How to get your first Canadian work experience

Here’s the paradox: it can be hard to get a job in Canada without prior Canadian work experience, but you need a job in Canada to get Canadian work experience!

Many Canadian employers don’t like to take chances on newcomers. They may not understand the IEC program and wonder if you’re legally allowed to work in Canada. They may doubt if your language skills are good enough, know the culture, if you’re going to commit to the job, etc.

Once you land that first successful work experience in Canada, subsequent job searches will be easier. You won’t be so new anymore and you will have local references.

However, there are ways to overcome having no Canadian experience. You can volunteer to build a local network, or you can apply for an entry-level job in fields where the employee turnover is high and newcomers are more likely to be given a chance.

Here are some industries where many working holiday makers choose to start off.

1. The food service industry

You could stand to make good money because of tipping culture in North America. The expectation is that your tips + minimum wage will be enough to live off.

In Quebec, French-speaking skills may be required to communicate with customers. Proficiency in other languages (Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, etc.) may be an asset in multicultural neighbourhoods and in big cities.

2. Call centres

Call centres have a high turnover of staff and customer service representatives (CSR) positions aren’t too difficult to find. Expect to make from minimum wage to CA$20 per hour.

Note that there are two kinds of call centres:

• Inbound: answering calls initiated by customers in need of information or assistance.
• Outbound: making outgoing calls to prospective or existing customers, typically to sell a product or service or to ask for donations. You will need strong sales skills to perform well in this role.

3. Retail

The best way to get a retail job is to walk around the city with a stack of resumés. Drop off your resumé in stores advertising vacancies, or ones you enjoy shopping in as a customer—if you’re very active, you might have good luck in the sports equipment store, for instance.

Expect to work on weekends, including on Sundays. Even though many stores close a bit earlier, it’s business as usual in Canada.