne, les hôpitaux et les associations d’infirmières et infirmiers s’accordent pour prédire, si rien n’est fait pour remédier à la situation, une aggravation de la pénurie de personnel hospitalier. Le manque en personnel pourrait ainsi atteindre les 60,000 infirmières et infirmiers en 2022. Si cela devait être le cas, non seulement la tâche des infirmières et infirmiers deviendrait encore plus difficile, mais la qualité des soins dispensés à la population canadienne en serait sévèrement affectée.
Le gouvernement envisage plusieurs options afin d’éviter cette aggravation possible de la situation. On songe par exemple à allouer des sommes plus importantes aux écoles des sciences infirmières afin d’étendre leurs programmes et d’augmenter ainsi le nombre d’infirmières et infirmiers diplômés et prêts à entrer dans le monde du travail. Il s’agit aussi de mettre en oeuvre des mesures pour que les étudiants et le personnel déjà en activité soient moins susceptibles de souffrir d’épuisement professionnel. Les associations d’infirmières et d’infirmiers, les écoles et le gouvernement souhaitent non seulement éviter une accélération de la pénurie, mais aussi améliorer les conditions de travail globales des infirmières et infirmiers.

Étant donnée la situation actuelle, le fait d’arriver au Canada avec une expérience en tant qu’infirmer ou infirmière pourrait bien vous permettre de trouver rapidement du travail. Par ailleurs, fréquenter une école canadienne pour y étudier les sciences infirmières dans le cadre de votre projet d’immigration au Canada constitue une excellente option pour les nouveaux arrivants qui souhaitent trouver un bon emploi au Canada.

Un autre élément est à prendre en considération : un bon salaire. Le revenu moyen des infirmières et infirmiers canadiens leur permet de jouir d’un niveau de vie relativement confortable. En effet, au niveau national, le salaire moyen d’une infirmière ou d’un infirmier qui travaille à temps complet est de 66,000 $. Pour vous faire une idée de ce que cela représente, consultez le barème des salaires moyens dans tout le pays grâce à l’explorateur virtuel du Canada Virtual Canada Explorer (http://www.loonlounge.com/virtual-canada-explorer/) . Vous constaterez, par exemple, que le salaire individuel moyen en Alberta est de 29,000 $ alors que les salaires d’infirmières ou d’infirmiers pour des emplois à temps partiel et à temps complet s’échelonnent de 38,000 $ à 91,000 $ par an. De plus, les infirmières et infirmiers bénéficient d’avantages sociaux intéressants, de congés de maladie et de périodes de vacances.

Devenir infirmière ou infirmier au Canada vous tente ? Toute une communauté vous attend à cette adresse ! LoonLounge Occupation community of Nurses (http://www.loonlounge.com/community/members/3/301/ )

The Conference Board of Canada, a non-profit organization that follows economic trends in Canada, recently held a workshop with stakeholders from multiple communities across Canada regarding the necessity of attracting and retaining foreign-trained workers.

Community leaders discussed how they have made immigration work positively in their communities. Mayor of Chatham-Kent, Randy Hope, noted that his community now has citizens from over 70 different countries. The mayor of Brooks, Alberta, Martin Shields, stated that his community has individuals from 59 different countries, 380 of which have recently received their Canadian citizenship.

Many smaller communities are still struggling to attract and retain foreign-trained workers, however. The McCain foods ltd. is a large company is located in Florenceville, N.B., that is struggling to fill its 20 vacant information technology positions. Many other company representatives stated that they were facing the same difficulties. All members agreed that the federal government should be doing more to assist companies to find and train foreign workers.

Many large companies are located in smaller communities in Canada. These smaller communities are a good option to consider when moving to Canada, as good jobs are often easier to find in these areas.

International students from over 200 participating educational institutions can now apply to CIC online to extend their study permit. Students can also assess their eligibility and apply for an off-campus work permit online. For complete information, visit the CIC website at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/participants.asp

This is one of many new projects aimed at making studying in Canada easier and more attractive to international students.

In 2008, a new immigration program, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), was developed enabling international students to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The CEC is a less complicated and expedited immigration process. Learn more about the CEC: http://www.loonlounge.com/immigration-facts/#a6

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Les étudiants étrangers de plus de 200 établissements participants peuvent désormais faire une demande en ligne sur le site de CIC pour obtenir une prolongation de leur permis étudiant. Les étudiants peuvent également évaluer leurs chances d’être acceptés et faire une demande de travail hors campus en ligne.

Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur le site de CIC à cette adresse : www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/participants.asp

Il s’agit là d’un des nombreux nouveaux projets visant à promouvoir les études au Canada auprès des étudiants étrangers ainsi qu’à leur en faciliter l’accès.

En 2008, un nouveau programme d’immigration appelé Catégorie de l’Expérience Canadienne ( CEC ) a été mis au point pour permettre aux étudiants étrangers de faire une demande de résidence permanente au Canada. Avec ce programme, les démarches d’immigration sont plus rapides et plus simples.

Pour en savoir plus sur la CEC, cliquez ici : http://www.loonlounge.com/immigration-facts/#a6

Canada’s health care system is world –renowned for its quality and accessibility to all Canadians. However, Canada is currently experiencing a shortage of medical doctors.

General practitioners and specialists of many types appear on the Federal Skilled Worker list of 38 In Demand Occupations in Canada. If you are an internationally trained medical doctor, it is a good time to immigrate to Canada.

There are certain challenges involved in becoming licensed to practice in Canada as an international medical doctor. Having your credentials assessed and recognized, and passing Canadian medical exams can take time and planning. We have partnered with PhD candidate Colette Peters from the University of Toronto, who specializes in this field, to build a guide that helps International Medical Doctors become licensed to practice in Canada sooner.

There are many things that can be done even before you arrive, so read our guide carefully to learn everything you need to know about becoming a Canadian doctor.

http://www.loonlounge.com/international-medical-graduates/

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Le système de soins de santé du Canada est reconnu dans le monde entier pour sa qualité et son accessibilité. Cependant, le Canada souffre actuellement d’une pénurie de médecins.

Les médecins généralistes, ainsi que les spécialistes, figurent donc sur la liste des 38 professions pour travailleurs qualifiés faisant l’objet d’une demande élevée au Canada. Si vous êtes diplômé(e) international(e) en médecine, c’est le moment d’immigrer au Canada.

Plusieurs étapes sont à franchir avant d’être habilité à pratiquer la médecine au Canada en tant que médecin étranger. Faire évaluer et reconnaître vos compétences, être reçu aux examens de médecines canadiens… tout cela peut être long. Nous nous donc sommes associés à Colette Peters, inscrite en doctorat à l’Université de Toronto, et spécialisée dans ce sujet. Avec elle, nous avons l’intention d’élaborer un guide qui aidera les médecins étrangers à être licenciés et à pratiquer dans des délais plus brefs au Canada.

Plusieurs formalités peuvent également être accomplies avant votre départ. Lisez attentivement notre guide et vous en saurez davantage sur les démarches nécessaires pour devenir médecin au Canada.

http://www.loonlounge.com/international-medical-graduates/

A new initiative called Hire Immigrants Ottawa has joined 44 local employers working to remove barriers and false perceptions around employing skilled immigrants.

The group consists of employers in healthcare, IT, Finance and other publics sectors.
The groups surpassed their target hires of 55, having hired 561 skilled immigrants to date.
Hire Immigrants Ottawa has noted that immigrants will account for 100% of Ottawa’s net labour market growth by 2011. Therefore, initiatives like this one will become increasingly important to the economic development of the area, as Ottawa employers will need to understand how to hire foreign workers.

Trevor Wilson, a keynote speaker and employment diversity specialist, praised the initiative and encouraged more local employers to follow their lead. “[Ottawa] gets some of the best immigrants this country has,” he said. “For you not to take advantage of that is not only a missed opportunity, it’s bad for business.”

Learn about becoming a Temporary Foreign Worker in Canada: http://www.loonlounge.com/immigration-facts/#b

Learn about Ottawa with the Virtual Canada Explorer: http://www.loonlounge.com/virtual-canada-explorer/