# Irish mechanic - how to get work in Canada ahhh??



## lmnover (Nov 25, 2012)

Hi I'm looking for advice - myself, my wife with our 16 month old daughter want to relocate to canada and are looking at Calgary or edmondton. I have 15 years experience and good résumé and references but we are getting nowhere on the job front . Very frustrating because we are ready to go! 

Anybody have advice or tips on how to get sorted with job over there - i hear they are crying out for mechanics but its a different story when you start applying .???


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Firstly, what ages are you and partner?
If you are sending off CVs to prospective employers it is the wrong way apparently. Canadian employers much prefer face to face interviews so, if you can, try and make a reccie to the areas in which you're interested.


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## TheMopps (Dec 26, 2012)

My husband is a HGV mechanic, we are looking to move in 2014. Every day I research and contact potential employers in the areas we would like to settle and as of next week we have a Sykpe interview with a company who is willing to go through the LMO with us!

It's a lot of leg work but really is worthwhile.

Also we have been in contact with the major dealerships in the areas we are interested in via the telephone and have an offer of potential employment for when we are ready to start the process via this medium.

Keep plugging away


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## lmnover (Nov 25, 2012)

hi we are both in our early 30's
I guess travelling over would be ideal but from a financial point of view - its not that feasible unless we totally had to - as we will need every penny for the actual move...


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## lmnover (Nov 25, 2012)

TheMopps said:


> My husband is a HGV mechanic, we are looking to move in 2014. Every day I research and contact potential employers in the areas we would like to settle and as of next week we have a Sykpe interview with a company who is willing to go through the LMO with us!
> 
> It's a lot of leg work but really is worthwhile.
> 
> ...



Hi thanks for that 
, what did you do - just start googling companies in the area you want to settle in ?Then just call them up and ask to speak to hr person? What was the reception like from companies ? Did ya get many fob offs from them?

Did you do it on behalf of your husband or did he make the calls? The thought of cold Calling - gives me a cold sweat but at same time we are willing to do whatever it takes to get sorted over there .
We would ideally like to settle in Calgary but would also consider edmundton and fort mc Murray at a push - we have applied for approx 30 jobs at this stage and not 1 call back so email approach def. not working !
Very frustrating when we just want to get out of here! 
Any advice appreciated !


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi,


lmnover said:


> Hi thanks for that
> , what did you do - just start googling companies in the area you want to settle in ?Then just call them up and ask to speak to hr person? What was the reception like from companies ? Did ya get many fob offs from them?
> 
> Did you do it on behalf of your husband or did he make the calls? The thought of cold Calling - gives me a cold sweat but at same time we are willing to do whatever it takes to get sorted over there .
> ...


Canadian employers don't want to be bother with on-line applications coming from foreigners, unless they are here with the proper documentation. However, once you call them, you get a good chance to at least talk to someone about employment. 

If you have an iPhone or iPad, download an app called: magic jack. With it you should be able to call for free and start with your cold calling. Most Canadians welcome unsolicited calls and, yes! Edmonton in particular needs a platoon of mechanics at the moment. Good ones!

Animo
(Cheers)


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## TheMopps (Dec 26, 2012)

lmnover said:


> Hi thanks for that
> , what did you do - just start googling companies in the area you want to settle in ?Then just call them up and ask to speak to hr person? What was the reception like from companies ? Did ya get many fob offs from them?
> 
> Did you do it on behalf of your husband or did he make the calls? The thought of cold Calling - gives me a cold sweat but at same time we are willing to do whatever it takes to get sorted over there .
> ...


Essentially we used google.ca to search for large dealerships in the areas we are interested in (For us its New Brunswick or Nova Scotia as it seems to offer us the quieter type of life we are looking for and puts property prices in a much more accessible range). Most large dealers have email addresses for the management personnel in the contacts page so we constructed a covering email and attached his CV and hit send! 

He called a couple of main dealers - explained that he was after some advice on working in Canada and whether employers would entertain him being a forgein migrant (So far everyone we have spoken to in Canada has been incredibly helpful) and from there one has said that as soon as we are ready to go then ring him back and he'll sort out a job! 

So at this stage from cold calling and emailing we have 2 potential job offers and employers willing to do the LMO - I've been plugging away at it for about 3 weeks though and most don't reply.

The other option is to speak to a few automotive recruitment companies - get some feedback from them if they have any employers on their books who are willing to support migrant applicants 

Lots of this :ranger: some of this  and a bit of this :frusty: but hopefully this time next year we will be packing up our lives and starting to organise the final details of the move!


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## lmnover (Nov 25, 2012)

TheMopps said:


> Essentially we used google.ca to search for large dealerships in the areas we are interested in (For us its New Brunswick or Nova Scotia as it seems to offer us the quieter type of life we are looking for and puts property prices in a much more accessible range). Most large dealers have email addresses for the management personnel in the contacts page so we constructed a covering email and attached his CV and hit send!
> 
> He called a couple of main dealers - explained that he was after some advice on working in Canada and whether employers would entertain him being a forgein migrant (So far everyone we have spoken to in Canada has been incredibly helpful) and from there one has said that as soon as we are ready to go then ring him back and he'll sort out a job!
> 
> ...


ha ha - i guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it! (Its the wife here (as im sometimes called!, my husband was using my account to find out info yesterday)

well we have an action plan from tomorrow thanks to you and the other replies on this thread!, I will research places and hubbie going to start calling people - all they can say is no but we might just find out valuable info as to who to call.

We want to go within the next 6 months or so - we are both working here in ireland but have a huge mortgage and expenses so the longer we stay here - the more we eat into our savings. time to make a new start in a country that hard work might be rewarded in! lane:

Do you have any kids? will you be working yourself when you get over or whats your plan?

exciting and equally terrifying times ahead!!


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## TheMopps (Dec 26, 2012)

lmnover said:


> ha ha - i guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it! (Its the wife here (as im sometimes called!, my husband was using my account to find out info yesterday)
> 
> well we have an action plan from tomorrow thanks to you and the other replies on this thread!, I will research places and hubbie going to start calling people - all they can say is no but we might just find out valuable info as to who to call.
> 
> ...


Good luck!! We've found everyone really helpful and more than happy to offer advice or other potential contacts 

Yes, we have a 3 year old (going on 13 I'm sure!) I'll continue to be a stay at home Mum until he goes off to school and then I'll start looking for work myself (hoping by that time we will be fully fledge Canadian citizens!) 

I know what you mean about the longer you're over here for the more you see your money disappear! We have HUGE outgoings every month between the house and the utility bills (our Council tax is nearly 3k a year ) so we are going to downsize for the next 12 months (all being well and going to plan) so we can scrape together as much as possible - the savings we have wont go very far if we stay in this house!


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

TheMopps said:


> Yes, we have a 3 year old (going on 13 I'm sure!) I'll continue to be a stay at home Mum until he goes off to school and then I'll start looking for work myself (hoping by that time we will be fully fledge Canadian citizens!)


If your child is 3 now, and you are looking to move to Canada in 2014, there is no way you will be Canadian citizens by the time he goes to school.


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## TheMopps (Dec 26, 2012)

Liam(at)Large said:


> If your child is 3 now, and you are looking to move to Canada in 2014, there is no way you will be Canadian citizens by the time he goes to school.


Thank you for such a throrough and profound post


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

TheMopps said:


> Thank you for such a throrough and profound post


Sorry, did you need me to actually write out the simple arithmetic your grade 3 teacher was obviously unable to teach you? Pass me the crayons and the extra large ruled paper and I'll try to go n-i-c-e a-n-d s-l-o-w for you...  EAD


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## TheMopps (Dec 26, 2012)

Liam(at)Large said:


> Sorry, did you need me to actually write out the simple arithmetic your grade 3 teacher was obviously unable to teach you? Pass me the crayons and the extra large ruled paper and I'll try to go n-i-c-e a-n-d s-l-o-w for you...  EAD


My maths is fine thank you for your concern, your ability to read and digest might need a bit of work as does your ability to correspond with people in a grown up manner 

:focus:


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## alberta2013 (May 30, 2013)

Alberta has many jobs for skilled mechanics. The town of Drayton Valley Alberta has many companies in need of these type of skilled workers the problem for the companies is the same as yours! How to make the connection with people? The recruiting and head hunting companies seem to be the way but as a perspective employer it does not give you a great feeling.


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