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Work-Study Abroad in Canada: Off Campus

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 Off Campus

Working off campus gives you a greater flexibility in terms of sources of employment or even in choice of industry, such as:
  • Retail
  • Customer Service
  • Food and Hospitality Service
  • Telemarketing
  • Paid internships or co-operative education programs in relevant industries (architecture, computer science, journalism, etc)
  • Education
International students are only allowed to work off campus if they hold a work permit. There are specific institutions that take part of this program, and they are as listed below by province or territory (note that the asterisked institutions offer this in select programs only):

Alberta

  • Alberta College of Art and Design
  • Ambrose University College*
  • Bow Valley College
  • Canadian University College*
  • Concordia University College of Alberta*
  • Devry Institute of Technology*
  • Grande Prairie Regional College
  • Grant MacEwan College
  • Keyano College
  • Lethbridge Community College
  • Medicine Hat College
  • Mount Royal College
  • NorQuest College
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
  • Olds College
  • Portage College
  • Red Deer College
  • Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
  • St. Mary’s University College of Alberta*
  • Taylor University College and Seminary*
  • The King’s University College*
  • University of Alberta
  • University of Calgary
  • University of Lethbridge

British Columbia

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology
  • Camosun College
  • Capilano College
  • College of New Caledonia
  • College of the Rockies
  • Douglas College
  • Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design
  • Kwantlen University College
  • Langara College
  • Malaspina University-College
  • Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
  • North Island College
  • Northern Lights College
  • Northwest Community College
  • Okanagan College
  • Royal Roads University
  • Selkirk College
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Thompson Rivers University
  • University of British Columbia
  • University College of the Fraser Valley
  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • University of Victoria
  • Vancouver Community College

Manitoba

  • Assiniboine Community College
  • Brandon University
  • Canadian Mennonite University
  • Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface
  • Providence College and Seminary
  • Red River College of Applied Arts and Sciences
  • The Salvation Army William and Catherine Booth College
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Winnipeg

New Brunswick

  • Mount Allison University
  • New Brunswick Community College / Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
  • St. Thomas University
  • Université de Moncton
  • University of New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

  • College of the North Atlantic
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland, including:
    • Main Campus, St. John’s
    • Marine Institute, St. John’s
    • Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Corner Brook

Nova Scotia

  • Acadia University
  • Cape Breton University
  • Dalhousie University
  • Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Nova Scotia Agricultural College
  • Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
  • Nova Scotia Community College
  • Saint Mary’s University
  • St. Francis Xavier University
  • Université Sainte-Anne-Collège de l’Acadie
  • University of Kings College

Ontario

  • Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Algoma University
  • Brock University
  • Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Carleton University
  • Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Collège Boréal d’arts appliqués et de technologie
  • Collège Dominicain de Philosophie et de Théologie
  • Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
  • Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
  • La Cité collégiale
  • Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Lakehead University
  • Laurentian University
  • Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • McMaster University
  • Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Niagara College
  • Nipissing University
  • Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Ontario College of Art & Design
  • Queen’s University
  • Ryerson University
  • Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
  • Sir Sandford Fleming College
  • St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology
  • St. Lawrence College
  • The Michener Institute
  • Trent University
  • University of Guelph
  • Université de Hearst
  • University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  • University of Ottawa
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Waterloo
  • University of Western Ontario
  • University of Windsor
  • Wilfrid Laurier University
  • York University

Prince Edward Island

  • Holland College
  • Société Éducative de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard
  • University of Prince Edward Island

Québec

  • Cégep André-Laurendeau
  • Cégep Beauce-Appalaches
  • Cégep de Baie-Comeau
  • Cégep de Chicoutimi
  • Cégep de Drummondville
  • Cégep de Granby-Haute-Yamaska
  • Cégep de Jonquière
  • Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
  • Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles
  • Cégep de La Pocatière
  • Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon
  • Cégep de Matane
  • Cégep de Rimouski
  • Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup
  • Cégep de Saint-Félicien
  • Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
  • Cégep de Saint-Jérôme
  • Cégep de Saint-Laurent
  • Cégep de Sainte-Foy
  • Cégep de Sept-Îles
  • Cégep de Sherbrooke
  • Cégep de Thetford
  • Cégep de Trois-Rivières
  • Cégep de Victoriaville
  • Cégep du Vieux Montréal
  • Cégep John Abbott College
  • Cégep Limoilou
  • Cégep Marie-Victorin
  • Cégep régional de Lanaudière
  • Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
  • Champlain Regional College
  • Collège Ahuntsic
  • Collège André-Grasset
  • Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne
  • Collège Dawson
  • Collège de Maisonneuve
  • Collège de Rosemont
  • Collège de Valleyfield
  • Collège Édouard-Montpetit
  • Collège François-Xavier-Garneau
  • Collège Héritage
  • Collège international Marie de France
  • Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf
  • Collège Laflèche
  • Collège LaSalle
  • Collège Marianopolis
  • Collège Montmorency
  • Collège O’Sullivan de Montréal
  • Collège Shawinigan
  • Collège Stanislas
  • Écoles des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal
  • École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
  • École nationale d’administration publique
  • École nationale de cirque
  • École Polytechnique de Montréal
  • Institut de Technologie Agroalimentaire
  • Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec
  • Institut national de la recherche scientifique
  • Institut Teccart (2003) inc.
  • Université Bishop’s
  • Université Concordia
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)
  • Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
  • Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)
  • Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
  • Université Laval
  • Université McGill
  • Vanier College

Saskatchewan

  • University of Regina
  • University of Saskatchewan
  • Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology

Yukon

  • Yukon College

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