How to obtain a Canadian Job Offer for Express Entry

One of the most common questions I get from foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to Canada is how to obtain a Job Offer from a Canadian company to support their Express Entry application. In this podcast I interview a good friend and colleague Emma Goerzen from Hire Standard who shares some essential tips and strategies on how foreign nationals can improve their chances of landing that elusive Job Offer.

With Invitations to Apply through Express Entry continuing to require above 450 CRS points, many foreign nationals are realizing that if they want any chance of getting drawn out of the Express Entry pool, they are going to need an LMIA based Job Offer from a Canadian company to support their Express Entry application.

The problem lies in exactly how a foreign national is going to be able to do this.

As a Canadian immigration lawyer one of the most common requests I get is for assistance in helping a foreign national find a Canadian company to offer them a job. There are some immigration law firms that do provide assistance with the recruitment process. However, my firm does not. We focus exclusively on the practice of immigration law and do not try to wear two hats at the same time.

There are many recruitment companies who have surfaced over the past decade in Alberta that made a lot of money connecting local companies with foreign sourced labour. However, with the downturn in the Canadian economy those days are gone until the economy picks back up again. So “for now,” foreign nationals are going to have to do much of the leg work themselves.

So how do you connect with a Canadian employer? And if you are able to connect, how do you convince them to hire you?

….I guess that’s the million dollar question.

Although Emma and I do not pretend to have all of the answers when it comes to landing a Job Offer (remember…this Job Offer must be supported by an LMIA) in Canada, we have put together our Top 5 List of Things Foreign Nationals Can Do to Increase their Chances of Landing a Job Offer.

As promised in the Podcast, Emma has also provided us with a sample resume template that will help to increase your chances of getting noticed by a Canadian employer. Click this link to download the document: Hire Standard Resume Form.

Thanks Emma!

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You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

CIP S1 E11 – Interview with Emma Goerzen of Hire Standard

In this episode we will discuss one of the most common questions I get from people who are looking to immigrate to Canada.

How can I obtain a job offer from a Canadian company?

Why is this important?

When applying to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, the most common process is Express Entry.

[Explain how Express Entry works]

1. History of EE
2. Process for Candidates
3. Ranking System
4. Importance of an LMIA supported Job Offer
5. Job Matching (eHarmony for employers/employees) terribly ineffective

In my practice, I do not do any recruiting for companies, nor assist foreign nationals in finding jobs with companies.

My law practice is focused exclusively on Canadian Immigration

Because I spend a lot of time explaining to people that I can not help them with finding a job, I figured that the best thing I could do would be to bring in an expert in this field.

In todays Podcast  I have the pleasure of interviewing a good friend, Emma Goerzen. Emma is the co-owner of Hire Standard –

Southern Alberta’s Premier Executive Staffing & Background Screening Firm, specializing in criminal record checks, reference checks, employment, education & credit/ID verification, along with temporary staffing & special project placement

Emma and her Team at Hire Standard are extremely knowledgeable regarding all aspects of the hiring process. In fact, I recently used them to fill an important position within our firm and we were absolutely delighted with the result.

I have worked with Emma in the past on obtaining LMIAs for companies here in Alberta that have had to source TFWs to fill labour shortages.

Our firm has handled the LMIA process and Emma was retained by the company to source the foreign worker and manage the nightmarish recruitment campaign which includes the strict advertising requirements of Service Canada that are mandatory to obtain an LMIA.

In this episode of the Podcast, Emma is going to share some insight into the hiring process in Canada. She is going to offer some tips and strategies for foreign nationals who are looking to land that coveted LMIA based Job Offer with a Canadian company and a golden ticket to receiving an ITA within the Express Entry System.

So let’s jump into the interview with Emma Right now.

INTERVIEW

I’m here in my office today with a good friend and colleague Emma Goerzen. Emma is the Co-Owner of Hire Standard, Sothern Alberta’s premier executive staffing and background screening firm.

Welcome Emma. Thanks for joining me today.

Tell us a little bit about Hire Standard. What do you do ?

Hire Standard – Permanent Staffing & Background Screening: http://www.hire-standard.com

Whether you’re looking for an Executive Member of your team or a Temporary employee to make sure your business doesn’t stop, our commitment to fit and quality never waivers. Benefits of working with us include:

1. Process: We hold fast to our stringent prescreening process – it serves as a series of checkpoints from which applicants either pass through or fall off.

2. Insight: Our staff have the insight to weed out resumes that an untrained eye may be overwhelmed or deceived by.

3. Dedication: We will leave no stone unturned. We want to find the best employee for your company and we work diligently until we do

4. Tempo: We pride ourselves on our ‘dog on a bone’ work style. We recognize that most quality employees, a.) don’t stay unemployed for long and b.) don’t want to work for an employer that drags their heels.

5. Experience: We are familiar with the local market and types of applicants you are likely to receive. Based on our experience we can narrow down the candidates in a short time so you only see the best.

6. Back Up: We offer a 3 Month Replacement Guarantee to ensure that everyone is comfortable and confident.

Top 5 List of Things a Foreign National can do to improve their chances of getting a Job Offer.

1. Look for Jobs in the right places
   • Friends and Family – best source
   • Online Websites:
     • Job Bank
       • Job Match Registration (eHarmony)
     • Monster
     • Workopolis
     • Kijiji.ca
     • Indeed
     • Industry Associations – appropriate to credentials

2. Ability to Communicate in English
   • Excellent communication skills, written, spoken etc.
   • Same Standard applies to Canadians as well
     • Talk about HT recruitment and excluded candidates due to poor English – written etc.
   • Safety Issue
3. Good Resume – this is what grabs the attention of the company
   • Not too long – no more than 2 pages
   • Outlining Education and Experience that is relevant to the position
   • Stable work history
   • Grammatically Correct (demonstrate good English on your resume)
   • SHOW NOTES: include sample of a great Canadian resume
4. Honesty and Integrity
   • – much fraud in order to get the job, so lack of trust can be fatal
   • be up front about any potential issues – if have necessary skills and experience, Canadian companies will work with that, but if you are dishonest, you will be rejected.
   • Talk about guy from Costa Rica
     • Prior refused visa, but not disclosed to us
     • Resulted in his rejection as a candidate – after we obtained LIA

5. Must present well in an Interview Setting (Skype Interviews)
   • Must have good internet connectivity to support Skype interviews (reflection on person)
   • Communication Skills (speak English)
   • Know about the Canadian Company – do your research
   • Dress Appropriately
     • Don’t wear a t-shirt saying “I love cannabis”
     • For women – don’t show cleavage

Thanks so much Emma. If people want to reach out to you for more information how do the listeners find you?

www.hiringforyou.com

[/spoiler]

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