Have you been thinking of coming to study work or live in Canada? Well, that’s amazing!!. If you are coming with the idea that when you were back home, you had a great job, with a great title and a good life, then be ready to compromise.
In Canada, you will most likely need to start from the bottom going up. This is called building your references and job credentials. The idea of a new employer calling all your references before you are offered any position in Canada is taken seriously. The employer even goes further to conduct a criminal check on you before you get the job.
There are many different jobs that you can get upon your arrival. Be open-minded, come with me, and let me enlighten you on what awaits you upon arrival.
- Janitor
This may be within a hospital, schools, or buildings. It involves your cleaning corridors, offices, and washrooms. It’s physically tasking. Be ready to have a comfortable set of shoes as you will be on your feet for long periods. Expected pay: $14 – $17 /hr
2.Housekeeping
Mostly done within elderly care homes, hotels, student dorms, or wherever larger numbers of persons live. Requires the change of bed linen, sweeping, cleaning of rooms, and washroom areas. The kitchen areas and common areas can also be included. Expected pay: 14 – 20 /hr
3.Cashier
Works out for those in restaurants, gas stations, malls, convenience stores, utility stores, among others. This requires the basic handling of payment methods and the handling of customer needs. Expected pay: 12 – 17 / hr
4.Shop assistant / Sales Advisor
Sales and Marketing skills. Pushing the value of the product to customers. It requires arranging products on shelves and isles, moving products from place to place, directing, and assisting clients to find their needs in the shop. It has a small degree of cleaning and tidying up. Expected pay
5.Food services worker
Requires one to set tables, serve food, clear tables, wash dishes, cleaning tasks, and routines. You will be on your feet a lot, with some gaps to take breaks. These jobs are mostly in larger restaurants or homes for elderly persons.
6.Call center
This is an on-the-desk job. It has targets, and you will need to make many customer calls, answer questions, help users over the phone. It needs client relations, patience, and skills to brighten up the customers.
7.Fast -Food attendants
This job is about taking orders, serving customers as fast as you can over a counter or drive-through. Examples of fast food outlets are; McDonald’s, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and Mary Browns.
8.Waiter/ Waitress
This job is all about serving food. This job pays the minimum wage because the waiters do make more on tips from the customers. In most cases, you share a percentage of your tips with the restaurant. You will need to walk around a lot, learn how to balance huge trays of food and drinks. It needs a friendly attitude and be ready to do some cleaning up too.
9.Health Care Aid / Companionship / Community support worker
Elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and mental disorders are some of those whom health care support workers deal with at work. You should be ready to do general cleaning. Requirements here include taking care of the physical needs of individuals like bathing, intimate cleanups, feeding, socializing, and companion care.
10.Tire and Engine Technician
Get ready to get your hands dirty and greasy. If you are up to checking, changing, replacing, and cleaning up vehicle parts, then this is your job. You will need to be efficient. Some training before employment will be helpful, but and you can get trained on the job as well.
11.Guest Service / Receptionist
This will need your attention in welcoming guests, communicating, and listening skills. Calling, emailing, directing guests to the right areas. Handling issues. Collecting information and sometimes small payments. It is involving, and you need to put on your great attitude and be ready to help in as diverse ways.
12.Cook
This is all about culinary skills. Most important for this role is to take a course in cooking. You must have a food-safe industry certificate. It involves preparing food and observing hygiene, understanding how to store food properly, and categorizing it. Understanding how to handle hot and cold food temperatures is required.
13.Garbage collection
A commercial driver’s license in the class 3 category is necessary for the garbage collection job. So be ready for more road lessons and tests. It pays pretty well; $25 – 35 /hr. Drivers work alone and pick hoppers along the street lanes and allies. You will learn how to operate the hydraulics of the truck to pick and compact all the waste at the back of the carrier unit.
14.Overnight fulfillment assistant
Be ready to work throughout the night. This 8-hour shift job begins around 10 to 6 am or 11 to 7 am. It is better known as the ‘graveyard’ shift. You will be on your feet throughout the night, but food breaks are included. Fulfillment workers must have the energy to carry, move, unpack, wrap, lift, push, and pull cartons of products. Teamwork is essential as they have targets to ensure all assigned shelves are fully stocked by the end of your shift.
15.Security Officer
As the name indicates, you are expected to guard and watch over the property. Basic security and crisis intervention training essential. The job gives protective attire and worker uniforms with combat gear. If you are not ready for risks and unexpected situation, skip this and look elsewhere. Be ready to work in all sorts of weather as outdoor patrols are needed. Be ready to deal with a variety of different people and attitudes.
Conclusion
The jobs listed here can earn you anything between $12 to 25 per hour. With some of them paying $25 – 35 per hour based on the level of intensity, risk, and skill needed. You can get these jobs on Indeed.com. Glassdoor.com, Workopolis.com, or LinkedIn.com. The pay is usually fulfilling, and people can get on well with two or more jobs.
Reputable jobs have worker unions that you must join to protect your rights and enjoy various benefits. If you are lucky and have good connections, you may start on white-collar or higher management jobs. Keep in mind whatever brought you here in the first place. Now do not be negative or and judgemental about those low titled jobs. Many immigrants live very well and can save a lot on those jobs.
** All wage statistics are generalized from resources based on neuvoo.ca, payscale.com, glassdoor.com.
