Understanding Canadian Culture

People often say it is hard to find a job nowadays. When you are just starting to build your career, whether you have recently finished school, changed careers or immigrated to a new country as an adult, it may seem at first that finding a job will be easy. You have education, a degree, and many valuable hard skills, so you think you will find a job quickly.

You start applying for jobs online but don’t receive any responses. You visit different places in person, and they take your résumé and promise to call you back, or more often ask you to apply online. After some time, it can feel like you are stuck in a vicious circle. Time passes, you make a lot of effort, and after 3, 5, 6, or even 8 months, you still haven’t found a job. You may start to feel frustrated, confused, and even desperate, thinking you must be doing something wrong but not knowing what it is.

This is my personal story because I felt exactly the same when I first came to Canada. I was new to the country and highly qualified, with two master’s degrees, but I still couldn’t find a job after six months. When I came to OFE, I felt very discouraged and didn’t believe anyone could help me find employment. That was my biggest mistake, because after registering with OFE, my employment journey truly began.

The reason I struggled, and perhaps you might feel the same way, is that I lacked important information and resources at that time. I didn’t know much about Canadian culture, workplace culture, employer expectations, or the standards for résumés, cover letters, and interviews. I also didn’t understand the importance of references, follow-up emails, small talk, soft skills, emotional intelligence, employment standards, and workplace safety.

That is why I would like to encourage you to attend the Canadian Workplace Culture workshop at OFE. You will learn about all of these topics and much more. You will also have the opportunity to:

· Meet people from your own country and from many other cultures;

· Make new friends and build valuable personal and professional connections;

· Practice your English listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills;

· Work in small groups and share your ideas and experiences;

· Learn in a positive and supportive environment surrounded by people who understand what you are going through;

· Gain valuable knowledge and develop important skills that will help you feel more confident;

· Build effective strategies that can help you find meaningful employment.

I encourage you to register with OFE today and ask your Employment Consultant to sign you up for the Canadian Workplace Culture workshop. It is definitely worth spending four full days in the classroom if you want not only to find a job in Canada, but also to succeed and retain it for a long time.

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