MM2C Podcast by Ben Alagnam

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Showing posts with label Work Experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work Experience. Show all posts

05 March 2016

Job Websites in Canada for New Immigrants

In the first few weeks upon landing in Canada, we need to process a lot of documents like SIN, CCTB, etc...We also need to find a place to stay temporarily that is near a school, community center, and stores.  Another important part of the process is to find a job.

As a newcomer, you have a little idea of where to look for a job.  The first thing you'll do is to surf the internet and find the job websites.

In Canada, job applicants rarely go find a job by walk-in, it is mostly online.  During winter, going physically to an employer's office is really difficult.  It consumes time, money and effort.

To help fellow immigrants find a job in Canada, I listed down some of the job websites available.  This way, you just send your resume online.  Though you need to create a resume beforehand.

List of Job Websites in Canada

1. Beyond (http://www.beyond.com)

2. Indeed (http://ca.indeed.com)

3. Job Rapido (http://ca.jobrapido.com/)

4. Job Bank (http://www.jobbank.gc.ca)

5. Career Builder (http://www.careerbuilder.com)

6. Job Diagnosis (http://ca.jobdiagnosis.com)

7. Zip Recruiter (https://www.ziprecruiter.com/)

8. Canadian Job Force (http://canadianjobforce.com)

9. IT Jobs (http://www.itjobs.ca/)

10. IT World Canada (http://jobs.itworldcanada.com)

Now that you have the tools to find a job.  Run your fingers in your keyboard and create your Canadian resume.

Please leave a comment if you find a job on one of these sites.

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24 June 2015

Immigrant Life As An Assembler In Toronto Canada

Winter Time: It was after a freezing rain. The top layer of snow becomes brittle and shiny.
Someone emailed me about how I got my job as an assembler, so I made a post about it on How I Got a Job in 5 Days!"

But for most of us, having a job is not the end of it all.  You have to work hard to earn for food, shelter, clothing and communication.

Waking up early or getting to work late at night is a daily routine.  This is what life is all about for a working immigrant, like us.  Although I'm not working late at night, but my wife does, so I know how hard it is to be in that situation.

Life in a Factory as an Assembler?
Back in Singapore, I worked from Mondays to Fridays at 9am to 6:30pm.  I am off on weekends and public holidays.  It was an ideal job and I enjoyed it a lot, especially the travels.

When we immigrated to Canada, things had changed. Although I was working from 7am to 4pm, my job was repetitive, which I'm not used to because I'm a multitasker.

To give you an idea, let me tell you about my life as an Assembler in Toronto, Canada.

At Home
The cellphone alarmed at exactly 5:15 am, my drowsy eyes opened up and was looking for the source of the sound.   Then I found it, I was so sleepy to remember that I placed it on top of the table last night.  I pressed the button to snooze and slept for another 15 minutes.  Then again, ALARM!!!

I got up and prepared our breakfast, then went to the bathroom, which I hated because it's too cold to take a bath early in the morning during winter.  Even though the heater was on, the first few drops or mist chills my skin and seeps into my bones.  I really HATED that feeling!

After that chilly bath experience, I dress up and wakes up SAM to let him prepare for school.  I heated up the frozen foods from the microwave, which my wife prepared the previous day, put the plates on the table and prepared our lunch boxes.

As my son was dressed up and ready to eat, I will then say goodbye to him and let him stay at the room where his mom and little brother were still sleeping.  As you all know that my wife works from 4:00pm to 11:00 pm and arrives home at around 11:30 pm.  So, I don't bother to wake her up early in the morning.

I wore my regular clothing for work because we don't have a uniform.  Got my keys and wallets and headed to the door. My son gave me a hug, which he does every day before I go out of the door.

Then I headed to the elevator, down to the building lobby and out to the main road.

But before I arrive at the bus stop, I'll prepare my GTA Pass so I can show it immediately to the bus driver.  Then I usually sit at the back and have a nap before the first stop, and at the second bus I'll sleep all the way until to the work site.

Our factory is 500 meters away from the stop so I have to walk through the thick snow and shiver with the cold wind blowing my body and face.
The aftermath of a thick snow that was cleared by a snow sweeper.
At the Factory
As I reach the warehouse door, I rushed in to punch in my time.  I always sigh for a relief from the cold air as the warehouse temperature heats up my frozen body.  While I'm inside a warm room, it feels so good as if I was just working in a tropical country.  Never mind looking at the glass window with the pile of thick snow.

As my body temperature adjusts, I'll quickly remove my jackets and layers and place it inside the locker, then headed directly to my worktable.

This is the path to my worktable.
"Good Morning Joe!"  I greeted loudly at the 65 year old assembler at the far end of the line.   Then at my back was Davey, who greets me with a "What's shaken?", another term for "What's up?".

"I'm Good! Had few adventures yesterday!", I replied while putting on my working gloves.

Job orders were already prepared on my table by the Supervisor.  I scan through the orders and take all the parts that are necessary to build up the product.  Then I laid it all on my table and clears everything up for a wider space to get ready for the assembly.

The assembling of parts will take an hour, one after the other, and usually consumes my time from 7:30 am to 10:20 am, on our first break. Fifteen minutes were all it takes to take a rest, have a conversation with colleagues then back to work for another job order.

Lunch time was at 1:00 pm to 1:20 pm.  This time, the usual belly laugh echoes the cafeteria, from a group of Portugees and Italians. It's all about their golf games on the previous weeks or how the thick snow covered their houses.  It's a never ending chain of stories from them.

Seeking for a moment of silence, we go in the factory again until 3:00 pm and have the second break for 15 minutes.  I usually eat bread during the break or a small box of fruit which I pre-washed and packed in the morning.

Then the go-home bell rings at 4:00 pm.  But, I stay late until 6:00 pm for an overtime, which gives me another $11/hr rate.

Before the clock ticks at 6:00 pm, I organize my table, prepare my things and heads to the locker where my 5-layer clothing were hidden.  There's another walk for 500 meters on a frozen road with knee-deep snow on the way.  If I can get on the bus on time, I'll shorten the agony of freezing.

Going Back Home
A walk for 500 meters was always like torture, for me. The cold air makes you shiver uncontrollably and it will take away all the heat inside your body.  Your fingers will freeze at around a minute of exposure to the cold air.  That is how a -20degC feels like.
Winter Nights: Taken after a day's work while walking to the bus stop.
If I missed the bus or it's late, another 15-minute agony awaits while the wind blows heavily inside the glass-covered bus stop.

When the bus arrives, I slowly get in and sit at the left side single seat.   I munch a bread on the way then take a nap until the first stop.

There were times that it was so exhaustive working in the factory, so I had slept so hard that I did not notice the first stop. So I have to transfer to another bus route to home.

Once I'm at our building, I will hurriedly head to my sister's apartment to get my two boys,  who were waiting for me.  At this time, it should be around 8:00 pm and I will be feeling hungry from work.

When my sister's door opens, two little guys rushes to me with arms wide open, shouting "DADDY!" and hugs me tightly with all the strength from their baby muscles.  At this point in time, the stress from the factory magically turns to happiness and body aches disappear in an instant.

Then the youngest will ask me to lift him up and kisses my cheeks with a smile, showing off his missing front teeth.  So, I bring my two boys to our apartment and help them dress up to go to sleep and teach my SAM on his assignments.

I was lucky to have a sister in Toronto, who temporarily took care of my kids while we're at work.

Then I prepare my dinner and wash the dishes and pans.  I have to sort all the toys that were scattered by my 3-year old with the help of his Kuya, prepare the milk for my 3-year-old and have them brush their teeth.

There will be a story-telling for both of them as they dropped their eyes to sleep.

If I have time, I'll watch few Television shows, do some blog posts, or sometimes I go to sleep with my little boys to get ready for another day in the factory.

That was my daily activity as an assembler in a factory.  It's a hard work at first, but as the time goes by, it becomes a routine and felt easier.

I was so optimist during that time cause I know that eventually a rainbow comes after the rain.

When I was assembling the parts, I wasn't thinking of the hardship.  It's the experience that I was interested in, which I needed to survive in Canada.

I was lucky to have a job in Canada and was proud to work in a factory.  But, because of my expertise on machines, I had to find a way to use it and contribute more in Canada's workforce and to be well-compensated in return.

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25 March 2015

My Last Day Working As An Operator in Canada

Author: Net Alagnam


As my eldest son tapped me gently saying, 

"Mommy, it's time to wake up! Come on, let's go!"

I got up brushed my teeth, washed my face, wore my sweater, and looked for my keys in the bag. Back home, I don't go out without taking a bath and put some powder and lipstick on my face.

But here in Canada, everything is different. I'm not that conscious of my physical appearance especially if the place we're going to is just 3 floors below our unit.

As I went to our sala, I noticed that my youngest son is already watching his favorite episodes in YouTube. I told him to get his slippers for we will send kuya to ate Ana's unit for the last time.

Since today is my last day of work in Citamit, it is also my eldest son's (Sam) last day of letting someone (ate Ana) send him off to school. The following week, the three of us (Me and my two kids) will be going to school just across our building to drop him off. At least I'll be 15 dollars a week richer :D

As we went back to our unit, I started cooking food for my friends/co-workers for my "farewell blowout". I began working with the pork belly that I marinated already and shove it into the oven.

Next I cooked noodles for my spaghetti. By the way, I missed the ingredients I've had back home. My spaghetti won't be the same because of some lacking "secret ingredients".

But before making the sauce, I took a bath first so that my hair can dry itself while I'm finishing my dishes. 

After making the spaghetti sauce, I started placing them in containers. I also included garlic bread to go with the spaghetti. Adding disposable plates and some spoon and forks, my bag is ready to go.


My Last Day At Citamit...

As I stepped down the vehicle of my carpool, I removed my phone from my pocket and I took a picture of the building of Citamit. I sighed as I enter the door saying to myself,

" This is it! My last day in this company.."

As I go to the lunchroom where all of the workers (afternoon shift) stayed while waiting for our turn, I sat across a friend who greeted me saying, 

"This is your last day right?", I nodded.

"Do you really have to go?"

"Yeah. I have to... no one will take care of the kids if my husband will go out of town..."

"You'll come back right?"

"Maybe after a few years. My kids can't be left at home till Sam is 12 years old... and his only 10 now..."

Then the bell rang. Time for us to go downstairs for work. As we go down, I saw our supervisor giving us our assignments. As I passed by him, he said, "aisle 2".

Looking at my machine located in aisle 2, its lights closed. It made me think that we will not be making the new pack (approximately 15 lbs per part)... which means I will be transferred to another working station. This is what I've noticed, that whenever we make an old pack (where the parts are lighter), they transfer me somewhere...

True enough, I saw Mat coming towards me and said,

"Net, did I say aisle 2? I mean aisle 4, you go there now."


I bid farewell to my co-workers and went to my new assignment. Seeing the team leader of aisle 4, Kiko,  he told me to put bushing on some parts. Talk about having the easiest job on your last day. :D 

Then few minutes came, 3 of my friends (all Filipina) came working with me. I said to myself,

"Wow, this is getting better! As if they are giving me special treatment! How I wish they've done this earlier. :D"




My Last Breaktime With Friends/Co-workers...
 
The first break came then we ate the spaghetti I made as fast as we could for our break time is only good for 10 minutes. Our friend Lemak came and treated us with a  container of Tim Horton that has the capacity of more than 10 cups.

Then the second break came where we can eat for 20 minutes. We usually eat together sharing our meals with one another. So I brought out my version of "Lechon" (roasted pork) and they loved it.


After dinner, Kiko told me,

"Take it easy, make chitchat with your friends..."

"I will!"



But deep in my mind, I can't do that because the company is paying me for every hour I work so it will be unfair if I'll be chatting for hours while waiting for the bell to ring. Besides, I can do quick chats while working :)
 
My Last Minutes Of Work

So 11 pm came that marked the first bell, meaning we need to wait for another 10 minutes before we could go up to the lunchroom. While waiting for the 2nd bell, I went to aisle 2 to bid farewell to the people I've grown fond of for the past 2 months.

Second bell rang, I went up to timed out for the last time and went back to the office of the supervisor to return the key ID. I also passed by Mat and told him that I returned already the ID. I don't want to have a bad reputation so that I could come back easily if ever.

As I went to the lunchroom, I met some friends and exchanged hugs for one last time before going out to meet my ride. We also exchanged phone numbers and facebook account just in case we'll be missing each other and just want to hang out. :)


Though I've worked with this company for only 2 months, I made a lot of friends not only Filipino/Filipina but of different races as well. I learned some of their culture - Vietnamese, Chinese, African, Indian, Jamaican and a lot more. That even we were of different races, we accepted and respected each others beliefs as long as it won't hinder our work.


If you have questions about my post, please email me at netalagnam@gmail.com. 

I'll be posting some more of my experiences here in Canada. If you want to receive my latest posts, email me at netalagnam@gmail.com to Subscribe.

08 March 2015

A Minimum Wage Earner in Toronto Canada: Salary Vs. Expenses

After the job interview and knowing that I will start working on the next Monday, I was excited to tell my sister and everybody about the job.

It was a great feeling, knowing that I don't have to worry about my finances anymore, well at least for the time being.

While on my way home from the interview, walking along the pathway with more red maple leaves blocking my way, I appreciated more of the beauty of the surroundings.   What I saw was that...
* The grass is greener and the red maple leaves were not just red but has different sizes.   
* The pine trees along the way are not made of plastic at all.
* There were no trash along the road.
* Lastly, I was the only human walking along the pathway... 
The thought of my dilemmas that I've gone through with my FSW application to get in to this country, marks a smile of fulfillment on my face.
* I remembered how CIC returned my 2007 application on 2012.
Seeing the flag, with a red maple leaf, in front of the buildings made me realize that I'm now in Canada and soon to be part of their workforce.

On Monday, I will be included in the Minimum Wage Earner job market.

What My Friends Thought About My Job?
Besides announcing my new job with my wife and relatives, I also informed some of my close friends.  They like the idea of me having a job as a new immigrant, but they kept on advising me not to work at that level for a long time.

They advised me to look for a job that is more relevant to my experience and credentials.  As they were explaining their thoughts on me, their facial expression show signs of discontent and regret.

To give you an idea of my background,  I'm a licensed Engineer with more than 10 years of experience in my field, and worked in Singapore as a technical support for the Southeast Asian customers.

I fully understand what they thought of my new career, an Assembler, but the most important is my own decision.

When I arrive here, I never stopped planning. Although I haven't planned to be an assembler,  I know that this will soon to be part of my future success, which I was prepared for.

My Thoughts of Being in the Minimum Wage Earner Workforce
The first thing that I considered when I accepted this job was our cash flow.  The fact that I'm a new landed immigrant, with a limited money to burn, it's logical for me or "anyone" to get any type of job.

I have to cling on to something before I fall down completely.  Failing to have a job in Canada or any other place is not acceptable especially when your wife and kids are with you.

Being in this kind of job has a minimal stress and responsibilities.  The decision making is simple.  All I have to do is to pick some parts, inspect for damages and assemble it.   If there's something wrong with the parts, just call the supervisor for help.

Budgeting My Salary 
Having an $11.00/hr salary is minimal, it is insufficient to supply us with our weekly needs if I work alone.

Let me breakdown my salary and our expenses to give you an idea...

Salary: ($11.00 / Hr) x (8 hours/day) x (5days/week) = $440 / week
Expenses: 
CPP (Canada Pension Plan) = $18/week
Employment Insurance = $8/week
Tax (Federal Tax) = $43/week

Laundry ($60/month) = $15/week
House Rental ($880/month) = $220/week
Food ($60/week) = $60/week
Mobile Plan ($76/month) = $19/week
Internet ($95/month) = $23.75/week
Transportation = $56/week (using a GTA pass)
School Tuition = FREE
Hospitalization = FREE

If we do the Math...
Salary - Expenses = C$440 - C$462 (We are short of $22 per week)              

The good thing about Canada is that our kids have their own allowances from the government.  If parents are in the minimum wage, they can get around $300-400 per month more or less, depends upon the assessment.

This will compensate our negative income.  But, for me, I don't want to wait for the government's subsidy.  My wife and I agreed that she needs to have a job so that her income ($440/week without tax) will be our savings and so we can send some in Philippines.

So, if we add our net income together..
Ben = (- $ 22)  /week (negative income)
Net =    $ 371 /week ($440 less CPP, EI, Tax)
Kids =  $ 75 / week            $ 424 /week (Total Savings)           
Having this net income per week is enough for our family savings.

Of course, there will be expenses for our new house like furnitures, gadgets, new TV, etc... These can be included in the budget but is not considered as the essential expenses.  It means that we can still live without these items.

As long as we don't buy luxury things, we will be fine for now.

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16 February 2015

My Longest Resignation Notice in Singapore

I really hate goodbyes!

Few months ago, when I was in Singapore, a meeting was held at the General Manager's office, together with the Director of the company.  Three of us were inside a closed door meeting.  I was clueless of what they'll be discussing with me then.

There were lots of thoughts and that includes finding out that I blog sometimes during my working hours.  But I was wrong.

I also thought that they will fire me because the company was not making money. But, based on the load that I got that year, it couldn't be possible.

What Was Discussed During the Meeting?
The moment of truth came when I was told to take a seat in front of the General Manager, and the Director was sitting 2 meters away from me.

As they opened their mouth to say the first words, my heartbeat was in full capacity, with a 220/110 blood pressure (like a power supply, haha).

To my surprise, they informed me about their plan to help me bring my family (wife and 2 sons) in Singapore and will help me get the Permanent Residence status and added that they want me to stay with them forever.

By the way, just in case you haven't read some of my posts, I was holding a Singapore Employment Pass (EP) that time, but was degraded to SPass later on 2013, as a foreign worker.

The plan was to increase my salary to meet the criteria for the PR status and I can now sponsor my family to stay in Singapore as dependents.  The salary will also cover the cost of renting a house in a HDB residential building.

After they've finished laying their cards on the table, I started to explain my plan for my family.

What Was My Plan?
They were looking at me with excitement, while waiting for my response.  Although the offer is too great to resist, my facial expression hasn't change a bit.  I started to open my mouth and this is what I told them...
"Thank you for the trust that you've given me for the past years of my stay here in XXXXX Pte. Ltd.. Your plans are overwhelming.
But, I regret to inform you that I am planning to immigrate to Canada..."
I can see the change of mood on their faces.  They were so surprised to hear those words from me.  I have not mentioned anything about Canada since the start of my employment with them.
 "...You see, I was working here in Singapore and I tried to apply for my Permanent Residence here, but with no luck, the government rejected my application and even degraded my Work Pass from EPass to SPass.  So, what's next?
 I love working here, you can see that I stayed and sacrificed for X years leaving my wife and kids in Philippines. 
It came to a point that I decided to be with them for the rest of my life..."
They nodded, while I was explaining to them my part, a gesture that they'd fully understood my situation.  I don't know what they felt during that time but I assume that they are crying deep inside.

So, I continued...
"...I really appreciate your plans for me,  you are like my second family and you have treated me well, like a brother, but I have to follow my heart.  I don't want to have a life, like this, forever. 
Without a stable status in this country, not knowing when the government will change their rules for foreign workers, is not for a lifetime goal for me.   
We're not getting any younger here.
In addition to that, it was my longtime dream to go to Canada and have a new life there together with my family.  I started sending my application, few years back, trying my luck.
Now, I'm in the process of getting our Medical Examination done and in a few weeks or months, I'll be able to get my Immigration Visa." 
I can see their worried faces while listening to my drama. They were still speechless...
"I'm not sure if  Canada will give us an Immigraton Visa.  If it's fine with you, your plan of having me get a Singapore PR will be my second option.  That means, if my application with Canada will fail, we'll go on with your plan.
But, the 3rd option is to go back to Philippines if your plan also fails.  I will not stay here in Singapore as a foreign worker until the end of the year.  "
They looked at each other with their signs of agreement.
"It would be unfair for you if I won't lay out my plans.  This is the good opportunity for me to inform you that this is my last year of working with you. I don't want to leave your company without a fully trained replacement.
Please find a new guy so I can train him as soon as I can.
I will stay here until he's competent to do the job and until the year ends..." 
At that moment, I had just given them the longest resignation notice in my life...

Working with them for the past few years was rewarding.  I gained a lot of knowledge with regards to my field of expertise and those were the things that I'm grateful to have them as my employer.

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26 December 2014

Going to Work During Winter in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada

Finding a job in Canada is not a problem for me as I got a job 5 days after landing.  New immigrants like me usually don't have cars to use for the first few months and maybe years.  It's because we have other priorities for our money like renting or buying a house, food, having a contact number, etc...

For me, car is the least priority as of the moment. Bus and subway transportation system in Toronto is efficient as in Singapore.  There are few unfavorable moments but it's because of the nasty weather.

Everyday, I had to take two buses and walk 500 meters to work.  This is not a problem if the weather is fine because I also love walking as part of my daily exercise.  The problem is when the weather is bad, like winter time.

Walking at the Snowy Walkway
It wastes 10 minutes, for me, just to prepare my clothes and wearing it in layers, including the shoes.  Time consumed for this process should be considered during this type of weather condition.

I have to make sure that I'll be just in time at the bus stop so I won't wait too long  and end up chilling my nose. There is an app for mobile phones that I can recommend to avoid this dilemma, but I'll make another post for that later on.

Once I'm inside the bus, I still feel cold even the bus heating system is working as it takes time for my body to adjust.  So, I don't remove my jackets, gloves and head covers inside the vehicle.

My work site is 500 meters away from the bus stop so I have to walk through the snowy walkway. It's a good sight to see if you feel warm inside your jacket.  The white snow looks great and the grainy snow is fun to touch.

This is how it looks when I reported for work few days ago.




At a normal non-snowy day, you can see the pathway, but this time it's all under the snow. The air temperature is at -4degC during this time but the windchill is around -10degC.

This is really cold, freezing the tip of my nose and fingers and you can feel the numbness specially at your fingertips.  I'll share you my winter gear at my next post so you can have a better view of what to wear during this nasty weather.

They said that -10degC is still not harsh in Toronto.  Wait until I experience the -20 degC....

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03 August 2014

How to Know Your NOC Code and Filling up the Work Experience Form?

I have received few inquiries from my email Subscribers. One of which is about this problem, and it's time to clarify the issue.  Here are their messages...
"..my job positions are not exactly matched stated but the job description as I believe are all the same. One of example is System Administrator and my current position is Systems Engineer. There was no indicated main duties on the website but in general, the main duties of Systems Engineer covers with System Administrator description. I have a lot of positions where the job descriptions are covered on the list in NOC but the titles are not match.
Do you think the Canada Visa office would recognized that? Most of my COE has no job description included and even in contract letter has not stated as well..." - J.C. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)
______________________________________________ 
"...im still confused. what will i write on the IMM0008 (E Schedule 3) work experience part:
From To Occupation NOC Years of Experience Main DutiesAsst. Res. Engineer 2131
Should i write my current job position under the Occupation Part or the equivalent based based on job duties?..." - M.A. (please let me know if you want your name divulged)

The advice and tips that I will provide you is based on my experience when I applied for the Federal Skilled Worker Canada.  I recommend that you seek second or third opinions to other advisers or agents as well.

Job Position or Title Explained
In every country, they have their own job titles which they think will easily attract the job seekers or also known as talents.

Like in Canada, a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site is called the JourneyMan.  While if you do this kind of job in Singapore, you can be called as a Service Engineer or Service Technician.  Doing this same kind of  job in Philippines is a Technician.
"a person who goes out and meet customers, repair the machines at the customer's site"
Canada - Journeyman
Singapore - Service Technician or Service Engineer
Philippines - Technician
As you can see, they are all doing the same kind of job, but they are tagged differently.  They differ in their job titles because of the terms used and according to the country's history.

Another example is the AutoCad Draftsmen and the AutoCad Draughtsman.  These two jobs have a similar job descriptions, but they have different job titles. This is because,
Draftsmen - American English
Draughtsman - British English
Job titling almost has the same concept of marketing, which you have to create the best name of the brand, in this case is the job, making it more locally recognizable and egoistically appealing.

Who doesn't want to have a job of cleaning floors with a namecard description of "Floor Manager"?

Same job, different titles.

What is NOC in Canada?
In the Federal Skilled Worker Program in Canada, we can encounter this name NOC or the National Occupational Classification.

According to the the Employment and Social Development in Canada (ESDC),
"The National Occupational Classification (NOC), provides a standardized language for describing the work performed by Canadians in the labour market. It gives statisticians, labour market analysts, career counselors, employers and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data and describe and understand the nature of work." -ESDC 
To ease up the confusion of job titles and descriptions, Canada had created a standard and listed it in the NOC with versions on year 2006 and 2011.

At the NOC, each job title has its own code, depending on the skill level, and it is classified and described in accordance with the standard.

How To Determine the Equivalent NOC 2011 Code?
The NOC 2011 occupation code is important when applying for the FSW Canada program.  It is the first factor that determines the eligibility of an applicant.  The applicant's occupation should be included at the 50 eligible occupations list.

But how do you know if your current or previous job is included in the list?

To have a complete NOC 2011 equivalency of your current or previous occupation, you need to provide an evidence such as a complete Certificate of Employment (COE) indicating the job description of your occupation and other details as required by the FSW Canada.

Check out the complete requirements at the STEP3 - Document Checklist (IMM5612) item #12

Now, this is the tricky part wherein you need to compare the job description of your occupation, that was written at your COE, with the occupation at the NOC 2011.

Let's take Equipment Engineer as our sample occupation .  This job title is totally out of the NOC 2011 list, but we can find a code for this and it takes time and effort.

Given that the following details were written at the COE:
Equipment EngineerAugust 2010 - August 2014
Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Write equipment handling specifications, technical reports, capacity computations, maintenance manual specifications, and maintenance schedules.
  • Conduct design reviews, inspection, and evaluates the performance equipment.
  • Troubleshoot machine using technical software.
  • Read and interpret electrical diagram.
  • Responsible for the layout preparation, scheduling, mobilization and installation of machines for production use.
We will visit the NOC 2011 Website and select the Classification structure menu (see photo below).  Then choose the classification that you think has the greatest similarity with the Equipment Engineering job and its corresponding responsibilities. 

So, we will choose #7 (see the photo and click to visit the site)


The Skill Type 7 will have a long list of occupational codes.  Scan through each occupation and find the closest match, and that is NOC 7242 (Industrial Electrician) with responsibilities that are similar with that of an Equipment Engineer.
7242 Industrial ElectriciansIndustrial electricians install, maintain, test, troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical equipment and associated electrical and electronic controls
Now, we can therefore state that the equivalent NOC of Equipment Engineer is NOC 7242 Industrial Electrician.

How to Fill Up the Form with the NOC Code?
Alright, we have now the NOC equivalent code.  Go to the application form IMM008 Schedule 3 Economic Classes - Federal Skilled Worker, item #12 - Work Experience

If you have another occupation and declared as your Primary, e.g. NOC 2241- Electrical and electronics Engineering Technologists and Technician , it should be in included in the 50 eligible occupations and meet the criteria for FSW Canada. 

Since NOC 7242 is a Skill Level B occupation, we can include this in the Work Experience.  Even though it has more than 4 years of experience, we can not make it as the primary because it's not included in the 50 eligible occupations list.

Take a look at the table below.


The space provided for the Main Duties is always not enough, you can write "Please refer to attached page" and create a document in A4 paper with the complete details of the duties.  Include it in this form as attachment.

Other Related Post:
Years of Work Experience, How to Compute?
Certificate of Employment or Letter of Reference for FSW Canada Concerns


Hope that this this post will help in your application. If you like this post or appreciate the author, please tick the LIKE button below.
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31 July 2014

Years of Work Experience, How to Compute?

One of the eligibility factors for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) in Canada 2014 is the Work Experience.  For some, it is a little bit confusing on how to define the number of years of work experience.

This is the frequently asked questions from my email Subscribers:

"What are the occupations that I should include in my years of work experience?"

What Are the Skill Levels 
In the application requirements, it states that your work experience for the past ten years should be in the Skill Type 0 , Skill Level A or B of the NOC 2011 list.

Here are the definition of each skills:

  • Skill Type 0 - These are from the Management Occupations and starts with a code number "0"
  • Skill Level A - Occupations that usually require university educations.
  • Skills Level B -  These are the occupations that usually requires college education or apprenticeship training.

Don't worry, I have found an easy resource for you to verify your work experience.  It is the National Occupational Classification Matrix 2011.

This will be your guide to know whether your previous occupation can be included in the years of your work experience. Click the photo...



How To Compare Your Occupation with the NOC 2011?
This time, you've probably determined the NOC Code of your occupations that was at the NOC Matrix 2011.

Now, the next thing you do is to use that NOC code and verify if the main duties or also called as the Job Description (JD) at the NOC 2011 is the same with that of your current or previous occupations.


You can click on this link, NOC Quick Search, to visit the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website.

At the bottom-left part of the site, you can find the Quick Search box.  Please see the reference photo below.

Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada 

Key in the NOC code and it will redirect to the list of the main duties of that particular code.

Example: I am an Engineer. If I had experienced working as a Librarian for a year, for the past 10 years of my working career, then I can include 1 year for my Work Experience because this job is at the Skill Level A, according to the NOC Matrix 2011.
The NOC code of Librarian is 5111.  I keyed in 5111 at the Quick Search box and it showed this. 

Then I need to provide the Certificate of Employment (COE), with the same main duties or JD, from my employer, as a proof of my work experience.
Since Librarians are not included in the 50 eligible occupations list, I cannot make it as my Primary eligible occupation.  It will just be supplementary for my years of Work Experience.
Years of Work Experience Computation?
Provided that all occupations had their corresponding COEs. You can list and compute for the number of years of work experience like this.

Primary Occupation:
NOC 2172 Data Base Analyst  - 2 years (included in 50 eligible occupations list)

NOC 2234 (skill level B) Construction Estimator - 11 months (Not included in the computation)
NOC 2234 (skill level B) Assistant Estimator - 4 years
NOC 7251 (skill level B) Plumber - 2 years
NOC 5111 (skill Level A) Librarian - 1 year
NOC 9526 (skill Level C) Mechanical Assembler - 2 years  (Not included in the computation)

Total Work Experience : 9 years

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