My battle your way or employment in Canada after university

[DARPA]

Requests from readers to participate in this post I will publish a compilation of my work experience and search in Canada. Frankly, I do not like questions like "What kind of documents you submitted to the University?", "Which notary went: on Prospekt Mira or in Sokolniki?", "Is it difficult to take the TOEFL?». All this rapidly changing and context-sensitive information can be found on the official websites of universities and discussion forums. Do not think for snobbery, for me it is largely akin to savoring the details of preparing a celebratory dinner for wedding anniversary five and a half years ago: "And how much oil you put in the cream?".

Briefly describe your motivation. In Canada, I came for a better life and for the disclosure of their capacity. For a successful immigration in most cases it is necessary to have a job, get that without local education much more difficult.

The university also offers many other doors, not to mention such a "questionable" and strongly undervalued advantage as socialization in the new society, including through the co-op program (this is something like our manufacturing practices) provides students with valuable work period from 4 to 16 months on full employer for a full or nearly full salary.

Important employers or work experience in Canada / US or Canadian / American diploma. The University can give something, and more. Solely for this reason I chose Master's program, which, with due fervor can finish the year in the little-known University of Windsor in Southern Ontario.

Lawyers in Toronto successfully decorate help equate Soviet specialists to sample local craftsmen, but because I needed a piece of paper is a Canadian, I am in some way disaccustomed again on his own specialty. In addition, thanks to the university co-GTC, I got 8 months of experience in Research in Motion (now Blackberry) before sunset companies that also provided me with a positive recommendation - and they are very useful when applying for a new job.

At the beginning of 2012 I defended my diploma, awarded the degree of Master of Computer Science, from which it follows that the specialty (and, worse, by nature, too) I'm a programmer. This imposes certain specificity in the events described. In addition, since my natural features (aka «pain in the ass"), my experience may be completely unique. To Canada, I worked as a programmer only in Moscow, where all intentional and accidental comparison later in the story.

Geography

Canada, like the United States - the country is much more decentralized than Russia, so the young specialist, who graduated from the university is facing perhaps the biggest choice on the ground. Crust Canadian university opens a lot of doors in both Canada and the United States and in Europe and the British Commonwealth of Nations.

However, if your goal is, as in my case - to gain a foothold in Canada, forget for a moment the United States, the Commonwealth and Europe. A check mark in the summary of readiness to move at their own expense will feel the romance of distant travels, even within Canada.

In universities, there are many organizations that can help you create a resume. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Further, in my case came into force specifics of my profession. In Canada (and the US) in recent years, a shortage of IT professionals, so I was required to resume a download at several sites (monster.ca and the like), and then become recruiters themselves to call or write to me every day.

The vast majority of jobs come from Toronto, the nearest metropolis, sometimes painfully reminiscent of Moscow, but unlike the white stone clean and well maintained. Toronto satellite cities form the largest economic hub of Canada. Russian-speaking diaspora has up to two hundred thousand people in the city there are supermarkets with imported goods, where the entire staff speaks in Russian. You walk up to the cashier, and the cashier asks you: "Hello! How are you doing today? "And goodbye necessarily wish a good day.

It is for this reason that Toronto fascinates some, and discourages other Russian immigrants. In the wilds quarter Finch, like Brighton Beach, years and decades are people who do not know a word in English.

Probably the most romantic province in Canada - is Alberta. We can say that a Canadian Siberia. The province is notable primarily beautiful mountains and national parks. At school we were taught that these mountains called the Cordillera, but there seems to be no one of that name had not heard, and the mountains are named Rocky.

But all this romance, let's get back to the point: the oil sands of Alberta, according to some estimates contain the world's largest oil reserves. Each spike in oil prices causes a new economic boom in Alberta. For this, apparently, because drillers, welders and others associated with oil specialists get privileges simplified immigration to Canada. Recently, however, the province suffered a substantial budget deficit, and on the radio talking about reducing the inflow of labor in the province - people still come here from across Canada, but in smaller quantities than before.

However, if you are adventurous enough to go to Alberta (like me, one and a half years), keep in mind that in the winter the thermometer can easily drop to forty minutes. Be prepared that the envious will tease and scare you cold, but remember that money is usually smell oil.

"I got a call from Kiev
Called from Kathmandu ... "
Boris Grebenshikov

Soon I got a call from Saskatchewan. There, too, found oil. The offer was tempting, except that on the flat as glass Saskatchewan, there is almost nothing but grass and lakes. And oil. They say you can go diving, but again only at the bottom of grass and sand. There is not even human. On the territory of more than the entire population of Ukraine only a million people. The situation is similar in Manitoba.

But in Saskatchewan, according to rumors, there is a funny demographic factor (the phenomenon of Vitebsk): women there is much more, all men, it seems, went to Alberta. Canadian guys from Ontario who are accustomed to more competition in Saskatchewan are in paradise. Women are acquainted, are treated in bars and restaurants offering a ride and ask for phone numbers.

Summer 2013th during the holidays I happened to drive by car through the Atlantic provinces and the island of Newfoundland, that in eastern Canada. Offshore Newfoundland recently found an oil, and, until recently, the province's economy is gradually rising, but the work is still not enough even for all local, and a large number nyufiz and immigrants from other Atlantic provinces are now working in Alberta. Their accents leaping clearly visible at airports and domestic flights. However, the places and the people will forever remain in my heart, and I am seriously thinking of different combinations that will allow me to live there for a few months a year.

Certain popularity, at least in conversation, enjoy the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory and Nunavut. Every Friday there was going to leave one of my friends. Among the positive aspects of the work there: high wages, low taxes, 24 hours of daylight in the summer, the northern lights in the winter, the Indians and Eskimos. Of the negative polar winter, boredom, Indians and Eskimos. In the Northwest Territories until recently also been some boom, so if you want to think about the life of a year or two and save money - great. I myself moved to a single IT-position there, but received no response.

Meanwhile, every second person in Canada wants to move to British Columbia, particularly in Vancouver, which will soon be a separate post. Fenced off from the same mountains of Alberta, the province borders with Alaska, Washington, and the Pacific Ocean. If you're really adventurous to go there, be prepared that will scare the Chinese envious children or grandchildren and high prices. Shelters huge number of Hong Kong, British Columbia, in particular, "Gonkuver" now has a very large Chinese diaspora. If the Chinese easily compete in quality, in the amount of wages and working hours they have no equal.

If you speak French, you will be happy in Quebec, although the economic situation in the province is not very favorable (but programmers are needed and there).
In general, "loaf-loaf, who want to choose!".

It's hard to judge the overall economic situation in the country today: cheap oil smothers the oil and gas industry, but it also makes the Canadian dollar and competitive products in the US market, why in Ontario, it seems things are going uphill. Those in the know, share the news.


Psychological factor

Among immigrants common misconception about the extreme complexity of finding a job in Canada. Here I see a parallel with the thesis that the CIS is not possible to go to university without a bribe. Perhaps my example is not indicative, but at the time I entered free three universities (two in the Crimea, one in Moscow), has not yet graduated from high school, and could choose. This, however, is now a question of qualified professionals with Canadian diplomas.

Also, I often hear that the experience at home is not listed abroad. Be sure to find someone who will tell it to you. In all this there is some truth. As acknowledged by recruiters, excuse the lack of Canadian experience is often used by employers and agencies when the candidate frankly low level of English.

Let's go back to my story. Have you noticed that the important events in life happen unexpectedly when you are absolutely not ready for them? Or occur against all odds? I called and offered to be tested to make sure in my competence. At the appointed time came to an email message with a link to an online test of forty questions. Each question was given no more than three minutes. I was ready to be tested in a quiet university laboratory as soon after the start I felt unbearably want to use the toilet. What a curse that!

Quit test, which determines my future? Or do quite ugly as a child? Seeing my confusion is next friend, dreaming on Fridays to go to the Yukon, without hesitation advised to go to the toilet with a laptop. So a compromise was found advantageous. Why do we so often see no obvious solutions to their problems in life? The truth is coming out of the closet with a laptop man causes a lot of speculation, but this stuff. The test was passed brilliantly, recruiters have seen that I did not lie in the summary. Began the interview.

Entertaining moment was that employers in Canada where more attention is paid to the psychological characteristics of the candidate. Before the first interview the recruiter called me and explained that the company was founded came from Microsoft, and they need a developer with Google-type mentality: enthusiastic people, not worrying about the salary, a deep interest in their work and the like. Deliberation heard, I was prepared to talk.

I was asked about previous work, what I wanted to do what was my diploma. I explained that the diploma I was comparing the mathematical graph clustering algorithms, wrote about the use of the application of this scientific problem, talked about how to implement algorithms previous work, published in scientific articles, that this is perhaps the most memorable was the reference (without specifying that in this case is stored is not the best), spoke about the vision of his profession when he was in high school - they say, I'm driving and I think about a certain problem, then I came up with the idea, I stop, take out my laptop or just a notebook and start recording ... The next day I got a call the recruiter and said that I overdid it: the employer felt that I was too "scientific" guy, and I will be bored in their deep practical environment. For me, it was almost an insult, because science was already in my throat, endless research work at the University of causing depression.

Other interested companies, making sure on the phone in my competence, invited me to a full-time job interview in Toronto. I tried to learn a lesson from what happened and this time did not go into details, and tried to outline a general picture of their experience, deliberately leaving the details. But as it turned out, this time it was expected of me details. Disclaimer motivated lack of spark in his eyes, though noted that technical knowledge was on the level.

Interviews in Canada usually multistage: you are invited at least twice. In my case, the first interview was usually the telephone, or took the form of the test, which, however, can pass, sitting on the toilet. Gradually, I gained experience. Interviews are good that issues in general are set the same. If you hand over the same exam again and again, over time, learn more about their own career, you know what should be silent, and so on. In Russia, I was worried only about technical knowledge. Here I had to pay more attention to the psychological aspects.

Another time I was on Skype sobesedovali four people from Saskatchewan. Trying to interest me in the boundless prairies and compact towns, they inadvertently mentioned that one of my employees sobesedovavshih works remotely from Toronto, which is almost three thousand miles to the east. You can imagine how hard to keep this man in the wilderness, if the employer takes such indulgences.

Following me sobesedovala company located in the financial center of Toronto, the so-called "Downtown" - a tempting place after Windsor wilderness: elegant people running to and fro, skyscrapers, taxis, trams, square blocks - almost Manhattan. Rental of space is worth big money, parking - a different story. I decided to go by train to avoid a headache (a couple of days later the train on which I was riding, derailed - you believe in signs?). The office was located in an old building, Street Interior decor was tasteful and wonderfully contrasted with beaten neshtukaturenymi and brick walls - almost as much as it happens in the basement of Moscow cafes and restaurants - there really was a lot more harmony. Walk the shiny wood floor was nice, though the ceiling downstairs invariably gave my presence heart-rending creak. Cute Asian showed me the office, held in a room where the developers are sitting. Coming out of the corner, I suddenly came across a hefty dog ​​similar to the Black Russian Terrier. She stood motionless, staring at me with his invisible from the wool eyes. I was a little taken aback.

- We allow employees to bring their pets here, if this does not stop anyone.

I noticed on the floor rubber toy dog. I was taken to the office of a senior developer who had sobesedovat me and the dog followed me gaze. Accepted for an interview coming parade dressed - suit and shirt, at least sometimes tie. I met an overgrown beard and mustache programmer Steve in jeans and a T-shirt. In general, it is quite normal for a healthy view of IT specialist. At leisure, Steve probably makes a chain mail and sword textolite, goes hiking and exploring the fencing. Apparently, since the time of the last campaign on his shirt remained prozhzhennaya hole the size of a medium potato, out of which you could see the hairy stomach. We got to talking, sharing issues. By the way, always keep in reserve five questions about the company, working conditions, etc. - It shows your interest in employment. The company develops accounting software, and things seem to be going well. I asked the key question: "Which technologies and libraries do you use?". Usually detailed response from enthusiastic IT people work out for fifteen minutes - they at once called ten or fifteen titles, explain briefly what is what, and how to use the company. Steve replied less than a minute, "Well, we use Visual Studio, C # language and the database." It was easy to estimate the extent of research ...

The longest I experienced guys from the suburbs of Toronto. They conducted three interviews with me. I suggested: "Imagine that you are managing a giant company producing baby carriages, and all of a sudden you learn that ...", and recorded my reaction. Next came the technical issues, after which I was asked to talk about their diplomas and about the scientific work of my professors. They were interested in what I was doing in his spare time, they also wanted to see how I am embarrassed by some distance from the big city ... The project, which they do, seemed interesting to me, and the answer to my question about the technologies used in them took longer than usual.