If you’re a recent arrival to Canada, you’re not alone. According to the 2016 Census numbers, two thirds of population growth in Canada since 2011 came through immigration (that’s over one million new Canadians in five years).

Newcomers to Canada face challenges that established residents don’t: stresses around whether their qualifications will be valid in a new home country, learning a new set of cultural expectations related to work and career, and a lot more.

This list of career and job resources can help get you started in navigating the path to career success in Canada, from assessing your foreign credentials to standards for Canadian resumes.

The Government of Canada
The Canadian Government has a wealth of resources for newcomers to the country, including what is required to work in Canada. This page includes links to information on assessing credentials, English and French language skills, job search resources, and an interactive map that will help you find the immigrant services that are closest to you.

Your local library
Your community library should be among your first stops once you’ve started getting settled in your new home. There you’ll be able to register for a free library card, which will give you access to some incredible resources. While you’ll have access to books, classes, and events in the library, you’ll also have access to incredible digital resources, including online courses that can help you pick up job-related skills. Find your local library here.

Lynda.com
Remember that library card we just mentioned? Many Canadian libraries include online access to Lynda.com’s many courses as part of their offerings. Even if your library doesn’t, it’s worth considering an account. Lynda’s class offerings are top quality. The courses are focused on developing business, software, technology, and creative skills for professional and career development.

Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre
The Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre is based in Vancouver, but features online resources and information that will be helpful to newcomers across the country. Their job search resources include details on researching companies that have a good track record for hiring immigrants, information on internships and mentorships, and how to use social networking to help your job search (and much more).

Settlement.org
Settlement.org focuses mainly on newcomers to Ontario, but includes a lot of information that will be helpful for people in other locations as well. Their employment section includes in depth questions and answers about many facets of working in Canada. Questions they cover include:

Bonus: a quick google search of settlement resources + your city or province will uncover more advice that’s specific to your region.

As you can see, there are many resources out there to help you find success in your Canadian career … including Workopolis! Thousands of new jobs from leading Canadian employers of all sizes are posted on Workopolis every day. To make sure you don’t miss any great opportunities, create a job alert, which will notify you of the latest jobs.

Good luck, and welcome home!