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Issues to Consider before Getting Started

How to Prepare for a Trip

Preparing to live in a foreign country will not be an easy task. In general, the time you would take to successfully settle in a new place depends on the amount of research you would have devoted to your trip beforehand. The more research you do in advance, the better and easier your settlement process will be.

First of all, prepare a list of questions that will help you to orient yourself. Start with general questions (such as historical background of your host country, government structure, major religion, social and demographic situation, major industries, climate, etc.), then narrow down to issues that would affect any foreigner traveling to that country (such as cost of medical care, crime statistics in your host city, foreigners' legal rights, immigration regulations, educational and cultural facilities, cultural customs, traditional cuisine, etc.), and finally outline questions that will relate specifically to you (where to work and how to find employment, where to live a city of your choice, transportation or car rental cost, where to eat and buy groceries, what to wear, etc.).

For employment purposes, do not rely on word-of-mouth information. Research relevant laws and regulations of your host country. This information is available online and usually free of charge. The best source is official government websites of your host country. Find out what restrictions will apply to you as a foreigner. Find out what is the main regulatory body for your profession in your host country and read information on their website. For health professionals in Canada and the United States, for example, the regulatory bodies are called Colleges and Boards, respectively (in some cases, Councils). Each province or state will have their own regulations and you MUST be registered and licensed locally (in a particular province or state). For example, for Nurses in Ontario (Canada), you should look for College of Nurses of Ontario. For Medical Laboratory Technologists in Alberta (Canada), you should look for Alberta College of Medical Laboratory Technologists. Follow this principle for other professions.
 

Once you have prepared your list of questions, begin to look for answers. Surf the net for the general information, look for personal contacts and guidance when it comes to specific cultural issues. Nobody will be able to help you better that the locals. If you do not know anybody from the country/city you are planning on going to, go to the respective Embassy or Consulate and talk to people there. Embassies and Consulates often organize cultural functions and events at which you can meet people and ask questions. These events are usually free to attend and can be of great help for establishing contacts and gathering information. In addition, try to watch television programs from the country of interest and pay attention to things that you find unusual or different, eat and cook their traditional meals, take care to learn some history, familiarize yourself with the most famous literary authors and historical figures, watch their movies and do as many other things related to the country as possible. All this will help you adjust to a new environment faster.

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Work Permit Issues

Obtaining Employment Authorization (Work Permit) is a complicated process which varies from country to country.

Work permits are normally obtained with the help of prospective employers from the immigration authorities of the host country (Embassies, High Commissions). This means that you must have a job offer from your prospective employer in order to apply for a work permit. In most countries a work permit is issued to foreign workers to work for a particular employer in a specific location for a particular period of time. If you find another job while being overseas, your new employer will need to arrange for a new employment authorization for you. This can take a few months, in some cases. Make sure that your contract, i.e. your job offer, specifies in writing all the details of your employment authorization (duration, location, etc). Keep in mind, however, that many employers prefer to hire people who already have a work permit or are otherwise legally authorized to work for them (permanent residents, citizens, etc.). If you are a foreign medical doctor from outside of North America, do not hope for obtaining a job offer while being in your home country. More

You can apply for immigration to your country of interest. This option, however, will not be available in all countries. Many countries do not open their doors to foreign immigrants. So make sure that you are well aware of the rules and regulations concerning work visa and immigration in your desired country. If you are accepted as a permanent immigrant to another country, you will be able to change employment as you wish.

If you are going abroad as a spouse/partner, your partner's employer should be able to take care of your employment authorization. Before going abroad, however, make sure you clarify what kind of employment authorization your partners' employer will be able to arrange for you, find out the limitations of your employment authorization. This type of information should be specified in your partners' contract. If it isn't, ask for it to be included in a contract. It may very well be that your partners' prospective employer simply forgot to include this information in the contract. But do consider what will happen, for example, if you and your partner break up while being abroad. Will you be able to stay in the country or will you have to return home? Will you have the right to apply for an extension individually? It is in your best interest to be inquisitive.

For general information on work visa and immigration regulations around the globe, check out this site. Also, visit and study the government websites of your desired country. Information provided on the government sites is usually very extensive. It is also the most reliable information (where do you think lawyers and Embassies get their info from? after all, it is the governments that establish laws).

Remember, lawyers will not be able to help you immigrate, if your profile does not satisfy the conditions set out by the government of your desired country for new immigrants. Lawyers can only help you make the right choices and present yourself in the best possible way. For example, you are a programmer and a database analyst, so which designation will you choose when filling out your immigration application form? Clearly, you want to choose a designation that will give your the most advantage. But how do you know which one is the best? In order to find out this and similar type of information, do your own research. Study immigration regulations of your desired country carefully (you should have no trouble finding a list of preferred professions). This type of information is usually easily accessible. Visit as many related government websites as possible and browse through websites of law firms, they often provide a lot of general information. A couple of months of home work and internet time can save you hundreds of dollars in legal fees.

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Links to Related Government Websites

Going to Canada
Here you will find all the information you need to know about how to come to Canada, whether it is for study, for temporary work/residence or for permanent immigration. This site is developed by the Canadian government specifically for potential newcomers to Canada. You will also find resources on language training, types of government assistance available for newcomers, where to study and how to apply to a Canadian university, and much more.

Going to the United States
A list of U.S. employment-based visas with basic explanations provided by the United Stated Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Visa Services.

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What You Need to Know before the Interview

To find employment in the United States or Canada, you need to have a well written resume and a cover letter. As in virtually all countries, you should also expect to participate in a job interview. In this section, you will find information on how to write a resume and cover letter which will help you find successful employment in Canada and the United States. You will also find information on what to know about a job interview and how to prepare for it.

Traditional Resume

Writing a resume is often a difficult task for many Canadians and Americans. As a foreigner, you are facing even a greater challenge. For a foreign person, writing a winning resume is a greater challenge, because it is inherently dependent on cultural awareness and familiarity with the system.

As a general guideline, remember that processes involved in hiring staff are generally more structured in the United States and Canada than in other countries. Let us review some basic rules.

You can write a chronological resume, arranging your experience and education in chronological order. You can create a functional resume, targeting a particular position and including only relevant experience in the priority order, or you can write a resume which would incorporate both models (a combined resume).

Resume can be of different length and format. In the States, a one-page resume is very common. In Canada, a two-page or even longer resumes seem to gain preference. It is not recommended, however, to include more than four pages in your resume. Your potential employers will not have the time to read it! When formatting your resume, try to arrange information on each page so that you fill the entire page. A page and a half does not look professional.

First, start by creating a generic resume. Include all your experience and education in chronological order. Then, under each entry of your work experience, outline the duties you were responsible for, focusing on the results/achievements. It is not enough to say that, for example, you were a Sales Manager at GAP responsible for managing staff and promoting sales. You would make a better impression, if you say that you managed a team of 15 people and achieved an increase of 25% in sales in one year, for example. At the end, you might want to include information about your personal skills, with or without a special heading. Having done that, go back to the beginning and prepare a summary of your primary experience and skills. If you wish, you can include this summary under the heading 'Highlights of Qualifications'. You should now have a generic resume.

The next step is to determine your objective, that is, what kind of job you would like to get. The objective is usually specified after the address and contact information and prior to any other information. For example, your objective might be finding a challenging position in Technical Training with an established high-tech company in Canada. Having determined your objective, you are now ready to create a functional resume.

In a functional resume, you would want to include only those of your skills and experience that most directly relate to your objective. Other experience can be included under "Other Experience" section, or you might want to just write a couple of sentences at the very end of your resume and italicize them. Some people prefer not to mention unrelated experience at all. If you choose to do that, make sure to explain any possible time gaps in your experience. Add a sentence similar to this one: Other experience includes positions in Sales (1999-2000) and Tutoring (2000).

Overall, there is no one correct way of how to write a resume. So don't worry and be creative. The only common requirement that applies to all resumes is that they should not have any spelling or grammatical errors and they should have a pleasant visual representation. You can use "Bold" and "Italics" when necessary, but do not overuse these features. Make your resume is pleasant to look at and easy to read.

Keep in mind that in the United States and Canada it is not required to specify such information as your date and place of birth, marital status, family status, nationality, etc. It is counterproductive to include this type of information in your resume. If you are looking for a job abroad, the most important thing to specify is your legal status in relation to your desired country (your current citizenship, student visa, etc.). In many cases, employers will arrange work permit for you, once they have decided to hire you.

If you are looking for a government job in a country of your residence, specify whether or not you have a citizenship status in this country. Having a citizenship status is one of the major requirements for many government positions in the U.S. and Canada.
 

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Cover Letter

Always include a cover letter with a traditional resume. A cover letter should clearly state what position you are applying for, it should not be longer than two paragraphs, and it should contain an executive summary of your resume. You should also mention whether or not you are willing to relocate. Overall, give potential employers or recruiters enough minimum information to work with, but do not use more than 10-12 sentences.

A cover letter should begin with a greeting line, before the main body of the text. For example, "Dear Mr. Smith:" or "Dear Ms. Brown:" would be the most typical greetings. If you do not know the name of the person, you might want to use their job title. For example, "Dear Hiring Manager:" It is not recommended to use such old-fashioned expressions as "Dear Sirs:", as they are indicative of a male-oriented approach. Make sure to use CAPITAL letters for position titles.

The concluding sentence of a typical cover letter is usually a thank-you phrase followed by a traditional "I look forward to hearing from you". In the end, do not forget to include the "Sincerely yours", your full name and signature (if sending a fax). Do not ask for a quick reply.

Your name, address and contact information should be included in the very beginning of your resume and your cover letter.

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How You Should Prepare for a Job Interview

First of all, learn as much as you can about the company at which you hope to be working. Visit their website, read the personal profile of the company's CEO (Chief Executive Officer), familiarize yourself with the corporate culture, policies, benefits, etc.

Then, re-read the job description. Try to visualize yourself performing the duties as they are outlined in the job description. Think of possible questions that you might have with respect to the job responsibilities. Write these questions down.

Determine what function the Department or Division at which you would be working fulfils in the overall structure of the company. This should help you get a better understanding of the department's objectives and responsibilities.

Think of possible professional and job-related questions you might be asked. The best way to determine these questions is to imagine yourself as a Hiring Manager. Make a list of as many questions as you can possibly think of and then prepare answers for all of them. If you a recent University graduate, review the notes from those courses which might relate to the responsibilities of the job you are applying for.

Single out those areas in which you have the least knowledge. Go to the library and do some reading or surf the Internet. Professional Associations usually post papers and articles on the recent developments in their fields. These materials could be of great help, if you want to catch up with the newest developments.

At the interview, you will most likely be asked to tell about yourself. For each position you are applying, you will have a slightly different "story". Prepare 5-6 sentences (and write them down!) in which you would describe your skills, qualifications, knowledge, education, etc. that most directly relate to the job your are applying for. In essence, you are "selling" your services and your interviewers are deciding whether to "buy" them or not. It is good to include a few words about your hobbies and interests, be it sports, photography, music, wilderness, or whatever. The fact that you have hobbies would signal to your interviewers that you are a well-rounded social person and will most likely be able to establish friendly and good relations with your co-workers.

We suggest that you remember that although your professional qualifications are of utmost importance, no company will hire you, if you demonstrate poor or inadequate social skills. What does this mean? It means that the representatives of the company responsible for hiring you would want to know, if you would communicate effectively with your peers, respond to criticism, support your team members, etc. Nobody wants to spend 8 hours a day with an anti-social nihilist who makes everybody's life difficult, doesn't shower or asks direct personal questions.

You should be ready to answer questions like "What are your weaknesses?". Although we consider these questions ridiculous, unfortunately, they are very common and you need to be prepared for them. Exercise your creativity and think of one or two of your "weaknesses" that would NOT jeopardize your chances of getting the job. As an example, you can say something similar to the following: "My weakest point is that I find it hard to take risks and prefer to operate within an established environment". This would tell your interviewers that you are a person who likes stability (if that's what necessary for the job), and that would mean that you are most likely to stay on the job, once hired. And that's exactly what they want to hear. Remember, it is troublesome and expensive to arrange for a replacement, so when they hire you, they don't want you to quit.
 

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Job Interview   

Information in the Job Interview section refers to the corporate environment primarily, but can be applicable to hospital and other healthcare settings as well.

Dress Code

Although it becomes more and more popular to wear casual style clothes, it is still a norm to wear dress pants and a tie when attending a job interview. We suggest that you be traditional and dress well. You cannot go wrong by looking professional.

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Arrive on time or even 10-15 minutes earlier. Make sure you know the location of the company and estimate the time it would take you to get there. You will jeopardize your chances - drastically - if you arrive late. If you smoke, do not smoke before the interview. Bring a hard copy of your resume with you. Keep it in a folder. Have a notebook ready so that you can take notes, if necessary. Repeat the names of the people who are going to interview you and when you meet them, address them by their names. If somebody is in the office while you are waiting for the interview, initiate a general conversation with them. Don't worry, they will most likely talk about the weather.

Under no circumstances attempt to find out personal information about your interviewers. In the United States and Canada, the office culture is very reserved and people are very reluctant to speak about their co-workers with somebody they don't know.

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When introducing yourself to your interviewers, offer a handshake yourself, smile friendly and look your interviewers in the eye. Words like "Hello, Mr./Ms. X, I am such and such. Very nice to meet you" are simply obligatory. After you are invited to take a seat, thank your interviewers for inviting you to the interview and for the time they took to participate in it. If they offer you tea or coffee, it is better not to refuse, unless, of course, you have some particular (medical or religious) reasons to do so.

If you want to take notes, it is advisable to ask your interviewers if it's all right with them. It is good to take notes, since it shows that you have a serious approach. But make sure not to confuse an interview with a lecture, don't spend all your time writing, focus on 'communicating' with your prospective employers.

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When answering questions and talking to your interviewers, maintain eye contact and try to address to all of them, taking turns (a typical interview crew usually consists of three people). Do not look away or cast your eyes down. In the United States and Canada (and in many other Western countries), this will be interpreted in a negative way.

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No matter how nervous you are, we suggest that you act confidently. Why? Because it is implied that you are applying for a job for which you have all necessary qualifications. However, do not be overly comfortable on your chair. It is nice to be relaxed, but at the same time a job interview is a very serious meeting, and it is expected that the candidate would be a little nervous. The best way is to be relaxed and yet alert. And always remember that your interviewers are there to decide whether they are going to "marry" you or not. And it is a very important decision. You want to give the best possible impression of yourself.

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After initial introduction, you need to be prepared to answer open-ended questions like "Tell us about yourself". This does not mean that your interviewers want to know your life story. In reality, they are asking you the following: "Tell us why we should hire you". In order to get a high score, re-cite the paragraph you have prepared before hand but make it look natural, take a second to "think" and then start by saying "I guess, the most important thing about me for the purpose of this interview is that I have seven years of similar experience..." or something along these lines. Emphasize those skills that most directly relate to the job requirements. In the end, say a few words about your hobbies and interests.

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We assume that you would do your homework before attending the interview and would be well prepared to answer questions related to your area of expertise. However, if you have just graduated from the University and don't have on-job experience, you might feel less confident about yourself. In that case, we suggest that before coming to the interview, you review your notes from those University courses that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Make sure you understood the question. If you have any doubts, politely ask the interviewer to repeat the question. In case you do not have any answer, do not just say that "you don't know". Take a few seconds to think and try to come up with an answer that would be in some ways related to the subject. If you have absolutely no idea about the topic, then be honest and say that you do not have substantial knowledge of this subject, but you would be eager to read about it and will be able to learn fast. Bringing an example from your experience where you were able to learn new skills in a short period of time will minimize the negative impression. After all, nobody expects you to know everything. To give you an example, a friend of ours applied for a position of a Technical Writer. She was asked if she had had a previous work experience as an Editor. She did not have this experience, but she replied by saying "No, I never worked as an Editor. However, when in graduate school, I wrote papers and prepared conference presentations. I have two articles published in a reputable journal, and I used to assist professors with marking undergraduate students' essays, so I have had a good exposure to it. I am very familiar with this type of work."

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When working, you would be expected to act as a team member. It is a very important concept in the North American corporate culture. Working as a team member means working together with your colleagues toward one common goal. This means sharing with the other team members decisions, responsibilities, and rewards. Supporting your team members means pointing out possible drawbacks of certain approach, suggesting alternative solutions when necessary, and praising their ideas when they deserve it - all in a polite and friendly manner. It is not recommended to voice your opinion in a negative or sarcastic way. You can hurt and offend people, thus creating an unhealthy psychological climate.

During the interview, you want to show your potential employers that you would be a good team player and will be able to get along with people in the office. A person who speaks negatively of others does not usually give a good impression. Therefore, you might want to reserve any negative comments about your former bosses or co-workers (even if some of them were real jerks). Concentrate on good points. But be ready to answer such questions as "What did you NOT like about your last job?". When answering this type of questions, do not criticize anybody from your last place of employment. Think of other things that weren't so great, for example, health benefits for your spouse did not include dental insurance, there weren't too many challenging assignments, etc.

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This is one of the most delicate issues you need to address when preparing for a job interview. Usually, each position is assigned a certain range of salary, for example, a Registered Nurse with an undergraduate degree and no previous job experience can be offered a position with a range of $40-45 thousand of dollars of base salary per year (not including benefits and stock options). A Registered Nurse  with a graduate degree will be offered a higher range, etc. The salary range varies from company to company, as do benefit packages. This type of information is often provided on the companies' web sites. Reading about it in advance will assist you in negotiating with your potential employers.

It is advisable, however, to demonstrate certain flexibility when negotiating your salary during the interview. The best time for financial negotiations comes after you receive a formal job offer from the company.

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Typically, a job interview lasts about an hour. But the longer it lasts the better it is for you! If your interview lasts longer, it means that your potential employers are serious about hiring you. On the contrary, if your meeting with them was surprisingly short, chances are that you will not get this job. Do not despair, this could be due to the fact that they have already decided to hire somebody else and did not have the time to inform you about it before you arrived.

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It is recommended to prepare a list of questions for your potential employers in advance. These may include questions related to relocation assistance, health benefits, insurance, sick leave policies, holidays, etc. Usually, however, the interviewers would tell you about these issues themselves.

Even if everything seems clear to you, it is still recommended that you ask your potential employers questions. Job-related questions would be your best choice in this case.

It is also recommended that at the end of the interview you ask your potential employers when you can contact them to inquire about their decision. This will reassure them that you are truly interested in the position and will liberate you from unpleasant meditation as to whether and when you should call them.

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Next Morning

After the Interview

It is considered a norm in the U.S. and Canada to send a thank-you note to your interviewers on the next day after the interview. This can be done either by regular mail or by e-mail. A thank-you note should not be more than one paragraph long. All you need to do is to thank then for inviting you to the interview and tell them that it was very nice meeting with them in person. If you think that you forgot to mention some important things about yourself, a thank-you note is an opportunity to correct this mistake. Include a couple of sentences in which you would summarize the most important things about yourself from the point of view of your potential employers. Conclude by saying that you look forward to a prospect of working for the company/hospital/organization.

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If you succeed in the job interview and your potential employers decide to hire you, they will send you a written job offer, usually in one week after the interview. Having received a job offer from the company, read it carefully and then decide if you would want to approach the company with a request for a higher salary. You will have two weeks to decide whether you want to accept the job offer as is, negotiate it or reject it. Negotiating your future salary at this stage will not jeopardize your chances of getting a job. The worst that can happen is that the company will notify you that your request cannot be granted and that the initial salary offer cannot be increased.

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Once You Start Working

Once you start working, it is important to remember that for the first 3 to 6 months you will be on a trial period. This means that if your employer is not satisfied with your work as a team member during these 3-6 months, your job contract may be terminated (depends on the conditions of your job offer or agreement with the management).

We recommend that when you start working, you make an effort and take care to adjust to your company's corporate culture. As an example, you can start by familiarizing yourself with your Department's policies and procedures, talk to your team members and learn from them, seek advice from your boss, participate in training, if necessary (many companies provide counseling and cultural support to their foreign employees), go to unofficial meetings, etc. Be social, friendly and active. Doing this will help you adjust to a new environment and begin to feel "at home" much faster than if you choose to orient yourself by the trial and error method.

Tips for Internationally Trained Medical, Nursing, Healthcare, and Biotechnology Professionals (opens a new page)

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