If you are planning to come to Canada as an international student, one of your concerns is probably the financial aspect of your education plans. Along with awards and financial aid at home, you can also apply for work permits that allow you to work on- or off-campus. A work permit allows you to work for up to 20 hours a week during a school term, and full-time during scheduled holidays or breaks.
Note that a work permit does not guarantee that you will find a position. You are responsible for finding a job and for maintaining good academic standing (with a full-time academic workload) to avoid losing your work permit. If either of these conditions should change, you will be expected to return your work permit to a local CIC office.
Job Hunting Skills
Although you may be restricted to certain sources of employment (depending on the institution and province), you still need to make sure your (resume and cover letter) writing and interview skills are up to date. In the Canadian business world, the ability to communicate effectively is paramount to securing employment and to developing a successful career.
Business Communication Basics
Depending on the industry, you may need a resume or a curriculum vitae (the latter for academic positions) detailing your most recent work and professional experience. A résumé or cv should reflect your individual skills in conjunction with desirable knowledge yet set you apart enough to warrant attention from a potential employer. Here are some general rules you want to follow in business communication:
- Use the KISS principle (keep it sweet and simple) when designing a résumé or cover letter. A clean design is always preferable to a busy page cramped with information and center-justified.
- Use the correct format on documents. Make sure to see examples of resumes and cover letters to get a good feel for what is expected of you.
- Confirm the spelling of any company names or products mentioned in your resume or cover letter.
- Research the company you are contacting and learn more about their background, business goals, and corporate culture.
- Find a contact name to whom you can forward this information; avoid "To Whom It May Concern" whenever possible.
- Speak with your references before giving out their contact information.
Résumé
The résumé acts as a calling card and gives potential employers a glimpse at your
qualifications. Because they are initially read for about 20 seconds, your résumé should be well organized and free of (grammatical or spelling) errors. Although it may sound cliched, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
- Resist the temptation to pad your resume or make a position sound bigger than it was. Never embellish academic credentials. Your reputation could be damaged by a small stylistic choice implying sole responsibility or higher leadership than what you experienced at a particular job.
- Modify the resume and cover letter to not only fit a particular industry, but also to target a specific company.
- Compile a list of information regarding your academic and work experiences. Be brief, using action words and verbs in the active voice (e.g. "X organized Y", rather than "Y was organized by X".)
- Devise an organizational principle for your resume: will it be chronological, modified chronological, or functional? Place the information you compiled above into clearly delineated, relevant sections (e.g. Career Objectives, Special Skills, Academic Background, Special Projects, etc.). Make sure to structure your resume so that your credentials are highlighted.
- Proofread and edit your resume. Ask someone else to take a look and give you feedback. Modify it accordingly to remove errors of any kind.
- Lastly, check that your resume is appropriate given your career level and objectives.
Cover Letter
A cover letter often makes the first impression with a potential employer. When writing a cover letter, keep the following in mind:
- Use cover letters to apply to specific, advertised positions. Remember: fewer than 25% of
available positions are advertised (i.e., the visible job market), so do not limit yourself to
these jobs. The position you want may not be advertised when it first becomes available, if
ever. You are competing with others for interviews. In fact, 90% of all job seekers are
applying to the approximately 25% of jobs that are advertised!
- Be sure to group your points by themes: decide which points fit together to form your
paragraphs, prioritize your themes, and include only the most essential information. Refer
to your notes to determine the order of importance for your paragraphs, using the job
description as a clue. Construct an opening sentence for each paragraph. Throughout your
paragraphs, make clear statements, expand upon each point, and give examples as proof.
In your examples, include specifics such as dollar amounts or other numbers, to validate
your assessment of your capabilities. Follow this process for each paragraph. Include three
to five paragraphs in your letter (one opening, one to three middle, one closing), and limit
each paragraph to a maximum of five sentences. Be sure you close with a strong paragraph
that encourages the employer to take action (i.e., to contact you).
(from the 2005 Career Services manual at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)
- Do not rehash the material in your resume. Highlight the reasons why you are the best choice by providing specific instances when you utilized the skills and background they are seeking for a particular position.
Interview Skills
The interview is a mutual exchange of information between an employer and you, as a candidate for a position. The primary objectives are to:
- Supplement résumé information;
- Show that you understand your strengths and weaknesses and have a sense of direction;
- Enable the employer to evaluate your personality and attitudes in terms of the demands of the organization and the position;
- Allow you to gain information about the organization and the job that is not available through other sources;
- Give you and the employer an opportunity to discuss the desirability of further contact or an offer of employment.
(from the 2005 Career Services manual at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)
Working On Campus
As an international student, you need a work permit to work on campus, unless (as specified by CIC):
- you are a full-time student at:
- a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university,
or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec
- a private post-secondary institution that operates under the
same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives
at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations
from government grants (currently only private college-level educational
institutions in Quebec qualify) or
- a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute
to confer degrees and
- you have a valid study permit.
Places to Work On Campus
There are several places where you can work on campus, including the following positions:
- teaching assistant
- research assistant
- library clerk/page
- audiovisual operator
- cafeteria or food services
- maintenance and landscaping
Check your local International Student Association or Student Awards Office for listings of job openings and/or work-study programs to which you are eligible.
