passe:
@Oluwapelumni87

For some personal reasons,I only read and appreciate the contributions of members of the forum. I don't usually get involve on issues personally to avoid unwarranted issues on a faceless forum, I am not someone who who likes to make assumption on people I have not met in person.What works for someone in a particular province in Canada may not work for the best of brains in that particular province. So the idea that Toronto is not a city where one can make it is a total fallacy that can only be made by Nigerians.

If you can make it in Nigeria and Europe, you will make it anywhere in the world.It is all mindset. Please don't allow anyone to tell you that you can't make it in Toronto. If for any reason, you decide to move to another province on your own accord,that is fine by me. I have gotten offers from the same Alberta and refused them,yet I have still survive Toronto till date.We are all products of our imaginations,which sets our limits and otherwise.
I have worked in Financial services in Nigeria,UK and recently in Canada(with Scotia Bank) and still ended up dumping the Financial services job and acquired education on a "Recession Proof field", where I am presently working and also doing my business along side.

If you are business minded,you will make millions of Money out out of nothing In Toronto, based on your ability to see things others don't see.

Please try and PM me........you should be able to start something within the next 6weeks after few days training ,which csn give you financial stability to get your desired job afterwards.

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. -George Bernard Shaw.

@passe Good Morning to you my Brother! Thank you for making an exception and taking the time to send me a positive and encouraging message. I truly appreciate it. I claim my stake and portion in Toronto, as I believe wholeheartedly that the Lord has heard and over-answered my prayers and petitions, in the name of Jesus. Thank you also for allowing me to message you privately and for your kind offer to connect me with something that can give me financial stability. God bless you Sir!

boldinc:
God bless you Blackbuddy for coming through for him... Very kind of you.

I pray you find favor Oluwapelumi87... God bless you too.

@boldinc Amen! Thank you for your well wishes and prayers. God will surely bless you too!

Ekpekus:

I will also counsel you to look into VOLUNTEERING... Speak up with your church/mosque members, that is a good way to start your networking.
Finally, don't look done on any job cos even a minimum wage job can pay your monthly bills. I talk from experience

@Ekpekus Thank you for your advice. I will look into volunteering as you have advised and will share my situation with my Church members.

Blackbuddy:


Hi, I moved to the GTA in June 2015 and settled in Mississauga. I came with my whole family and my wife and I (bankers) started the job hunt also attending the excellent newcomers training with Acess Employment. After 3 months, my wife got several job offers in her field and accepted an offer from a multinational conglomerate which was bought over by America's largest bank and she's doing very well there, even training other new employees now. I got my own break after 6 months as I was focused on finding a job equal or higher than my last position in Nigeria. I got several job offers as well from top banks and finally decided to accept an offer from a top 5 bank in a senior position. A lot of people here who follow Canadavisa forum know my story and I'm a good example of favour and determination.

Don't let anyone tell you that settling in Ontario, Toronto or any big city for that matter was a mistake. There are Nigerians who came before us doing very well and many more will come behind and do just as well. Remember, the battle is fought, won or lost in the mind first of all and then the physical manifestation follows. Sure there may be those who are satisfied with playing in smaller ponds but there are also others who take the plunge and swim in big waters. Abraham left a small, humble beginning for great adversity to claim a big destiny, not the other way round. Same for when Joshua led the chosen into the midst of giants and they prevailed. It's never about the size of the dog going to fight but the size of the fight in the dog. If you decide to go to a smaller city and start over, it's good and fine as it's your journey in life. If you decide to stake your claim here and get your prize as God is doing it for those of us here, that's also fine. You can send me a private message to share some further support and maybe connect you with other successful Nigerians/Canadians on ground here so you learn and gain from them. It wont cost me anything to lift you up, it only glorifies God.

@Blackbuddy Thank you Sir for your words of encouragement, they have really lifted up my spirit. Thank you also for allowing me to send you a private message of which I will do so now. Thank you and God bless you!

yettyopy:


Value village & Tim Hortons are currently recruiting for part time and full time jobs. I think you should check them out.

@yettyopy Thank you for your suggestion. I will surely check them out today.

keni:


Hi Oluwapelumi, as your name suggest, God is with you. I think you should actually explain the background so people that can help will help you, there are a lot of silent readers on this thread. you never know, just share the background a little bit. Am not in Canada but I assume there should be some short courses you can take to land some survival Jobs, wont you like to move from Toronto? how is your network like?

@keni Thank you for taking the time to write me. I decided to locate to Toronto, Ontario (over another city/province) due to my background in Financial Services and my previous experience of working in Financial services in London, UK. To be honest with you, I only know one school friend here but this person will be leaving the country and is no longer opting to stay here anymore. They are helping me to connect with some people as I do not know anyone else here.

impish:
Dear Oluwapelumi,

My heart goes out to you for some reason. I implore you to keep pushing. Look inwards with honesty, and think of ways in which you can improve yourself. Can you get better at your interviewing skills? Can you improve your resume? What free courses can you take online that improve your skill set? Check Coursera and others like it.

The people on here are very helpful, and I think you should take what they are saying with grace and find the positives in all their advice.

May God help you, and I look forward to hearing your testimony very soon!

Mrs. O, mycanadianfling blog

Thank you my Sister. I shall surely testify to the goodness of the Lord! Yes, I accept and take on board what you're saying wholeheartedly. I have looked into Canadian certifications in my field before arriving and had planned to start enrolling on them upon having some sort of an income stream. I will check Coursera as you have suggested and will research to see if there are any free courses I can take in the meantime to build up my skillset to make myself more employable in the Canadian market. You will not believe it but from own personal experience when I was in Europe I never found it challenging to find very good jobs. Therefore, it is strange when someone talks negatively about the job market in Europe, as within my own sphere of knowledge I believe it to be easier to navigate than Canada as in Europe they actually value and recognise one's experience and qualifications.

salford1:

You replied after I called out your hypocrisy..Now you have changed your story to some "imaginary trials" after landing.....you sounds very sketchy i am afraid.

How do you even know i am in a position to help? I do not know you from adam neither am i your guardian angel in Canada, and even if i can help, i am not under any obligation to do so. No one is getting paid on Nairaland to offer advice or give settling tips to new immigrants.

Goodluck once again in your future endeavor.

@salford1 I want you to know that every insult and lie you throw my way you are throwing at God. I really pity you and I really advice you to go and kneel down and ask God to forgive you. You are showing yourself to be really heartless, and a true example of what is wrong with Nigeria. Yes, you are right you are under no obligation to help me, so as you have sown so you shall reap.

salford1:

Concerning the life and death situation...You still havent answered my questions...are you a PR, and did you land with the required settlement fund...?
I dont want to jump into conclusion, and God cannot truly be mocked. If you are a PR...then it seems you are basically stuck in Canada with no settlement funds...after you somehow "misrepresented" yourself to CIC and got away with it...yet you feel very comfortable quoting bible verses...hypocrisy at its worst. lol
Anyway, goodluck in your future endeavours.

@salford1 Thank you for making 2 + 2 = 10! I do not find your question relevant and neither do I find it pertinent for me to answer as (1) are you God?; (2) are you Canadian Immigration?; and (3) you have made it expressly clear your decision to not render any help my way. Consequently, I cannot fathom your fascination with knowing more about my situation. You are in a position to help but have decided to turn the other cheek but feel so empowered to mock me. I will continue to quote bible verses at you or anyone else that feels so embolden to trample on and abuse those in need as I am talking only on the basis of the truth. I suggest you ponder on the following very well: 'The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble' and let your conscious guide you as from what you have displayed you are smelling greatly of the very thing you are so bold to accuse me of. Tell me, as an educated and enlightened person do you think it is possible for me to enter the country without showing proof of funds? I have gone through some trials since entering this country which is not relevant to anyone as I am not looking for sympathy, all asked for was a little assistance from my own community. To conclude, as you do not want to render any assistance my way then I suggest you do yourself a very big favour and stop harassing me.

maternal:


Don't mind him/her. That's why I said give us more info so we can help you better. I suspect this person may have visa issues or some sort of work restriction. Can't even find a minimum wage job in the GTA ? That's suspicious.

@maternal , @ salford1 from the responses I have received from you both so far it is very clear that you are not ready to provide me with any tangible leads or support regarding securing work. I do not have immigration issues, but if it makes you feel better to believe I have immigration issues then please feel free to continue to entertain yourself at my expense. I have applied for call center jobs but have been told that I do not have customer service experience to be qualified to work in the area, despite working in client facing roles abroad. Just because you do not know anyone rejected by Walmart for a job does not mean it does not happen. It does and you can choose to believe it or not. Both of you make a lot of assertions of the system here in Toronto and Canada as a whole, and I wonder if any are actually based on your own personal experience or are you simply spreading fallacies, because I am talking about my own reality to date. To be honest, I was not expecting much as my fellow Nigerians have never really been helpful, rather rude and condensing. I continue to put my hope and confidence in the Lord God Almighty as the Bible says 'It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.' I would caution you to remember that (1) just because your fellow man is in need of assistance does not give you the license to abuse or belittle the person in the name of 'helping' the person; and (2) where you are today is not by your making, or by your own understanding or intelligence but only by the special grace of our Lord. I will end with this 'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.'

TheCongo2:


As a temporary solution, you may also try Labour Ready Mississauga.
Address: 265 Enfield Pl #8, Mississauga, ON L5B 3Y7
Phone: (905) 206-9442

This is how Labour Ready works:
You get up early in the morning, go to the Labour Ready office and sign an attendance sheet.
You will be asked to seat in a room along with other people. Free coffee is provided

Then, different employers (mostly manufactures) would start calling the Labour Ready office requesting for assistance to fill in any type of Labour shortage they are experiencing ( sick employees)
Now, the Labour Ready Office would start sending people to those companies that request assistance.
The person who was the first to sign the attendance sheet at the Labour Ready Office would be sent to the first assignment. (First come First serve)
At the end of the day, when your assignment is over, you would go back to the Labour Ready office to get your pay.
Some employers may want you to return the next day and you may end up staying with them permanently.

As I indicated earlier, this is just a temporary solution you may use in case you have your back against the wall.
If you are single with no kids, why don't you pack your stuffs and get the HELL out of the GTA.

@TheCongo2 Thank you for this information. I was not aware of this. I will investigate and seriously ponder on whether I should move to another province.

salford1:

but that is the truth to be honest. i dont believe thr situation in toronto can be as bad as europe where minimum wage jobs are even hard to come by. I mean in Canada...you can walk into a McD or one of those fastfood and start work a week later. I havent seen any one rejected by walmart for a job. Of course, these would be transition jobs and absolutly necessary if the OP is in a life and death situation.

if he landed with enough settlement fund, then he could atleast avoid some particular jobs till he gets a better transition job.

@maternal , @ salford1 from the responses I have received from you both so far it is very clear that you are not ready to provide me with any tangible leads or support regarding securing work. I do not have immigration issues, but if it makes you feel better to believe I have immigration issues then please feel free to continue to entertain yourself at my expense. I have applied for call center jobs but have been told that I do not have customer service experience to be qualified to work in the area, despite working in client facing roles abroad. Just because you do not know anyone rejected by Walmart for a job does not mean it does not happen. It does and you can choose to believe it or not. Both of you make a lot of assertions of the system here in Toronto and Canada as a whole, and I wonder if any are actually based on your own personal experience or are you simply spreading fallacies, because I am talking about my own reality to date. To be honest, I was not expecting much as my fellow Nigerians have never really been helpful, rather rude and condensing. I continue to put my hope and confidence in the Lord God Almighty as the Bible says 'It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.' I would caution you to remember that (1) just because your fellow man is in need of assistance does not give you the license to abuse or belittle the person in the name of 'helping' the person; and (2) where you are today is not by your making, or by your own understanding or intelligence but only by the special grace of our Lord. I will end with this 'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.'

TheCongo2:


Where in Toronto are you located?

I'm now staying in the GTA (Mississauga) due to the high cost in Toronto.

TheCongo2:


You mean you can't find any sort of work in Toronto ? That would surprise me given that it is extremely easy to find just any type of work through temp agencies. Have you ever try to contact any agency?
Those agencies can give you a temporary assignment in a company or factory that may range from few days to few months. And often time an assignment can turn into full time employment. They are hundreds of those agencies around the GTA.

But as indicated by maternal, you may look into the option of moving of Toronto. I conquer that the GTA is crazy.

@TheCongo2 I am telling the God honest truth when I say that I have not been able to find any sort of work in Toronto. I have registered and met with many recruitment agencies and only 2 of them were prepared to put me forward for 3 roles since May. The employers decided not to proceed as I didn't have 'Canadian experience'. I have applied for work outside my field including retail and hospitality but again have been told I am not qualified to work in these fields.

TheCongo2:


My sister and her husband were doing fine in Whitby, Ontario. They had good jobs and a mortgage. In 2010, they just wake up one morning and decided to sell their home and moved to Calgary.
Now my sister keeps telling everyone that living in Ontario was a complete waste of life and time.

@TheCongo2 thank you for your measured response and two cents worth.

maternal:


I've received it and ignored it. Ask me what you want to ask me here. We're all here to share info and learn.

Thank you!

maternal:


Toronto is fools gold. You fell for it, like ive been telling others here to avoid that place. I know the struggle. You're competing with millions of people for a few job positions , high taxes, high rent, high housing prices, etc. My advice? Pack your stuff and head to Alberta. Job or no job. Figure things out when you get here. But if you tell me more about your background such as education, I can help you more.

Hello, thank you for responding. I have tried to send you a direct message to give you more details. Please let me know if you have received it.

maternal:


Are you asking for money online?

I am NOT asking for money online. I am asking for advice or connections of how I can land a job.

@maternal

I am NOT asking for money online. I am asking for advice or connections of how I can land a job.

Hello,

Sorry if this is not the correct forum to post this.

I moved to Toronto in May 2017 and have been finding it challenging finding any sort of work. It is now a life and death situation and need to find work ASAP.

I am in desperate need of assistance and would appreciate any help that anyone can find it in the hearts to offer.

Thank you in advance for your help and support.