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46 International Job Seekers

Are you an international student interested in finding employment while you study? Have you recently graduated from your program and are looking to continue residing in Canada and pursuing your career?

International students’ social and cultural perspectives enrich the post-secondary experiences of learners by promoting the diversification of thought. Furthermore, international students and job seekers benefit the Canadian job market by inspiring a heightened sense of intercultural awareness, open-mindedness, innovation, and global perspectives.

You have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture while also sharing your culture with those around you.

Adjusting to a New Culture

Experiencing Culture Shock

Adjusting to life in a new country with completely different cultural expectations is challenging. Once you add studying and finding work, it’s completely understandable that you may experience feeling overwhelmed, confused, and uncertain, also known as culture shock.

If you are experiencing culture shock, you may experience a range of symptoms, including boredom, homesickness, helplessness, and irritation.

There are four phases of culture shock (Oberg, 1954), and each individual will experience these phases differently, as the process is not linear.

  • Honeymoon: You feel very positive, are satisfied with your decision, and are excited and fascinated by your new surroundings.
  • Frustration: You become anxious or confused because there are so many differences, and you feel as though you lack the understanding to deal with them. It is common to experience feelings of depression or even to withdraw from your surroundings, with the desire to return home where things are familiar.
  • Adjustment: As your surroundings become more comfortable and expectations become clearer, you can manage the changes and solve cultural problems; slowly, you begin to appreciate the differences and incorporate them into your own beliefs. Adapting to a new culture does not mean losing your culture.
  • Acceptance: You can participate in the new culture comfortably and feel a sense of belonging.

As an international student or job seeker, it is essential to understand and adapt to the major differences in the Canadian college system and the Canadian job search process to successfully pursue, maintain, and manage your career and employment success.

Managing Culture Shock

Although it is normal for an international student to experience culture shock, it is integral that you have the appropriate coping strategies to deal with it. To manage your symptoms, consider the following suggestions:

  • Keep in touch with your family and friends back home regularly.
  • Stay connected to your roots by having things in your space that remind you of home.
  • Interact with other international students, share your experiences, and seek their advice.
  • Become familiar with your surroundings, accepting the common norms and behaviours.
  • Connect to the culture, make new friends, and participate in Canadian cultural activities.
  • Take care of your health by properly eating, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
  • Be patient with yourself, it will take some time to adjust.

SERVICE SHOUT-OUT!

For support in managing your cultural adjustment, reach out to:

Canadian Job-Search Expectations

Across cultures, there are considerable value-based differences concerning an employer’s expectations. Without understanding these values, differing behaviours, and cultural norms, you may find it confusing when interacting with employers in the Canadian job market. Different workplaces, like countries, have different cultural norms and can vary from job to job. Explore the following concepts and recognize how these will impact you through the Canadian job search process.

Soft Skills

In addition to having a well-developed set of technical skills required to perform your job effectively, Canadian employers are looking more favourably at employees who can demonstrate a range of soft skills. Soft skills are skills developed across your diverse life experiences, including communication, problem-solving, leadership, a positive attitude, adaptability, and teamwork. When an individual can effectively describe concrete examples of how they have demonstrated various soft skills through past experiences, an employer will see the candidate as more valuable and a greater long-term asset to the company.

Career Planning

In cultures where a job is assigned to you, it is assumed that you will take it; there is less emphasis placed on identifying your career goals as your career is often decided for you. In Canadian culture, you are expected to take ownership of your career decision-making and demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness toward your short and long-term career goals.

Job Search

In some cultures, job searching may rely more on your school, government, or family to assist you in finding work. You may identify with this scenario from your past experiences and feel the responsibility falls more heavily on the people assisting you. As detailed in Unit 4, an effective job search in Canada means that you need to use a diverse variety of methods to find employment, including but not limited to networking, online job boards, and accessing help through the Talent Hub Career Centre.

In Canadian culture, the job search process is very independent; you are responsible for your own efforts and successes in finding a job.

Resume and Cover Letter

There are some significant differences in the information presented on resumes in Canada. Read chapters 10-16 and consider the following suggestions when developing your resume:

  • Do NOT include personal information such as nationality, marital status, gender, date of birth, religion, social insurance number, visa status, or a photo of yourself.
  • Include your Canadian residence address (you do not need to list your international permanent address).
  • Personalize your resume to reflect soft skills and accomplishments from paid and unpaid experiences; do NOT just provide a chronological account of your work experience.
  • Include your international experience and education if they relate to your desired job positions.
  • Emphasize any other languages that you speak in addition to English.
  • Do NOT include primary-level education on your resume; secondary and post-secondary are appropriate depending on their relevance to the job.
  • Do NOT display your education in a chart format – write out the titles of your diplomas and degrees.
  • Do NOT copy a resume from the internet or a friend or put false information on a resume – employers will question you about your experiences, so you need to be truthful.
  • Include a customized cover letter, even if it is not requested.
  • Have your documents triple-checked for language.

Interview and Workplace Expectations

During the interview process, a hiring committee evaluates you based on several factors. These factors typically include body language, attitude, behaviours, communication skills, visual presentation, and the content and articulation of your answers. Embracing Canadian cultural values and developing intercultural skills will help you to navigate the interview process better and adapt to the Canadian workplace. Consider the following ideas as a way to manage your own expectations and prepare yourself for success:

Click on each heading for more details.

 

Dress code, scent, and hygiene
    • You must follow the appropriate dress code when preparing for an interview or starting a new job.
    • Please refer to Chapter 42 to learn more about appropriate attire, and don’t be afraid to ask about the dress code before starting a job.
    • Many workplaces have instituted a scent-free policy, meaning you should not wear perfumes or strong-smelling products.
    • In a professional environment, you are expected to maintain your personal hygiene by regularly showering, wearing deodorant, grooming, wearing clean clothes, and having fresh breath.

 

Punctuality
    • Being on time is a sign of respect in Canadian culture.
    • By arriving 5-15 minutes early, you show an employer or individual that you understand their time is valuable.
    • Remember that timeliness is more than just arriving early to work or a meeting; it’s adapting to the pace at which you are expected to perform your tasks. This often varies by sector and organization and is something you will learn on the job.

 

Personal space, touch, and privacy
    • Personal space is important to Canadians and refers to the distance between you and another person when interacting. Keeping an arm’s length of space is seen as respectful; pay attention to what another person’s body language is telling you.
    • In some cultures, touching another person’s arm or holding hands in a public space may be appropriate. Canadians may feel comfortable shaking hands at the onset of a meeting but don’t usually touch while speaking to one another, especially in a business setting.
    • Typically, Canadians are more private and less likely to talk about personal matters like family, income, or religion until they get to know you.
    • Furthermore, respecting privacy in the workplace means discussing problems or concerns behind closed doors.

 

Making eye contact and asking questions
    • Many other cultures interpret eye contact and directness of responses with their superiors as disrespectful.
    • In Canada, eye contact and directness typically translate into honesty, interest, and engagement and should be practised when interacting with all levels of individuals.
    • At the end of a job interview, the selection committee will expect you to have open-ended questions about the position and/or company. Where you may feel this is imposing or rude, an employer will be impressed by well-thought-out questions and associate that with your interest in the company.

 

Self-marketing
    • In Canadian culture, you are expected to take a more direct and confident approach to openly highlighting your own strengths and accomplishments. Although this approach may make you feel like you are being boastful or bragging, it’s seen as a needed strategy to sell your skills in a competitive job market.
    • Similarly, you are expected to take the initiative to follow up with an employer; you may feel this is impolite, but it’s seen as being responsible and could set you apart from other candidates.

 

Informality
    • In other cultures, it may be considered inappropriate to sit with people who are considered to be of higher status than you. Questions or the informal exchange of information can be seen as disrespectful to the person’s position.
    • In Canadian culture, talking openly in an interview environment is encouraged. In this setting, you are expected to interact with your interviewer and share information.
    • In an initial meeting, you may address a supervisor or manager more formally by using Mr. or Ms. before their name. This is respectful; however, once a relationship has been established, they may ask you to use their first name to address them. Avoid calling them by their title, as they want to be seen as working with their teams and not above them.

 

Equality, power, and curiosity
    • The Canadian workplace represents a wide degree of diversity; individual characteristics are not supposed to affect hiring processes or on-the-job treatment. Therefore, respect is shown across race, gender, age, and position within the company.
    • Diversity in the workplace also stimulates curiosity among coworkers; respond patiently when people ask you about your culture, and don’t assume they are ill-intentioned.
    • Canadians generally accept differences and show interest in learning about another person’s culture.

 

Professional References
    • If you lack Canadian experience, you likely lack Canadian references.
    • If you have references you can provide from your experience in your home country, feel free to offer them as long as they can communicate in English and can be contacted. When references reside out of the country, it may be helpful to provide email addresses as a more convenient way to contact them.
    • If you are looking to gain Canadian references quickly, consider volunteering.

 

Gain Canadian experience and get involved
    • Obtaining Canadian experience shows an employer that you can acclimate to the local employment market.
    • Including Canadian experience on your resume will make you more competitive in the job market.
    • Although a part-time job may offer you many benefits, experience can also be gained through summer jobs, volunteering, or joining extracurricular activities on and off campus. Through these experiences, you will learn more about workplace culture, practise your language skills, and build Canadian networks.

 

Understand your work permit and restrictions
    • Not all employers will be familiar with study and work permits, as well as the restrictions you may have on where you are able to work and for how many hours.
    • The more you know and understand about this, the better you will be at explaining this to an employer and the more confident they will feel about hiring you as an international student.
    • Please refer to the Government of Canada website for more information on the laws and regulations concerning studying and working in Canada.

 

SERVICE SHOUT-OUT!

Conestoga International is your home away from home during your time at Conestoga College. They are here to offer whatever support you need to adapt to your studies and life in Canada and connect with the college community and other students.

Job-Search Advice for International Students and Graduates

Job Scams and Safety

    • Always be cautious. Read Chapter 29 to learn about online job search safety.
    • Most importantly, never give or accept money or provide anyone with personal information, such as your social insurance, before starting a job.
    • Be aware that it is not normal to be offered employment without going through an interview process first.
    • If you have concerns about the offer you receive, contact the Talent Hub to discuss this in further detail.
If a job offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

More Tips

Practise and improve your language skills

      • One of the major challenges that arise in improving language skills among non-English speakers is confidence. You may feel less inclined to speak when afraid of making mistakes or being judged.
      • Take any opportunity to practise your language skills, interact with English speakers, learn by watching and listening to English television and radio programs, and rehearse your interview answers.
      • Practising your language skills through mock interviews will help you better articulate what you’d like to say, help you feel more self-assured, and increase your chances of making a better first impression during your interviews.

Use accepted styles of job-search documents

      • Refer to the resources in this book to help you develop job search documents that match the content and formats that are expected among Canadian employers.

Be prepared to address assumptions about hiring international students

      • Employers may be uneducated about hiring international students, leading to common misconceptions.
      • They may feel that the process is too complicated or time-consuming, be concerned with issues surrounding work permits, or fear that an international student is not interested in staying on long-term.
      • Confidently addressing an employer’s concern by providing them with more information and reassuring them of your commitment will help in the decision-making process.

Focus on networking

      • With so many job postings not being advertised, you must increase your visibility in the job market by expanding your personal contacts.
      • As an international student, you may feel that you are at a disadvantage because your network in Canada is small. To build up your connections, volunteer, participate in career fairs and events, connect with the Students’ Association, and conduct informational interviews with employers.

SERVICE SHOUT-OUT!

Contact Conestoga Students Inc. or visit their website for more information on joining clubs.

Showcase your diverse benefits

      • As an international student and job seeker, you bring many benefits to the Canadian job market.
        • Focus on highlighting your unique qualities and market yourself confidently when engaging with your networks and employers.
        • Aside from the transferable skills you acquired from the experience you gained in your home country, you are multilingual, able to see things from different perspectives, sensitive to multicultural environments, and knowledgeable of international markets. On top of all that, you have demonstrated resilience and determination by adapting to and integrating into a new country.

Take advantage of services

      • There will be roadblocks along the way, but you don’t have to go through this process alone; several on-campus services are accessible throughout your studies.
        • Talent Hub Career Services is your greatest resource for receiving one-on-one support for all your career and employment-related needs as a student and a graduate.

Be informed

      • Knowledge is power; ensuring that you are informed and being treated fairly and safely in the workplace is extremely important to your experience here in Canada.
      • For more information, please refer to the following resources:

 

Originally adapted from International Students or Job Seekers, Understanding and Preparing for Cultural Adjustment,  Understanding the Differences in the Canadian Job Search Process, Job Search Tips for International Students and Job Seekers, and Understanding what Canadian Employers are Looking For in Be the Boss of Your Career: A Complete Guide for Students & Grads, copyright © 2021 by Lindsay Bortot and the Employment Support Centre, Algonquin College, which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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Career Guide for Health and Wellness Office Administrative Professionals, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2025 by Ellen Dilgert is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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