If you’ve been putting off looking for a job, now is definitely the right time to get to it. People all over Canada are financially suffering from the impacts brought about by COVID-19, from seeing their incomes reduced resulting into missed loan or bill payments, and feeling generally much more insecure about their financial situation[1] since the onset of the pandemic. But those likely to feel tremendous distress during this crisis are those who are in Canada but are away from their home country, particularly us, international students. Not only do we rely on remote financial support from our family, who are thousands of miles away and are also facing their own pandemic-related challenges, but we also need to continue to pay for our tuition and other day-today expenses.
Looking for work may be daunting, especially during this time. But the good news for us is that until August 31, 2020, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) removal of the 20-hour-per-week work limit on international students working on essential services (see news release here), plus the urgency of the times we are now facing, snagging a part-time or even a temporary full-time job should be our top priority now.
Here are top tips on how you can land a job during the pandemic as an international student in Canada:
Apply as the locals do
Be ready to send out a ton of application
Network as much, and as safely, as you can
Be open to working in industries that may not be related to your chosen career track
Explore volunteer opportunities
Sell your international student skills
Don't get discouraged
01. Apply as the locals do
Edit your resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae) so it’s easier on the eyes of Canadian employers. Some employers may simply ask for a resume, which is a shorter version that is usually only one to two pages long, while some prefer a CV, accompanied by a cover letter, which is about five pages or longer and is a more in-depth document of your previous work experiences and any related skills you may have. Your school will likely have a department that handles Career Development or similar workshops were they'll help you build or edit your resume; also in helping you find job fairs or career events.
There are also a lot of resources online that can help you build resumes, cover letters, and the like which are free or free to try. Some of the top ones are Resume.com (free) and Zety.com (free tro try).
02. Be ready to send out a ton of application
Okay, a ton may be exaggerating a bit. But at least make a goal to send out as many applications as you can each day. After browsing through local job sites and sending out customized versions of your resume or CV—I say “customized” because you should not go around sending all employers one default version of your document, and instead tailor it to show only relevant skills and previous work experiences—don’t stop there. List down the names of companies you would want to work for and search through their respective jobs pages, and just send your application to them directly! No one said getting your first job in a foreign country was easy, but with just enough persistence, you will get it. Back when I was searching for a job, I made a goal to send out 5 applications per day. It took a few weeks, but I was eventually able to get one. And after a few more months and enough local job experience, I finally was able to land a job that is more in line with my skill set.
Some of the most common job boards in Canada are Job Bank, such as Indeed, CareerBuilder, Eluta, Jobboom, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Monster, among many others.
03. Network as much, and as safely, as you can
I know these days are not the best days to be outside meeting and interacting with new people, but it doesn’t mean you have to totally self-isolate until everything goes back to normal. Because, let's face it, majority of the things we are experiencing now will be here to stay and will be part of our new normal.
So don’t be afraid of technology and start getting comfortable in meeting new people not just in person but also online. Keep broadening your network by taking advantage of your school and communities many networking opportunities and volunteer activities. Schools and communities know that these events and gatherings are still an essential part of your student life and have adopted safety measures and changed the way these events are conducted to ensure participants’ safety. Most of these events are free so take advantage of them. Just be sure that you're present in mind when you join the online events and participate so people will "see" you. Also, once the quarantine has been lifted, continue to be in places where you can talk to people and tell them about your professional goals and interests like in job fairs and seminars. Some of the sites where you can start building your network are LinkedIn and Meetup.
04. Be open to working in industries that may not be related to your chosen career track
Since the IRCC is allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week, as long as they are working in essential functions in the following industries: health care, critical infrastructure, or food or critical goods supply. Take advantage of this when you can. For example, if a barista role opens up and your friend can get you in through a referral; take it! Even if this doesn't coincide with your plans, try to silence those thoughts for a moment and tell yourself that you’re in another country away from your relatives, and you need to survive. Not only is it a decent job that will help you pay for your daily expenses, but it’s also a good temporary job where you can acquire soft skills like customer service, communication skills, time management, teamwork, etc. which you can use to further build up your resume. Moreover, this will also start to build up your network as you continue to look for that dream job.
05. Explore volunteer opportunities
If you're getting challenges in landing a job in your chosen career, explore volunteering. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in Canada. To find them, you can start by looking for them in your local library, communities, school, and sites like volunteer.ca. Volunteering builds your soft skills and help you build your network in your targeted field. You'll never know who you will end up meeting or working with when volunteering--it can expose you to professional organizations, people, and opportunities that will help boost your career. It's also fun and fulfilling which will help boost your confidence and give you a sense of fulfillment.
06. Sell your international student skills
While applying, don’t forget that you’re an international student and use that to your advantage by selling your skills that other people may not have. You are multilingual, have an ability to work and communicate well in a multi-cultural team, can offer solutions to problems from a different perspective, and have obtained soft and technical skills from past work experiences in your home country or other countries where you’ve lived.
07. Don't get discouraged
Failing to be shortlisted or landing a job after an interview doesn't mean you're a failure. It just means that you have opportunities that you can improve on. Use the experience to build yourself up and to hone your skills, no experience is ever wasted as long as you learn from them. Remember, we've all been there. If we were able to succeed, you will too.
Keep these tips in mind, work hard and be diligent. Soon, you’ll find yourself closer to getting that job even in the midst of a pandemic. Now is as good a time as any, and we all know we badly need that boost of confidence that landing a job can give. Good luck!
If you're an international student and you have information on how to successfully find a job during the pandemic. Or if you have something you want to share, please feel free get in touch so we can share it with our fellow international students. Contact instudease@gmail.com.
[1] The Effect of COVID-19 On Canadians’ Financial Well-Being, Forbes.com, May 21, 2020, accessed June 20, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forrester/2020/05/21/the-effect-of-covid-19-on-canadians-financial-well-being/#46b0f08968b1
Opmerkingen