shinarambo1:

The job situation in Canada is almost same as UK. Only diference is that there're more vacancies for minimum wage jobs in Canada than in the UK; hence competition for minimum wage job is not fierce. However; for any job that pays well above minimum wage, it's same as the UK. There's tough competition except you are in some highly demanded careers in the health sector. In summary, there are also many professionals in Canada working cheap labour jobs just like in the UK.

Therefore in other words you will advice me to go for a nursing course as against the electrical engineering? I need honest advice let's put passion aside once the money/job security is sure then the passion follows .... I need a very honest advice

Teddywhiz1:
Therefore in other words you will advice me to go for a nursing course as against the electrical engineering? I need honest advice let's put passion aside once the money/job security is sure then the passion follows .... I need a very honest advice

I would advise that you go for whatever you love doing. A good career investigation would help you with that. I am an electrical engineer working in power systems, and i consider myself extremely lucky, and I am grateful to God for His favour. Maybe you might be a good nurse...you never can tell. If you feel you would enjoy nursing, then go for it but not after conducting a career investigation.

dogice:


Bro, I totally and honestly agree with you on this because technically speaking, Canada is in recession as we speak. I worked in Alberta for 2 years before moving to Ontario last year. But guess what, Ontario is not doing too bad AT ALL. There are jobs here and I am talking about professional jobs in Engineering and IT. I can confidently say there are professional jobs in Ontario. For example, I convinced my friend in Civil to move from Edmonton to Toronto just 3 months ago and bro, he got at least 3 job offers with numerous interview. Now he has a job in his field. Same thing for me. I started my M.Sc at The U of Toronto in Sept because of the Oil crash but I was able to get a full time professional job and I switched schooling to part time plus work full time now.

One reason is due to the relatively weaker Canadian dollar against the US dollar nowadays, Manufacturing Automotive companies in the US are doing more of their manufacturing here in Canada because they would save more especially when we talk about millions of dollars worth of project, and as Canada is the largest trading partner (country) the US has when you combine import and export. Just like my company, we have a plant in Michigan and most of the job is done in the GTA these days.

But yeah, just like you said, no job is in high demand like the health sector even when the economy is booming.

Thanks for the reply. Civil Engineering seems to be doing well compared to other engineering discipline. If I was to do it again, I would most likely go the Civil route. its quite hard to find an unemployed Civil Engineer even in Nigeria or the UK. There skills are easily tranferrable. I have met a few Civil Engineers working for consulting firms in Sask, and they originally moved here
from Ontario. Why they moved, I do not know, but I am guessing too much competition might be driving down wages in Ontario. I believe Ontario has one of the lowest wages in the country. I have heard of some highlh skilles health profession even making up to $15 less an hour compared to their colleauges in some other provinces.

I do not dispute the fact that there are professional jobs. What i meant is that professional jobs in Canada are just as competitive as it is in the UK. I worked and lived in both countries. Unlike your friend, alot of engineers in Alberta and Sask cannot easily pack their bags, families, investment e.t.c and move all the way to Ontario...Even If they do, the engineering job market in ontario would quickly become more competitive due to oversaturation. Some of the skills and experienced gained in the oil sands are not also easily transferrable to Ontario's manufacturing industry. Let us also be hopeful that the orangatuan elected in the US does not tear apart the NAFTA agreenent. If he carries out his threat, it would create a huge loss of jobs in the Canadian auto industry.

thanks for your feed back, i am applying for an open work permit as an accompanying spouse but from the website there isnt much info on processing time. Thanks again

dogice:


Hello,

Yes, tell him to put in his application ASAP, I believe the processing time from Nigeria is 17 weeks as per http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/index.asp . Though based on what I have seen on this forum, it might take longer but at the end of the day, worst case scenario is to defer your admission if you get your visa and you can't make it for May. Just try and keep in touch with your school and if you think time is running out, defer the admission if possible.

So for your own case, I'm just wondering, are you trying to apply for an open Work Permit from Nigeria? and what type of open work permit? I am kinda confused. Let me know.

Btw, I'm not that experienced with Canadian Immigration from Nigeria these days as I did mine almost 10 years ago from this same forum. Thanks to guys like Justwise, Delta007, Fidelo etc and I am still very grateful(They were the legends back then). So I believe a lot must have changed by now. But if it has to do with surviving in Canada/US like schooling, jobs, hustling professional development, paper renewal, PR etc; I'd be happy to add my 10 cents here based on my little experience.

dogice:


Bro, I totally and honestly agree with you on this because technically speaking, Canada is in recession as we speak. I worked in Alberta for 2 years before moving to Ontario last year. But guess what, Ontario is not doing too bad AT ALL. There are jobs here and I am talking about professional jobs in Engineering and IT. I can confidently say there are professional jobs in Ontario. For example, I convinced my friend in Civil to move from Edmonton to Toronto just 3 months ago and bro, he got at least 3 job offers with numerous interview. Now he has a job in his field. Same thing for me. I started my M.Sc at The U of Toronto in Sept because of the Oil crash but I was able to get a full time professional job and I switched schooling to part time plus work full time now.

One reason is due to the relatively weaker Canadian dollar against the US dollar nowadays, Manufacturing Automotive companies in the US are doing more of their manufacturing here in Canada because they would save more especially when we talk about millions of dollars worth of project, and as Canada is the largest trading partner (country) the US has when you combine import and export. Just like my company, we have a plant in Michigan and most of the job is done in the GTA these days.

But yeah, just like you said, no job is in high demand like the health sector even when the economy is booming.

please what is the job prospect for Embedded system development in Ontario?

Aboutmyhair05:
thanks for your feed back, i am applying for an open work permit as an accompanying spouse but from the website there isnt much info on processing time. Thanks again

Oh I understand now, I think you should just go ahead and apply as long as you have all the necessary document. Work Permit might take a longer time to process but who knows. Plus if they approve his visa before yours, you can always join him later whenever you get yours.

thanks Dogice. fingers crossed

dogice:


Oh I understand now, I think you should just go ahead and apply as long as you have all the necessary document. Work Permit might take a longer time to process but who knows. Plus if they approve his visa before yours, you can always join him later whenever you get yours.

burrytee:


please what is the job prospect for Embedded system development in Ontario?

Hello, if you have decent amount of experience in C/C++, embedded system with an RTOS, and you know all those Debugging jargons of a thing. You will be fine as per jobs. But one thing for sure that I know is that the trick to IT in US and Canada is Certifications, Certifications and Certifications. Do not be embroiled in this Masters and PhD of a thing if you're into IT. Certification is the way to go. They look good on your resume.

shinarambo1:

I would advise that you go for whatever you love doing. A good career investigation would help you with that. I am an electrical engineer working in power systems, and i consider myself extremely lucky, and I am grateful to God for His favour. Maybe you might be a good nurse...you never can tell. If you feel you would enjoy nursing, then go for it but not after conducting a career investigation.

Bro, drop me your email I need to discuss something more personal with you

Thanks

Teddywhiz1:

Bro, drop me your email I need to discuss something more personal with you

Thanks

if its career or travel related...we can discuss it here, so that others can contribute and also learn as well.

This is exactly the reply I got from my university career advisory team

"95% of our engineering graduates get jobs. The faculty of engineering is competitive because of such high job placement rate. The faculty offers co-op programs where you can work and study during your degree. I’m not sure who is advising you, but engineering is a great field to go into."

I don't know thru this is

Teddywhiz1:
This is exactly the reply I got from my university career advisory team

"95% of our engineering graduates get jobs. The faculty of engineering is competitive because of such high job placement rate. The faculty offers co-op programs where you can work and study during your degree. I’m not sure who is advising you, but engineering is a great field to go into."

I don't know thru this is

Ofcourse engineering is a great field to go into, but i would take whatever the school tells you with a grain of salt. Colleges and universities are in competition with each other and would most times manipulate employment surveys to look favourable to students (customers).

You should carry out yout own research by visiting job sites and the likes to have a real feel of the market. Out of that 95% stated, endevour to find out how many of those jobs are actually engineering. We have 4 engineering coop students at my place of work. One of them told me that their uni painted a rosy picture of securing work term placement for over 90% of their class consistently for the last 10 years, but for the last couple of years..less than half of the class have only been able to secure coop terms.

In my own opinion, I would rather read reviews on the teaching and research quality of a uni/college rather than their grad employment surveys. Good schools don't need to blow their own trumpet.

J

Pillarofire:



Please could you help me out? I am heading to Castlegar next month for Jan 2017 intake at Selkirk College and I need accommodation. Your cousin could also be of help. Thanks

. Hello nice to meet u here please can u send me your email. I have questions to ask about selkirk college please so urgent

Pillarofire:


@Lamama, Please am coming to Selkirk College next month for Jan 2017 Session and I need an accommodation. Kindly help out

. Please I need ur email for urgent questions

J

Pillarofire:



Please could you help me out? I am heading to Castlegar next month for Jan 2017 intake at Selkirk College and I need accommodation. Your cousin could also be of help. Thanks

. Hello nice to meet u here please can u send me your email. I have questions to ask about selkirk college please so urgent

I'm going for my masters in software engineering and intelligent systems at the university of Alberta this year. Please I would like to know the job opportunities for me after I'm through. Thanks @ dogice

I'm going for my masters in software engineering and intelligent systems at the university of Alberta this year. Please I would like to know the job opportunities for me after I'm through, and also the range of pay. Thanks @ dogice

@ shinarambo1 and @ dogice

which province do you think have more opportunities for a structural engineer (concrete structures )?

between this major provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec )

From your experience in engineering field in CA, do you think employers consider school reputation as a factor (among other things) in jobs?

and if so, can you please list some schools that are reputable in their engineering program.

Thanks in advance.

maestro09:
I'm going for my masters in software engineering and intelligent systems at the university of Alberta this year. Please I would like to know the job opportunities for me after I'm through. Thanks @ dogice

Wassup bro,

I am not quite sure if you went through my previous posts but I'd go again. If you're in the IT field and I believe you did your undergrad in Nigeria (not sure), you need certifications, certifications, certifications and IT work experience. I know it's kinda cliche but it is what it is.

Don't get me wrong, Masters is a good thing but I would also advise you that when you start your Masters program, polish your resume with some certifications and try to find IT coop jobs or summer internships if possible. That is the trick to getting a job in IT especially in Canada and US.

iamlimitless:
@ shinarambo1 and @ dogice

which province do you think have more opportunities for a structural engineer (concrete structures )?

between this major provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec )

From your experience in engineering field in CA, do you think employers consider school reputation as a factor (among other things) in jobs?

and if so, can you please list some schools that are reputable in their engineering program.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

It depends on the economic situation of the province at the moment. Alberta aint doing that well at the moment. I would say BC and Ontario should be good for Structural Engineering right now. Quebec is pretty much a French province and you'd need to speak fluent French to work there only if you live in Montreal which is Bi-lingual. If you go to Quebec city, Laval, Sherbrooke etc it is Bonjour everywhere.

As far as I know in Canada, companies do not care about the Canadian University you graduated from. I can confidently say that about so many companies both big and small. However some companies do give preferences to grad of certain universities for example, Fluor Corporation would go for UNB Alumni easily because a lot of their managers and workers are alumni. So I believe it is usually rare. Like my boss do not care what uni you finished from.

Also, most schools have good engineering programs that would do the job for you to be honest. I did my undergrad at the University of New Brunswick and they have a very good Civil Engineering program and it is relatively cheap and small. University of Toronto on the other hand is considered Canadas best, I can proudly say that but not the best in IT and Electrical programs and definitely not the best in Medicine and Health Sciences. University of Alberta is a top school for Chemical, Petroleum etc. So in short, you can hardly make the wrong choice at the end of the day.

@dogice; Just thought to appreciate you for the selfless job you're doing here. Well done!

dogice:


Wassup bro,

I am not quite sure if you went through my previous posts but I'd go again. If you're in the IT field and I believe you did your undergrad in Nigeria (not sure), you need certifications, certifications, certifications and IT work experience. I know it's kinda cliche but it is what it is.

Don't get me wrong, Masters is a good thing but I would also advise you that when you start your Masters program, polish your resume with some certifications and try to find IT coop jobs or summer internships if possible. That is the trick to getting a job in IT especially in Canada and US.

Thanks a lot. Yes I did my undergrad in mechanical engineering here in Nigeria, that's why I decided to have my masters since I still have a lot to learn as software engineering isn't that related to mechanical engineering. I'll go with your advice of getting co-op jobs during the course of my masters. If you still have any more advice, I wouldn't mind. Thanks once more.

dogice:


As an EIT (Engineer In Training) average salary varies. It could be $40,000 per year to $65,000 per year depending on the company. Big companies like SNC Lavalin, EXP, PLC contractors pays EIT as much as $60,000 per year. It's always difficult to find a job while in school but it's not impossible for sure. You could apply for a Co-Op program though. But after graduation, I can 100% guarantee you as a Civil Engineer, you would get a Civil Engineering job. It might take time and the pay might not be huge at the start but the experience is always critical. Then by the time you become a professional engineer, you'd be golden.

I studied Chemical Engineering (B.Sc.)

You wrote that I can apply for co op program, what if my course doesn't have co op? Can I apply for internship during summer and skip school then?

HarveySpecter1:


You wrote that I can apply for co op program, what if my course doesn't have co op? Can I apply for internship during summer and skip school then?

Most schools and courses offer Co-op programs and a lot of companies hire co-op students. If your school won't let you go for a co-op session, summer internship is another option.

It depends on the structure of your program, if you have the summer off, you won't even need to skip school. You can just go for your internship in the spring and return to school in the Fall.

dogice:


Hi,

It depends on the economic situation of the province at the moment. Alberta aint doing that well at the moment. I would say BC and Ontario should be good for Structural Engineering right now. Quebec is pretty much a French province and you'd need to speak fluent French to work there only if you live in Montreal which is Bi-lingual. If you go to Quebec city, Laval, Sherbrooke etc it is Bonjour everywhere.

As far as I know in Canada, companies do not care about the Canadian University you graduated from. I can confidently say that about so many companies both big and small. However some companies do give preferences to grad of certain universities for example, Fluor Corporation would go for UNB Alumni easily because a lot of their managers and workers are alumni. So I believe it is usually rare. Like my boss do not care what uni you finished from.

Also, most schools have good engineering programs that would do the job for you to be honest. I did my undergrad at the University of New Brunswick and they have a very good Civil Engineering program and it is relatively cheap and small. University of Toronto on the other hand is considered Canadas best, I can proudly say that but not the best in IT and Electrical programs and definitely not the best in Medicine and Health Sciences. University of Alberta is a top school for Chemical, Petroleum etc. So in short, you can hardly make the wrong choice at the end of the day.

Thank you for your input.

Hi...is there anyone in Manitoba Winnipeg?
If yes, can we chat a bit?... I will be in Manitoba by august end.

.

Good day to you all. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I completed my undergraduate degree in 2015 and I'm thinking of going to Canada for my masters.
I have searched the Internet and I'm okay with electrical and computer Engineering at University of Saskatchewan. It was stated on their site that Proof of English proficiency may be required for international students. I haven't taken any of those tests yet and I will like to know if anyone can shed light on that. I contacted the uni through mail on the 15th of this month but I haven't received any response from them.
Please, I will like to know if any student from that uni is here to make my task easier.
Thanks

@deedat205 [/quote]

Nigerian scholars are exempted from English Proficiency Exams as Nigeria is rated an English speaking country since mode of instructions in her institutions is English Language.

More so, deedat205 you can as well search for the thread traveling to Canada part 11 here on nairaland. it'll be of great help.

dogice:


Your grade point should be fine for most schools sir. Yours is roughly 3.5 on a scale of 4 which most schools use. You might also need to write IELTS since you did not school here (not sure about that) and submit your resume and letter of intent which is mandatory for everyone. You also need to provide references. The overall decision is made on these factors. Cost of living depends on the city you live/the kind of lifestyle you live sir.

@dogice,please wat will a cgpa of 4.49 out of 5 be on a Canadian scale?the last two yes of my undergrad was 4.75 and 4.58 .I don't know how to convert it to Canadian scale to know.

chaiks:
@dogice,please wat will a cgpa of 4.49 out of 5 be on a Canadian scale?the last two yes of my undergrad was 4.75 and 4.58 .I don't know how to convert it to Canadian scale to know.

Hello,

Most post secondary institution in Canada go with a scale of 4.00 (I know UToronto is outta 4) but technically speaking, you can convert to any scale you like. In this case, your overall CGPA will be [(4.49/5) x 4] = 3.59.

In order to calculate your last 2 years, it depends on the number of credit you took in each of these years. So assuming you took equal amount of credit courses for those 2 years (say 60 credit courses each), you can just scale down to a scale of 4 using the weighted average.

i.e. [(0.5 x 4.75) + (0.5 x 4.58)] = 4.665
then [(4.665/5) x 4] = 3.73

noblealuu:
@deedat205

Nigerian scholars are exempted from English Proficiency Exams as Nigeria is rated an English speaking country since mode of instructions in her institutions is English Language.

More so, deedat205 you can as well search for the thread traveling to Canada part 11 here on nairaland. it'll be of great help.

They have replied my mail.
Thanks a million. I really appreciate that