Living in Canada

**Hammo** · 30-07-2009, 10:35 AM

Hay has anyone lived in Canada for any extended period of time(not just the season).

Couple of questions?

How hard is it to get a job? and when I say job I mean a professional job.

Where is the best place to live? I am guessing Vancouver, but interested to hear anyones thoughts. Want to be close enough to the mountains to board on weekends.

And final question does anyone know how to find jobs in Canada? is there any recruitment agents in Aus that specialise in it?

Thanks for any help!

**Marshall** · 30-07-2009, 08:02 PM

Vancouver has a couple of local mountains I spent a lot of time at Mt seymore, it's close enought to go for a ski before and after work (seriously). You can even catch the ferry and a bus to Grouse from the city for a night ski.

I spent 2 weeks in Vancouver, skied Mt seymore everyday the terain park was snowed in as it was fresh knee deep powder every day.

Just as much terain if not more then Buller. And it's cheep.

They love Australians so professional work shouldnt be to hard to find.

**Snow Yeti** · 30-07-2009, 09:52 PM

Hey Hammo,

Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are big places to find a professional job, depends what industry you are in.

Seymour will be alot more wet, but I haven't tried it, that's just what I was told ... I'm sure it's great being close to a city too.

Be warned that the pay rates in Canada are less than Australia, even in professional jobs. I looked at project management, consulting, architech, engineer roles in IT and they pay crap compared to here. Consider being lucky being an Aussie living in the promise land.

Government job site: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/

Monster in Canada: http://jobsearch.monster.ca/

WOW Jobs: http://www.wowjobs.ca/

If you are considering Vancouver, be warned, next season will be very expensive for accom, so you might only be able to do the day trip to Whistler!! due to Olympics.

Make sure you have your work permits, checking account (savings to us) and SIN number sorted too, that will make you more preferable.

Look at jobs yourself direct, bypass the middle man, you'll get a better rate that way.

Let me know if you need a hand with anything.

**kort** · 30-07-2009, 10:37 PM

Yeti - when you mean pay rates, do you mean fulltime rates, contracting rates or both?

**Crystal** · 31-07-2009, 02:09 PM

I think it's both.

ozgirl · 31-07-2009, 03:51 PM

I agree totally with Yeti - the rates of pay in Canada are seriously low when compared with any other country I worked.

I was paid $2 extra an hour in Canada than the US and yet the cost of living was much higher. I quickly understood why people took a day trip over the border for their groceries.

A tip for any professional who wants to move overseas. Whilst you may have the relevant work experience it is common for a lot of people to say you don't have local (canadian) experience. Be prepared to take a short term, step back from your normal position before applying for a more senior role. It can save a lot of frustration.

**chunky** · 03-02-2011, 07:18 AM

Bump for those that might find this interesting.

At some stage we would like to do this but mortgage wise in our lives we probably have to wait a bit longer. I have heard of house swaps but I guess you have to be careful with those.

**Crystal** · 08-02-2011, 10:08 AM

+1 and I have also discuused this off and on over the last 12 years, and seriously to the point of having the papaer work done and just need to submit. We had a few hiccups....kids came along.

We have now discussed again and we need one parent to be at home if we move to Canada to do the kids thing and get used to a new country. So at this stage with the mortage where it is in Aus it's not really an option for us.

The last thing want to do is move to Canada have one income and then not be able to support the lifestyle we like...ski all the time, take time off to travel Canada, travel to family (Aus and PNG). So on one income this would be hard right now. We will look at it again in 1-2 years.

**Jahoota** · 08-02-2011, 02:29 PM

my solution to this problem is to work in australia (for contract rates) for 9/10 months of the year and then stay somewhere in a canadian/franch/italian village for 2/3 months over winter living off the savings. A sabbitical of sorts.

While its a life ambition I have yet to achieve it due to a sydney sized mortgage and the my weapons of mass financial destruction (2 kids!). Maybe by 2010!

**chunky** · 09-02-2011, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Crystal

+1 and I have also discuused this off and on over the last 12 years, and seriously to the point of having the papaer work done and just need to submit. We had a few hiccups....kids came along.

We have now discussed again and we need one parent to be at home if we move to Canada to do the kids thing and get used to a new country. So at this stage with the mortage where it is in Aus it's not really an option for us.

The last thing want to do is move to Canada have one income and then not be able to support the lifestyle we like...ski all the time, take time off to travel Canada, travel to family (Aus and PNG). So on one income this would be hard right now. We will look at it again in 1-2 years.

We are in the same boat. We would probably have someone stay home full time as well - not sure who at this stage. Costs, income all the same concerns. I have about 5 years until I get my 20 years up at my existing employer and I have not used any long service so part of the big plan is to perhaps use this around then, switch to half pay to extend it out almost the year to cover costs here at home and then have one of us work and use any savings to supplement our stay. Also have heard about house swaps but not too sure on those - I must admit i haven't looked a great deal into these at this stage.

**Crystal** · 10-02-2011, 07:55 AM

Yeah i haven't looked at house swaps either, sounds like your plan is a 12month one yes? Our plan was going to be for 3-4 years. Ohhh it's just to hard when we have settled really well here. Maybe I should take the grandparents with us...that would solve almost everything.

**chunky** · 10-02-2011, 11:24 PM

Yeah ours is a 12 month plan- to test the waters. We may not like it so I get to come back to my job if that is the case. Then again if we do I can look at what we can do if we do want to stay.