When relocating to Canada, determining the best location for your needs is key. Canada is a vast country, and the demand for certain occupations varies significantly by region or metropolitan area. Depending on your skill set, this should be a key factor for your decision-making regarding where you want to job search and settle down in the country.
Eastern Canada has the most limited economy, with its major industries being fishing and tourism. Most of Quebec’s employers require French-English bilingualism. Western Canada’s major industries include oil and cattle-ranching, although insurance and IT have picked up considerably. British Columbia’s major industries include tourism and logging.
Here are some popular occupations and the best job-hunting locations for them:
1. Finance: Toronto is the financial capital of Canada, so it is no surprise that most large finance companies and banks are located in the city. While most large companies will have branch offices across the country, your best chance for employment is with a head office.
2. Insurance: Toronto, again, is the center of the insurance industry, with most insurance companies having head offices in the surrounding area.
3. Information Technology: Although the IT industry across the world has taken a downturn in the last year or two, Ottawa is still the technological hub of Canada. Deemed the Silicon Valley of the North, most telecommunications and IT companies are headed here or have offices in this area.
4. Medicine: For foreign-trained doctors, practicing medicine in North America is no easy feat. Licensing and certification procedures have traditionally been lengthy and restrictive. However, a shortage of doctors in Canada has resulted in a easing in the restrictions placed on foreign-trained medical practitioners. The shortage is even greater in the northern regions of Canada, and as a result, the Canadian government has taken steps to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to become licensed for these areas.
5. Oil: Canada’s oilfields are located in Western Canada, specifically Alberta. Offshore oil drilling is also abundant in Northern Canada.
6. Mining: Mining jobs are most plentiful in the northern parts of Canada, where natural resources are still untapped. The southern parts of Canada are mostly overdeveloped, and as such do not have much left to mine. Canada is rich with natural resources, which makes mining a viable occupation. However, most mines are operational for only a period of time, which means that when a mine closes, the jobs move.
7. Construction and trades: Canada is a growing country. With much undeveloped land, construction is an industry that, despite economic ups and downs, will remain somewhat active. Housing and condominium development is still hot, and with decreasing numbers of young Canadians entering construction jobs and the trades, the demand for construction and trade workers will continue to increase. Most of the demand in construction remains outside of highly populated areas as urban sprawl continues to increase. British Columbia, Alberta and Southern Ontario are experiencing the majority of the construction boom.
8. Graphic design, multimedia and the Arts: Toronto is the center of the cultural movement in Canada. This includes industries related to design and advertising. Vancouver, another cultural hotspot, is also home to a number of potential employers.
What most newcomers fail to realize when coming to Canada is its sheer geographical size. Especially when relocating from a small country, it can be stunning to discover that it can take almost a week to travel from one Canadian coast to the other. This size results in great diversity among the regions, which impacts lifestyle, industry and population demographics. When planning to relocate to Canada, it is therefore very important to consider your skill set and determine in what area of Canada you are most likely to find a demand for your talents.
