https://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/vote

Hi my people. RBC is in the process of selecting 25 immigrants for award. Kindly help me vote for Jenny Okonkwo who is the founder of Black Female Accountant Network. (A network that helps black female accountants and Finance professionals settle into the system).

The names are arranged in alphabetical order.
Thank you.

Thanks alot. One last question please. If I open a USD chequing account and send USD, won't they still have to convert to CAD each time I want to use it?

WoodcrestMayor:
Flutterwave is reputable but i suggest you do a rate comparison. CAD has been over recent months down against the dollar so you just might be better off sending in USD then convert cos USD>CAD. If you decide to go with wiring USD, get them to open you a basic USD account.

dfanz:
You will want to get your account details for an incoming wire from NBC. Wires can indeed be applied to your account in CAD even if sent as USD but at prevailing rate for the day, cad has not been doing great against usd for some time now. Also know that most banks have charges applied to incoming wires.

You will want to this this into consideration before making a decision. Every penny of the POF matters.

I need an article writer asap dm 08168834929

I don't care that this is an old post, I am so happy for you and I must reply. ����. May the whole of Canada favour you, may people from all races seek you out to help you. Thank you for the help you offered me during my WES verification stress.

jhoci:
I'm officially a member of this thread today! Collected my passport and COPR today and will be leaving for Calgary next month. I pray for a smooth integration and career blessings. Thanks to everyone who have contributed to the wealth of knowledge on this thread. May God bless all your endeavors.

Oh my! Now you've got me all teary eyed. Thanks for the prayers and I'm glad I was able to be of help to you.
I wish you all the best and hope we get to meet one day.

rhemagrace:
I don't care that this is an old post, I am so happy for you and I must reply. ����. May the whole of Canada favour you, may people from all races seek you out to help you. Thank you for the help you offered me during my WES verification stress.

Goodmorning from Newfoundland

You will and you can choose to do a lump sum change when you get in and save the rest. Who says you can't get a job in 1month? You don't have to spend all your savings. Your POF can be a good way to start a solid savings/investing portfolio in canada.

Experts at the start of the year also predicted that markets might take a dip this year and cash will remain king as always.

cychristaa:
Thanks alot. One last question please. If I open a USD chequing account and send USD, won't they still have to convert to CAD each time I want to use it?

Una still dey see snow?

Lmaooooooo

sleekysoft:
Goodmorning from Newfoundland

cychristaa:
Thanks alot for your replies. From the information I was given about the account, I don't think it's a specific type of account yet (please see attached pic). So can I just send the money now and deal with the rest when I get there ?
Also, due to bank costs and the fact that I'm not sure if bank can transfer directly to CAD, I was thinking of using rave by flutterwave to transfer instead but I'm a little scared. I've used them for some small transactions but I've also seen some bad reviews about them. What are your thoughts please?

Please note you can transfer CAD directly from Nigeria (you are required to have a domiciliary account of any currency) to your offshore account with NBC. All that's required from you is the swift details of your bank and your account details with the bank.

Seeing the responses to your posts so far, I had to call a colleague to confirm my assertion.

opeyemmmy:


Please note you can transfer CAD directly from Nigeria (you are required to have a domiciliary account of any currency) to your offshore account with NBC. All that's required from you is the swift details of your bank and your account details with the bank.

Seeing the responses to your posts so far, I had to call a colleague to confirm my assertion.

Yes, CAD can be transferred from Nigeria. However, it will be treated as a third currency. Your funds will first be converted to USD and then to CAD. You will lose a lot in exchange rates and fees.

fadeyemi:


Hi, I am still expecting your respond pls.

Thanks soo much for this info. I am an mid level hr professional but i am looking for programs or internship in hr to help integrate in the Canadian work life. If you have more info on this pls assist. I am open to any location now.

For Toronto, the Dufferin Peel Catholic district school board, Toronto District School board, and some colleges have co-op programs that are pretty much like internship. I would focus on that of St gabriel - Dufferin Peel Catholic district school board, this one is peculiar because it isnt a college.

Their program has an in-class training that lasts 2 months, after which you could be given an unpaid entry level position in your field or as close to your field as possible. The idea here is that within the 2months of the inclass training, you would be brushed on canadian work place culture, resume writing and interview tips, followed by mock interviews that would allow you hone the skill of selling yourself at an interview. during the internship, you would have a chance to build an actual professional network, demonstrate your technical skills and pick up the almighty canadian experience and canadian reference. I hear a good number of people have been lucky to be retained by their employers, while others managed to leverage on the experience they got to get employed somewhere else. This program costs $3k to $4k, but for PRs govt pays on your behalf, you only pay $30 to register. The headache is that the program is fulltime and unpaid. So you need to live off your POF or find a part time job.

Occasionally, I am approached to give insights on life in Canada, Jobs and integration. I am not quite sure I am in a good position to answer as I have only been here for barely half a year, and then again I can't possibly know the prospects for every field and every person, so its hard for me to say anything specific to a wide population, and I am quite cautious making uninformed statements that could end up being the bedrock of someone's life decision. Nonetheless, I feel if I scribble some ramblings about what I think and have experienced, there maybe a thing or two to take from it. I have chosen to reply here to leverage on the possibility of people who may know better to peer-review and correct the errors in my thoughts.


When you start planing your trip to Canada, you learn of the numerous immigrant settlement schemes, bridging programs and even academic programs/courses that could help you integrate into your industry. Generally speaking, it is a good way to start out on the gamble but I would say don't be carried away by their lustre. They each have different success rate depending on your field, background and goals. Do not be in a haste to jump at them, do your research to know which is best for you. I have met quite a number of immigrants that invested their time on one scheme or the other without it leading to the expected end/significant result. Understand that the staff of these program are actually paid to tell you only the success stories, some to no fault of theirs as they rarely ever have a balanced narrative on the outcome of their programs. The best way to learn if it's worth your time is from those who went through it.


You also may have heard that it is important to know how to write a Canadian Resume, a good one for that matter. Nonetheless, don't fall into the group that spends all the time in the world studying resume writing, unless you make really crappy resumes. Resume format are themselves not miracle centers, so you just need basic knowledge of resume writing(take this with a pinch of salt because "basic" is relative). I think what really matters is what you can put on that resume, what you already have/know. See it this way, if I take what maybe a fantastic resume belonging to Okonjo Iweala and replace her details with mine, chances are the former fabulous resume would turn out lack lustre. So if you already know more than the basics of resume writing, you would better invest your time by focusing on how to get your foot in the door, and many times the missing link would be local experience, skills, reputable credentials and networking(yes man know man dey canada small lol).


So assuming you are now at the point where you feel you have some gaps to fill to make your resume sparkle. Which path do you tow? Gaining Canadian degree or relevant Canadian experience? It is important to know to prioritize, go with which would be more relevant/convenient to your goals. Another thing to consider while planing is relevance, Canadian experience in just about anything may not pass as much in your field e.g having experience as a Customer service rep would likely be utterly useless when applying for a Civil Engineer position. If you choose to go get a Canadian degree/credential, don't assume having Canadian degrees in just about anything would get you a job. Degrees are not paid for here, make sure the market exist for it. I say this because I have met a number of Canadians(with credentials from reputable Canadian institutions) that are struggling to land jobs in their fields. oh yes!


An immigrant could apply for over 100 jobs and fail to land one. If you happen to be that immigrant, don't let it get to you, just keep going or try to figure out what you could do differently. Don't be too hard on yourself, and never see it like its an appraisal of your life. As I mentioned, immigrants are not alone in the hustle, some Canadians are underemployed too.


An occupational research is vital especially if you decide to switch careers. Start out by evaluating the relevance of the discipline/specialty in Canada. Study the labour market, know where there are jobs for you. Don't let news like YYY Province was unable to fill 20,000 vacancies bamboozle you, get down to the details, find out exactly what sort of jobs those 20,000 jobs are? are they the kind of jobs you would move to the province for? Checkout the projections for your field/career of interest, know the factors that impacts it, demand and unemployment rate across provinces, is your job seasonal? know the wage(do not rely on average wage, Mean is not statistically as important as Mode in this kind of distribution). Also learn what and how long it would probably take for you to get in, I didn't say for anyone o! Nothing is as important as introspection and making decisions that take into cognizance your own realities and background.. Ask yourself how would the reward compare if you invest your efforts in a different field.


lastly(stupid me, this should have been the first thing sef), make sure you disabuse your mind of Canada being a Utopia even if you choose to settle in the part that has the postal code "L0M 1T0". This is particularly important for those who unlike me, had a fulfilled life in 9ja lol. If you have overly high expectations of Canada, you may find life quite challenging here and you want to be mentally ready for that. To get ahead easily and quickly, you may need to humble yourself. Inshort that one go be default settings when the bills start pouring in and forces you to do do what you have to do until you find what you want to do. It isn't uncommon for a Senior Bleep to have to apply for a Junior YYY while working a survival job in the meantime to pay bills. Nor is it uncommon for the Uber guy to have a PhD in Engineering , even your successful Mentor may have done similar things in the past. What matters here is just your goals and plans, be strategic about it, hopefully with time you'd get to your destination.


Footnote: Canada is a leveler, so it is easy to to think we are all the same as immigrants from Nigeria and such we can extrapolate off anyone's case. This causes some people to erroneously tow a path because XX who is an immigrant from Nigeria just like them is doing it, without knowing jack about why it is okay for XX to and may not be okay for them. A good number of people here still have businesses, investments or spouses in naija that funds their living expense here, some came with fat savings, and some agbayas like me are still single, such category of persons have a large margin of error for their plans that you may not have. Point is while you get advice, try to also learn if its applicable to your situation, don't just jump in on everything said. We are all different, there are people who for the sake of their kids wouldn't mind anything Canada throws at them. On the other hand, some people by virtue of their psychological wiring wouldn't find fulfillment and happiness without their career. Know yourself and know what sacrifices makes sense for you and configure your plans accordingly, don't get bullied by what the majority thinks because at the end of the day your truth wouldn't subject itself to an election.

amdman:


Yes, CAD can be transferred from Nigeria. However, it will be treated as a third currency. Your funds will first be converted to USD and then to CAD . You will lose a lot in exchange rates and fees.

.

Not necessarily. Provided he can source the CAD and deposit the funds in his CAD domiciliary account, the bank will transfer the money from his CAD account without having to convert it to USD.

Except the challenge is in getting CAD, in which case he may have to use a USD account. The bank conversion rate comes into play here.

Hi fam,

Is there any additional requirement for getting the G driving licence when i arrive in canada.

I am planning to go along with the driving history letter a my 9ja B licence.

Thank you.

einsteino:
Occasionally, I am approached to give insights on life in Canada, Jobs and integration. I am not quite sure I am in a good position to answer as I have only been here for barely half a year, and then again I can't possibly know the prospects for every field and every person, so its hard for me to say anything specific to a wide population, and I am quite cautious making uninformed statements that could end up being the bedrock of someone's life decision. Nonetheless, I feel if I scribble some ramblings about what I think and have experienced, there maybe a thing or two to take from it. I have chosen to reply here to leverage on the possibility of people who may know better to peer-review and correct the errors in my thoughts.


When you start planing your trip to Canada, you learn of the numerous immigrant settlement schemes, bridging programs and even academic programs/courses that could help you integrate into your industry. Generally speaking, it is a good way to start out on the gamble but I would say don't be carried away by their lustre. They each have different success rate depending on your field, background and goals. Do not be in a haste to jump at them, do your research to know which is best for you. I have met quite a number of immigrants that invested their time on one scheme or the other without it leading to the expected end/significant result. Understand that the staff of these program are actually paid to tell you only the success stories, some to no fault of theirs as they rarely ever have a balanced narrative on the outcome of their programs. The best way to learn if it's worth your time is from those who went through it.


You also may have heard that it is important to know how to write a Canadian Resume, a good one for that matter. Nonetheless, don't fall into the group that spends all the time in the world studying resume writing, unless you make really crappy resumes. Resume format are themselves not miracle centers, so you just need basic knowledge of resume writing(take this with a pinch of salt because "basic" is relative). I think what really matters is what you can put on that resume, what you already have/know. See it this way, if I take what maybe a fantastic resume belonging to Okonjo Iweala and replace her details with mine, chances are the former fabulous resume would turn out lack lustre. So if you already know more than the basics of resume writing, you would better invest your time by focusing on how to get your foot in the door, and many times the missing link would be local experience, skills, reputable credentials and networking(yes man know man dey canada small lol).


So assuming you are now at the point where you feel you have some gaps to fill to make your resume sparkle. Which path do you tow? Gaining Canadian degree or relevant Canadian experience? It is important to know to prioritize, go with which would be more relevant/convenient to your goals. Another thing to consider while planing is relevance, Canadian experience in just about anything may not pass as much in your field e.g having experience as a Customer service rep would likely be utterly useless when applying for a Civil Engineer position. If you choose to go get a Canadian degree/credential, don't assume having Canadian degrees in just about anything would get you a job. Degrees are not paid for here, make sure the market exist for it. I say this because I have met a number of Canadians(with credentials from reputable Canadian institutions) that are struggling to land jobs in their fields. oh yes!


An immigrant could apply for over 100 jobs and fail to land one. If you happen to be that immigrant, don't let it get to you, just keep going or try to figure out what you could do differently. Don't be too hard on yourself, and never see it like its an appraisal of your life. As I mentioned, immigrants are not alone in the hustle, some Canadians are underemployed too.


An occupational research is vital especially if you decide to switch careers. Start out by evaluating the relevance of the discipline/specialty in Canada. Study the labour market, know where there are jobs for you. Don't let news like YYY Province was unable to fill 20,000 vacancies bamboozle you, get down to the details, find out exactly what sort of jobs those 20,000 jobs are? are they the kind of jobs you would move to the province for? Checkout the projections for your field/career of interest, know the factors that impacts it, demand and unemployment rate across provinces, is your job seasonal? know the wage(do not rely on average wage, Mean is not statistically as important as Mode in this kind of distribution). Also learn what and how long it would probably take for you to get in, I didn't say for anyone o! Nothing is as important as introspection and making decisions that take into cognizance your own realities and background.. Ask yourself how would the reward compare if you invest your efforts in a different field.


lastly(stupid me, this should have been the first thing sef), make sure you disabuse your mind of Canada being a Utopia even if you choose to settle in the part that has the postal code "L0M 1T0". This is particularly important for those who unlike me, had a fulfilled life in 9ja lol. If you have overly high expectations of Canada, you may find life quite challenging here and you want to be mentally ready for that. To get ahead easily and quickly, you may need to humble yourself. Inshort that one go be default settings when the bills start pouring in and forces you to do do what you have to do until you find what you want to do. It isn't uncommon for a Senior Bleep to have to apply for a Junior YYY while working a survival job in the meantime to pay bills. Nor is it uncommon for the Uber guy to have a PhD in Engineering , even your successful Mentor may have done similar things in the past. What matters here is just your goals and plans, be strategic about it, hopefully with time you'd get to your destination.


Footnote: Canada is a leveler, so it is easy to to think we are all the same as immigrants from Nigeria and such we can extrapolate off anyone's case. This causes some people to erroneously tow a path because XX who is an immigrant from Nigeria just like them is doing it, without knowing jack about why it is okay for XX to and may not be okay for them. A good number of people here still have businesses, investments or spouses in naija that funds their living expense here, some came with fat savings, and some agbayas like me are still single, such category of persons have a large margin of error for their plans that you may not have. Point is while you get advise, try to also learn if its applicable to your situation, don't just jump in on everything said. We are all different, there are people who for the sake of their kids wouldn't mind anything Canada throws at them. On the other hand, some people by their psychological wiring, the only way to find fulfillment and happiness is via their career. know yourself and know what sacrifices makes sense for you and configure your plans accordingly, don't get bullied by what the majority thinks because at the end of the day your truth wouldn't subject itself to an election.

This is top notch. Thank you for the review. It's a life lesson, not just for canada immigration.

PART 2 of My RAMBLINGS
When we land we all want to get into our career as quickly as possible, but the reality is that for a good number of people this dream would elude them for quite some time. You should plan for how you would survive the transition period between landing and dream job. Believe it or not, many people even find it challenging to get a survival job, mostly because they do not know how to go about it. In my experience getting a survival job early on allows you to preserve your POF and invest it into more profitable things like career advancement, education or property.While you're on it, you could learn about canadian workplace culture, improve your communication skills and confidence, and possibly make some networks. Sure you could learn those on a dream job but the peculiarity is that a survival job lets you learn all these when the stakes are lower and allows you to mess up without the consequences being dire. I would share my experience so far, I am on my third survival job now and have worked both fulltime and part time positions.

What is a survival job? I think a survival job is one that requires low level/general skills and atimes physical dexterity, with just a means of income rather than passion/career as the motive for taking up such a job. So if you take up a job solely to pay bills while trying to find something better, then it may be your survival job while it is a career to others. There is nothing wrong in turning a survival job into a career especially if there is room for progression, some survival jobs pay well too.

The easiest survival job to get is warehouse job, but they could be quite tedious. There are several entry level roles in-demand here, I would just touch on a few to let you know what it involves.
Forklift drivers or Operators Industry pay ranges from $16/hr - $25/hr depending on experience, equipment and employer. Forklift drivers often need to be licensed before applying, in my case I hadn't any license or forklift experience. I was given a 3hours crash course training and had to pass a drive test immediately. Wage was $15.75/hr but since I was working nightshifts I was paid an extra $1, then an extra $3 i think for working a contract/backend position. That brought my total pay to $19/hr for 40hrs per week. I also worked an average of 20hrs overtime hours per week and as such got paid $28/hr for those hours. The nature of the job varies depending on the exact type of forklift you have to drive and the warehouse setting. There seems to be always forklift jobs, but if you are spending money on getting your license, I would say try to make sure its a type of forklift that is indemand and that you have the aptitude for.

Material handler is just a fancy word for something similar to wheelbarrow pusher lol. Though the work environment is much nicer than some so-called white collar jobs in naija. I worked as a material handler for 6weeks or so at The Bricks. I had to lift heavy items like Sofas, Washing machines, 8ft tall Refrigerators etc I'd place them on a 2 wheel dolley and cart it away to a loading cage. On most days I doubled as a loader: loading trailers for outbound shipment. Material handlers can earn from $14 to $20 depending on the employer and the needs/risks of the job. In my case I was paid about $14.45/hr, I could have earned $15.75 if I switched to a loader fully but mehn since I knew I was not going to stay for long I didnt bother to officially switch my roles, so I technically did more work for less money.

Shipping/Receiving Associate: this is almost same as a loader

Packagers box or packs items. it is a job that involves lots of repetitive actions and you often need to do it while standing and at a fast pace. Some warehouses are quite relaxed and may allow you even sit while doing this, but most wouldnt and the targets could be insane. But at least it doesn't involve lifting heavy items.


Other Survival Jobs
Call Centre and Customer Service Reps: Pay is usually minimum wage $14. Call centres could be inbound, outbound or both. Inbound call centre is a chill job, if you are a courteous person it would be as simple as being paid for being you. You just sit beside a phone and a computer, take calls and assist customers with their needs. You don't need to fake an oyibo accent. A couple of callers have complimented my accent and gone on to tell me about themselves. Unfortunately, I do more of outbound calls, lord I hate the days I am on outbound. Time is painfully slow on those days. Outbound calls involves calling and lightly persuading people to buy lottery tickets. its basically unsolicited calls to old customers. More often than not, you get the sense that you are a bother, on the not so bad days you could get the "Bleep you!". On the really bad days, you get a very polite please take my number of your list because my husband whom you intend to speak with just passed away. Atimes people would tell you they can not purchase tickets because they just lost their jobs, this is especially the case when the calls are to people in Alberta and they go on to indulge you in the difficulties they are experiencing. So, it can be a lot to contend with.

Personal Support Worker/Care Giver: PSW involves caring for patients, injured, ill or needy people —this could include changing bandages, turning patients to prevent bed sores, applying medicinal lotions, helping with oral medication, and bathing patients. This job typically requires a certification and police record check.

Uber and Skip the dish: Basically you just taxi people or go pick and drop off food. Uber typically needs your car to be no more older than 7-9years(ie a minimum of a 2010 to 2012 model car) depending on the city, amongst other stringent requirements. You don't need to buy a car to do this! You could hire a car from a dealer that way the wear and tear is transferred to the dealer. from my conversations with people who drive uber and skip the dish, it seems the secret to a profitable Uber driving is making sure your car has a good fuel economy, and most importantly location! Driving Uber in Toronto is far more profitable than driving in somewhere like Barrie. One thing though is that you greatly increase the probability of being in an accident because you are on the road for more hours and under the pressure of meeting schedule.

Bar tenders, servers and waiters: They often pay minimum wage or even less but it could be very lucrative if you are working at a club/hotel especially in downtown Toronto, this is because there is a culture of tipping here. In the end if you are lucky, you could make as much as extra $10 -$15 per hour in tips, over here the law says the employees get to keep 100% of whatever is tipped.

Cashier: you already know what this entails, main skill required is knowledge of POS CASH REGISTER, CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS AND ADMIN. Typical workplace would be fast food and retail stores

Security guard: Job roles under this includes: Security guard, Concierge, Bodyguard, Bouncer, and loss prevention employee. Requirements is typically a security license, cpr and first aid. If you go on to get a weapon's license, you could become a private investigator

Truck driving: pardon me, na crase dey worry me... this one no follow for survival job, na career wey they make way more than many white collar jobs and it takes a great deal of time and training to get a truck driving license.


Factors to consider when picking a survival job:
Flexibility: Some jobs are pretty rigid, you could get fired for being absent/late a few times despite the fact that you wouldn't be paid for those times. When you are still trying to settle and scouting for a better job, the best survival job would be the one that lets you still work on finding your dream job. This may include giving you the convenience to study or attend interviews. I noticed during the time I was working warehouse jobs I had no time for anything else. When I return home, I am too tired to do anything other than sleep and I would wake up with body pain.

Relevance to your Career: basically, the more closely related your survival job is to your field, the better. You could also try to pick a survival job that equips you with skills you may not have the opportunity to develop in your field but would need all the same. In my case, my engineering career has been overly focused on technical skills but my call centre experience has helped me horne a lil people skills( at least I am quite good at faking a smile, a polite and warm voice tone now ) that could even help me in my engineering career esp when it comes to liasing with clients, so yeah think of transferable soft skills. . .

Reliable work hours: When picking a survival job, be careful to go for one that gives you reliable hours. Some employers would send you home early or cancel your shift if there isnt much to do. This means you would forfeit your pay for the remaining hours. E.g lets say you got a job that you are scheduled to work 6 hrs per day for 5days a week... In the end you could get sent home after 3hrs of work in each of the 4days and have the fifth day shift cancelled. Meaning instead of getting paid for 30hrs of work, you would only get paid for 12hours! This makes your income very unreliable as you would have difficulty predicting how much you would actually earn in a month. Companies like Amazon give you reliable hours of work.

Reviews: Before taking a job, always read reviews of the firm on indeed and glassdoor. These reviews could give you insight on the work culture, pay, and much more. Sometimes ex-employees who write these reviews may exaggerate the cons but its better reading what they have to say than blindly accepting an offer.

Safety/Physical requirements: Some survival jobs require physical dexterity and also put you at risk. You want to be sure you have assessed the requirements of the job and can take it.


How to get a survival job
Like all other jobs, the internet is a good place to start. One advise I would give is do not be discouraged if you do not meet the job requirements, apply all the same. Most employers are unable to fill staff for survival positions, so they may not even find a qualified person to apply and end up taking whoever applies. You could search the websites below. create two indeed accounts, one for your survival job and the other for your dream job.

www.indeed.ca
www.monster.ca
www.workopolis.com
www.craiglist.com

1. Be attentive! whenever you are out, dont just get lost marveling at beautiful buildings and taking pictures to impress people in 9ja with the illusion that you have made it. look out for signs that say "help wanted" and "we are hiring", though be careful not to fall into the hands of scammers. Also try to spot out businesses, fastfoods, retail shops and factories/warehouses around you(find out where the industrial area is). You do not always need to wait for them to list a vacancy, you could just walk in with your resume and ask if they have a job you could do. Yes! Many survival jobs are gotten this way. Inshort you could even ask your neighbours if you could mow their lawn or plough their snow if you dont find any job at all, people get paid for that.

2. Be on the look out for Job fairs. Most job fairs would be filled with openings for good jobs and survival jobs, if you dont get hired at one, you would at least be able to learn what they are looking for and how you could get in.

3. Some jobs have season, for amazon warehouse it is typically October/November, during this time they hire almost anyone they can find without even bothering to interview them.. This is because this is when business is at its peak, so do your research find out which job type is on season.

4. Make friends, join whatsapp groups and tell almost anyone you know that you are looking for a survival job., no shame, you no thief...shame no dey pay bills here. also ask people how they got the job they are doing and what it entails.

5. If you havent time to waste on all of the above, then go register with an agency. They should be able to fill you in especially if you are available for fulltime positions.


Resume tips for survival jobs: Scrap out your professional experience that doesnt align with the survival job, its best you only state High School diploma if that is all they stated as requirement. This is because doing otherwise may suggest you wouldnt be with them for long. As crazy as it may sound, some companies actually want someone whose only ambition is to work in a warehouse all his/her life, you have to act like you are that person. While I was interviewing for a warehouse position, a HR person asked me what I found passionate about the job.

einsteino:
Occasionally, I am approached to give insights on life in Canada, Jobs and integration. I am not quite sure I am in a good position to answer ppiness is via their career. know yourself and know what sacrifices makes sense for you and configure your plans accordingly, don't get bullied by what the majority thinks because at the end of the day your truth wouldn't subject itself to an election.

Great Insight!

Thanks for sharing...

@einsteino. Thanks for sharing. Classic page 1 stuffs.

Your posts embody the ethos of this thread: Sharing of relevant and valuable experiences and insights. You don't get stuffs like this from pre-arrival services and general online browsing.

May God continue to bless your hustle.

einsteino:
Occasionally, I am approached to give insights on life in Canada, Jobs and integration. I am not quite sure I am in a good position to answer as I have only been here for barely half a year, and then again I can't possibly know the prospects for every field and every person, so its hard for me to say anything specific to a wide population, and I am quite cautious making uninformed statements that could end up being the bedrock of someone's life decision. Nonetheless, I feel if I scribble some ramblings about what I think and have experienced, there maybe a thing or two to take from it. I have chosen to reply here to leverage on the possibility of people who may know better to peer-review and correct the errors in my thoughts.


When you start planing your trip to Canada, you learn of the numerous immigrant settlement schemes, bridging programs and even academic programs/courses that could help you integrate into your industry. Generally speaking, it is a good way to start out on the gamble but I would say don't be carried away by their lustre. They each have different success rate depending on your field, background and goals. Do not be in a haste to jump at them, do your research to know which is best for you. I have met quite a number of immigrants that invested their time on one scheme or the other without it leading to the expected end/significant result. Understand that the staff of these program are actually paid to tell you only the success stories, some to no fault of theirs as they rarely ever have a balanced narrative on the outcome of their programs. The best way to learn if it's worth your time is from those who went through it.


You also may have heard that it is important to know how to write a Canadian Resume, a good one for that matter. Nonetheless, don't fall into the group that spends all the time in the world studying resume writing, unless you make really crappy resumes. Resume format are themselves not miracle centers, so you just need basic knowledge of resume writing(take this with a pinch of salt because "basic" is relative). I think what really matters is what you can put on that resume, what you already have/know. See it this way, if I take what maybe a fantastic resume belonging to Okonjo Iweala and replace her details with mine, chances are the former fabulous resume would turn out lack lustre. So if you already know more than the basics of resume writing, you would better invest your time by focusing on how to get your foot in the door, and many times the missing link would be local experience, skills, reputable credentials and networking(yes man know man dey canada small lol).


So assuming you are now at the point where you feel you have some gaps to fill to make your resume sparkle. Which path do you tow? Gaining Canadian degree or relevant Canadian experience? It is important to know to prioritize, go with which would be more relevant/convenient to your goals. Another thing to consider while planing is relevance, Canadian experience in just about anything may not pass as much in your field e.g having experience as a Customer service rep would likely be utterly useless when applying for a Civil Engineer position. If you choose to go get a Canadian degree/credential, don't assume having Canadian degrees in just about anything would get you a job. Degrees are not paid for here, make sure the market exist for it. I say this because I have met a number of Canadians(with credentials from reputable Canadian institutions) that are struggling to land jobs in their fields. oh yes!


An immigrant could apply for over 100 jobs and fail to land one. If you happen to be that immigrant, don't let it get to you, just keep going or try to figure out what you could do differently. Don't be too hard on yourself, and never see it like its an appraisal of your life. As I mentioned, immigrants are not alone in the hustle, some Canadians are underemployed too.


An occupational research is vital especially if you decide to switch careers. Start out by evaluating the relevance of the discipline/specialty in Canada. Study the labour market, know where there are jobs for you. Don't let news like YYY Province was unable to fill 20,000 vacancies bamboozle you, get down to the details, find out exactly what sort of jobs those 20,000 jobs are? are they the kind of jobs you would move to the province for? Checkout the projections for your field/career of interest, know the factors that impacts it, demand and unemployment rate across provinces, is your job seasonal? know the wage(do not rely on average wage, Mean is not statistically as important as Mode in this kind of distribution). Also learn what and how long it would probably take for you to get in, I didn't say for anyone o! Nothing is as important as introspection and making decisions that take into cognizance your own realities and background.. Ask yourself how would the reward compare if you invest your efforts in a different field.


lastly(stupid me, this should have been the first thing sef), make sure you disabuse your mind of Canada being a Utopia even if you choose to settle in the part that has the postal code "L0M 1T0". This is particularly important for those who unlike me, had a fulfilled life in 9ja lol. If you have overly high expectations of Canada, you may find life quite challenging here and you want to be mentally ready for that. To get ahead easily and quickly, you may need to humble yourself. Inshort that one go be default settings when the bills start pouring in and forces you to do do what you have to do until you find what you want to do. It isn't uncommon for a Senior Bleep to have to apply for a Junior YYY while working a survival job in the meantime to pay bills. Nor is it uncommon for the Uber guy to have a PhD in Engineering , even your successful Mentor may have done similar things in the past. What matters here is just your goals and plans, be strategic about it, hopefully with time you'd get to your destination.


Footnote: Canada is a leveler, so it is easy to to think we are all the same as immigrants from Nigeria and such we can extrapolate off anyone's case. This causes some people to erroneously tow a path because XX who is an immigrant from Nigeria just like them is doing it, without knowing jack about why it is okay for XX to and may not be okay for them. A good number of people here still have businesses, investments or spouses in naija that funds their living expense here, some came with fat savings, and some agbayas like me are still single, such category of persons have a large margin of error for their plans that you may not have. Point is while you get advise, try to also learn if its applicable to your situation, don't just jump in on everything said. We are all different, there are people who for the sake of their kids wouldn't mind anything Canada throws at them. On the other hand, some people by virtue of their psychological wiring wouldn't find fulfillment and happiness without their career. Know yourself and know what sacrifices makes sense for you and configure your plans accordingly, don't get bullied by what the majority thinks because at the end of the day your truth wouldn't subject itself to an election.

Spot on bro you are one of the few real Nigerians out there . Most Nigerians create the impression of Canada being a perfect society with no challenges . Was once in a similar scenario while on OPT training in us . I knew I had a much stronger network in Nigeria and also knew about the challenges in Nigeria but didn’t feel too comfortable with the system and decided to move to naij . Landed two good offers after national service, move a level up after first year and a second level after another year , got an apartment in an upper middle class neighbourhood, shipped in a saloon and have been pretty much able to live comfortably . However the Canada gospel is being preached in many places these days and sometimes ask myself if I’m seeing things wrongly as I don’t think it will be far different from other first world countries ( Scotland /USA / Switzerland /France ...) that’s I’ve spent time in. Many also say it a sacrifice for their children however I recall our parents and their peers living/working in Africa and sending us to college in the west without having to move their lives as well. I also know of some Nigerians with dual citizenship (birth right citizenship) who have access to live and work in both worlds . Has Canada met your expectations so far ? I haven’t been there yet the closest I’ve been to is buffalo

Hello Everyone,
I am new on this thread, and i really really need your help.

Please has anyone ever encountered Info sharing: system error on their GCMS notes?
I ordered GCMS notes and the bolded was written under eligibility section
Please what does that even mean?
Please i need help. This was in the GCMS notes from my first application last year which was denied.
Now my second application is at its 8 month now and i am yet to get a response from CIC.
The second GCMS notes says application in progress, but nothing has been done on it. Is it being affected by the Info sharing: system error

Someone please help meeee.

Thank you.

You are just too nice, God bless and favour you real good[quote author=einsteino post=77268627][

Mudicua:
Hello Everyone,
I am new on this thread, and i really really need your help.

Please has anyone ever encountered Info sharing: system error on their GCMS notes?
I ordered GCMS notes and the bolded was written under eligibility section
Please what does that even mean?
Please i need help. This was in the GCMS notes from my first application last year which was denied.
Now my second application is at its 8 month now and i am yet to get a response from CIC.
The second GCMS notes says application in progress, but nothing has been done on it. Is it being affected by the Info sharing: system error

Someone please help meeee.

Thank you.

Hi. You're welcome. Please post this here.

@einsteino baba truth no go kill you o. All those ppl wy carry shoulder pad go CA cos dm be one yeye manager for one crude company, na bills go teach them lesson last last...lol

Thanks Einsteino for always keeping it real. Working different survival jobs for a few months or even years is the reality for most of us that work or seek a career in a regulated profession i.e engineering, healthcare, law, etc. Heck my current family doctor worked for years as a walmart stocker and then PSW before he got his license to practice. I myself worked as a security guard, walmart backroom worker, , call centre and a welder's handman before I got my breakthrough. The most important thing is to keep your eyes on the goal and not getting distracted. God will keep guiding you in the right direction bro.

Note:
For guys that have regulatory exam(s) to write. The best survival jobs out there will be night shift security or PSW. It gives the chance to study while at work. It also helps in getting paid at the same time to cater for the crazy bills.

joo2018:

@einsteino. Thanks for sharing. Classic page 1 stuffs.

Your posts embody the ethos of this thread: Sharing of relevant and valuable experiences and insights. You don't get stuffs like this from pre-arrival services and general online browsing.

May God continue to bless your hustle.

My sentiments exactly.

Thanks Einsteino for this insight for us that are awaiting our copr

einsteino:
PART 2 of My RAMBLINGS

Thank you for this, very real and insightful. Having worked some survival jobs in the UK as well, I can fully relate with all you have said. Not many Nigerians in diaspora can do this ( some will claim posh life that doesn't exist ) . Your courage, humility and comprehensive review in this write up is admirable

Indeed has been saving lives since 1900 . This is something newcomers should read and meditate on as part of pre arrival preparations.

Kudos to you!!

@joo2018 ,page 1 material

Francent:
@einsteino baba truth no go kill you o. All those ppl wy carry shoulder pad go CA cos dm be one yeye manager for one crude company, na bills go teach them lesson last last...lol

Interestingly, a lot of guys that have attained high level of position in Crude oil companies hardly live here.
They just leave their kids here and visits once in a while.
They have expensive homes and their kids are usually in private schools here in Canada.

I don't know for how long they can continue to do that that though.

Einsteino mentioned that:

"Footnote: Canada is a leveler, so it is easy to to think we are all the same as immigrants from Nigeria and such we can extrapolate off anyone's case. This causes some people to erroneously tow a path because XX who is an immigrant from Nigeria just like them is doing it, without knowing jack about why it is okay for XX to and may not be okay for them. A good number of people here still have businesses, investments or spouses in naija that funds their living expense here, some came with fat savings"

WoodcrestMayor:
You will and you can choose to do a lump sum change when you get in and save the rest. Who says you can't get a job in 1month? You don't have to spend all your savings. Your POF can be a good way to start a solid savings/investing portfolio in canada.

Experts at the start of the year also predicted that markets might take a dip this year and cash will remain king as always.

Thank you!

einsteino:
Occasionally, I am approached to give insights on life in Canada, Jobs and integration. I am not quite sure I am in a good position to answer as I have only been here for barely half a year, and then again I can't possibly know the prospects for every field and every person, so its hard for me to say anything specific to a wide population, and I am quite cautious making uninformed statements that could end up being the bedrock of someone's life decision. Nonetheless, I feel if I scribble some ramblings about what I think and have experienced, there maybe a thing or two to take from it. I have chosen to reply here to leverage on the possibility of people who may know better to peer-review and correct the errors in my thoughts.

.

Why all these isn't false, I think the most important thing for people reading this (that are yet to land) to note is to be open minded. The truth is not every story is applicable to all. I have friends that got jobs within weeks of landing at multi-nationals and some of the Big 6 Banks, on the other hand I have friends still searching for jobs after six months (unable to even get survival jobs like he said). I personally never worked a survival job since I landed in Canada almost eight months ago and I got a job exactly six-weeks after landing. What i'm trying to infer is that everything @einsteino said isn't false but just as 'getting a job easily' doesn't apply to all, 'working survival jobs' won't apply to all too. Come to Canada with an open mind that anything is possible and you won't be disappointed , but above all hope for the very best.

Thanks for taking the time to confirm. It's a naira account I have though, but I guess I'll have to sort it all out with my bank if I have to open a dom account or not. I have emailed nbc about the whole USD account thing also. Although I'm quite sure it's me that's just worrying my self. My money no go hang for air abeg

P. S you guys are the best @woodcrestmayor @opeyemmmy @dfanz

opeyemmmy:


Please note you can transfer CAD directly from Nigeria (you are required to have a domiciliary account of any currency) to your offshore account with NBC. All that's required from you is the swift details of your bank and your account details with the bank.

Seeing the responses to your posts so far, I had to call a colleague to confirm my assertion.

You're most welcome brah!
You dont need to open a dom account in naija.Your will move funds via SWIFT at prevailing rate on date of transfer

cychristaa:
Thanks for taking the time to confirm. It's a naira account I have though, but I guess I'll have to sort it all out with my bank if I have to open a dom account or not. I have emailed nbc about the whole USD account thing also. Although I'm quite sure it's me that's just worrying my self. My money no go hang for air abeg

P. S you guys are the best @woodcrestmayor @opeyemmmy @dfanz