RBC poll says many Canadian immigrants feel their current work is a “step down”

Almost half (49%) of newcomers who have been in Canada for one year or less feel underemployed, according to a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) poll released last summer.

Even after six to 10 years in Canada, a third (32%) of newcomers continue to feel that their current job is at a lower skill level than they had, or would have had, in their country of origin.

According to the poll, a majority of newcomers (52%) measure success based on their career, which includes having a good-paying job in their field of expertise.

“Once newcomers get past some of the career challenges they face when they move to Canada, they make a tremendous contribution to the country’s productivity and diversity,” said Camon Mak, RBC director of multicultural markets.

“Canada is built on immigration; new skills and resources continue to be key drivers of our country’s global success. It’s important that we help newcomers get settled quickly both into their new home and their new careers.”

Despite the importance of landing a dream job, only 42% of immigrants indicated that they sought out information about career options in Canada before deciding to move. Twenty-nine per cent searched for information to determine whether there was a demand for their career experience; 24% researched whether or not they would need to be recertified to meet Canadian standards.

However, while they may not have their “dream job,” only 12% feel locked in a job that may not lead to their desired occupation.

When polled, newcomers provided the following career advice:
- be prepared to wait for your dream job;
- determine if you need to be retrained or meet certification requirements; and
- find out if there is a demand for your skill set.

Mak offers the following three tips to help newcomers succeed in Canada:

Do your research: determine what you need ahead of time. RBC, for one, offers newcomers advice and provides them with tools to assist with the moving process including resumé writing and job-hunting tips. This may mean the difference between securing a good job in your field of expertise or working in an unrelated field in order to make ends meet.

Seek out learning opportunities:  there are many seminars for newcomers, such as the 7 Success Secrets for Canadian Immigrants www.prepareforcanada.com, that offer great opportunities to gain invaluable advice, network and meet other newcomers.

Set a budget and track your spending: take advantage of online banking tools to help set your budget and manage your monthly spending when you arrive in Canada. For example, myFinanceTracker www.rbcroyalbank.com/myfinancetracker automatically
categorizes transactions, tracks expenses and provides advanced budgeting capabilities for all your personal banking and credit card accounts.

RBC supports newcomers by providing them with resources and tools that make the transition to a new country seamless. www.rbc.com/canada