Prepare your file and consult job offers

The section Tools for Job Hunters on Emploi-Québec’s website will help you learn how to write a Québec-style CV and an effective cover letter.

Build your network of contacts

One of the most effective ways to find a job is through networking, which means using your network of acquaintances as a source of information and support. You can start building your network of contacts before you leave for Québec by calling on friends and acquaintances who are already living here.

Networking is the best strategy for finding hidden jobs. Keep in mind that close to 80% of jobs are not listed in newspapers or on the Internet.

Don’t wait until you arrive in Québec to share your profile with potential employers.

Consult job offer sites

Several websites post interesting job offers. Visit these sites regularly, sign up to receive their newsletters (often free) and post your curriculum vitae where possible.

Useful links

• Emploi-Québec
  Obtain information on the job market, consult job offers, register your candidacy; obtain information on community organizations that offer employment assistance and services to individuals
• www.travailimmigrants.com
  Hundreds of resources for job hunters and employers to facilitate job integration for Montrealers of immigrant origin.

Prepare your employment file

To enter the job market, it is essential that you prepare an employment file of your work experience and skills. It is also important to demonstrate your initiative and organizational abilities, as well as your ability to work in a team. This requires putting together a comprehensive file of documents confirming your experience and qualifications.

This file must contain:

• a curriculum vitæ presenting your skills and accomplishments
• original or certified copies of:
  - your diplomas, course transcripts, proof of studies and other educational certificates
  - your certificates of continuing education, training internships or upgrading
  - a description of the duration of the courses and internships you have completed
  - permits to practise your profession or trade and certificates of occupational qualification
  - proof of employment and work experience, job descriptions and letters of recommendation from previous employers
• an Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec, if needed.

Prepare a curriculum vitæ (CV)

The first thing a Québec employer will want to determine is your degree of knowledge and skill. A curriculum vitae (CV) is the document used in Québec to offer services to a prospective employer.

If you already have a CV, you will probably need to adapt it so that it can be understood by individuals who are generally not familiar with the institutions or companies where you acquired your skills.

Québec-style CV

Your curriculum vitae should provide a good summary of your job history. While an original presentation is an asset, a CV should not exceed two pages. In Québec, the description of employment starts by the most recent job.

A cover letter with the CV should highlight the elements that are likely to interest a potential employer. Note that handwritten letters are not customary in Québec.