14 minute read
CAREERS AND EDUCATION
HOT JOBS FOR 2020 High demand across multiple sectors presents strong opportunities
There is plenty of good news for Canadians hoping to start the year with a new job, as well as those preparing to enter the Canadian workforce. Randstad Canada has reviewed data from across the country to determine the most in-demand jobs for 2020.
Key trends are holding year over year. Notably, it’s a job seekers market, which means many of the roles we see on the list are challenging for employers to fill. To put it simply, demand exceeds supply. As well, the demand for blue-collar jobs remains high in Canada. Also, the IT sector continues to struggle with finding the workers they need – a global reality not limited to Canada.
There is a growing need for blue-collar workers
This year’s top 10 list includes a range of sectors, however, the increasing need for blue-collar workers stands out.
Four of the 10 roles on the list are blue-collar: truck driver, welder, general labourer and heavy-duty mechanic.
Newcomers who lack the training or qualifications for these roles will find technical courses across the country that will help them achieve the necessary certifications and enter the Canadian workforce quickly.
Demand for professional positions and office & administrative roles remains high
Surprisingly, and for the second consecutive year, demand for retail roles remains high. While the retail industry has faced challenges from automation and online shopping, sales associates and merchandisers for consumer goods are still in demand. Other roles that make the list this year include roles in technology and engineering such as full stack developers and project managers; business development managers – across all sectors and industries; and receptionists – once again, across all sectors and industries.
Most in-demand jobs for 2020 and pay ranges
The following salary ranges should be considered a guide and may vary regionally. Randstad’s salary guide (available online) can provide more information.
To create the list, Randstad Canada’s business analysts reviewed data from clients across the country and analyzed the roles posted in the previous 12 months to identify patterns and hiring trends.
Truck driver $36,650 - $48,600 annual salary Welder $19.60 - $28.50 per hour General labourer $15.20 - $19.30 per hour Heavy duty mechanic $25.20 - $35.70 per hour Sales associate $38,200 - $50,600 annual salary Receptionist $32,300 - $42,600 annual salary Full stack developer $60,600 - $125,200 annual salary Business development manager $93,500 - $164,400 annual salary Project manager in engineering $74,000 - $134,000 annual salary Merchandiser (consumer goods) $57,300 - $97,100 annual salary
Note: For blue-collar roles, as well as and office & administrative support roles (receptionist and sales associate), the salary ranges above correspond to 1st and 5th years of experience.
For engineering, IT and sales and marketing roles (the remaining roles above), salary ranges represent entry level (1–3 years of experience) to senior levels (8–12 years).
Key takeaways
The wide range of sectors and skill levels on this year’s top ten list reflect Canada’s relatively strong economy. Many of these roles require relatively little formal training, while providing good compensation ranges.
While a college or university education is necessary for the engineering, marketing and IT roles on the list, a degree isn’t the only path to good, steady employment in Canada. For immigrants who want to enter the Canadian workforce quickly, or without returning to or enrolling in college or university, sales associate and general labourer roles are worth considering. Patrick Poulin is President, Staffing and InHouse, Randstad Canada, a leader in the HR services industry.
IMPORTANCE OF SOFT SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE Soft skills are as important as your hard skills in achieving success
Soft skills in the workplace are important at every level and everyone can benefit from working on them, from students to newcomers to well-placed professionals. When applying for a job or a promotion, your soft skills are as important as the hard skills i.e., the skill you need to achieve success on the job.
As a newcomer to Canada, you will eventually land a job but getting the position you want or progressing in your career may be an uphill task without the necessary soft skills.
Despite having years of work experience at established organizations, in addition to a high level of education and quality references, many immigrants find it challenging to advance in their careers.
According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, “Immigrants may have made progress reaching the first rung on their career ladder in Canada, but they are getting nowhere near the C-suites.”
CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 1 | 2020 These include skills like communication, the ability to work in a team, adaptability, self-awareness, time management, leadership skills and overall, doing things in a culturally appropriate way.
In LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, 92 per cent of talent acquisition professionals admit that soft skills are equally or more important to hire for than hard skills.
In my two decades of experience as a Career Coach, I have interacted with everyone from newcomers looking for their first job in Canada to those looking to transition to a job more appropriate to their skill set from that first ‘entry-level job’, to mid-level career professionals aiming to climb up the career ladder.
Having worked with everyone from management consultants, occupational therapists, software engineers, CPAs, aerospace engineers and more, I see a higher demand for soft skills in BHASE sectors (Business, Humanities, Health, Arts, Social Science and Education) over the STEM sectors (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The Client Services Manager definitely needs more soft skills compared to the Lab Technician. But in the long run for career progression, it is wise to brush up on your people skills at every given opportunity.
In the workplace, there is need for both the hard i.e., technical skills needed to perform and the soft skills to fit into and progress within the Canadian workplace culture.”
1Communication: It goes without saying that effective communication – both written and verbal skills - is paramount to any job. It involves articulating oneself well, being a good listener and using appropriate body language. Good communication enhances your chances of building relationships with co-workers.
2Teamwork: A company’s success is the result of many people working toward a common goal. Employers look to team players to help build a friendly office culture, which helps retain employees and in turn, attracts top talent.
3Flexibility: The speed of change in The speed of change in workplaces can be very rapid. Consequently, employers need workers who can adapt to industry shifts and changes. Adaptability is an extremely valuable asset to employers.
4Problem solving: Companies rely on problem solvers to navigate unexpected challenges. Problem solving also includes EQ (Emotional Intelligence) – the ability to control and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships.
5Creativity: Creative thinking means being resourceful and finding ways to solve problems with limited resources. Your ability to come up with unique solutions or alternatives can drive innovation and increase efficiency.
6Leadership: Displaying leadership skills helps you gain visibility which can lead to more opportunities for new jobs, promotions or salary raises. One way to do this is to seek opportunities to take on more responsibility and serve teams as much as possible.
Career progression
Getting a job is only the first step. Once you get that start, beyond making a living, you need to focus on how to fit in and progress to senior level positions.
Make it a conscious effort to break current communication barriers, increase job satisfaction, add value to your organization and advance to more fulfilling roles. You can consciously develop soft skills that will help you begin to understand some of these differences and apply your new knowledge. It’s important to understand how your performance will be measured in a Canadian workplace. I believe that these four key actions can hugely help in your advancement at work.
Making an effort to fit in
To get ahead in your career, you must be perceived as being able to fit into the company culture. Fitting in includes having the soft skills to blend in with your colleagues. Sometimes this could also mean being able to socialize after office hours and discuss the latest Leafs game – this is as important as your ability to multitask and deliver the projects on time.
Get out from behind your desk — especially if you’re new to your role. Make it a priority to show up on time for meetings, prioritize time management on team projects; but at the same time, set up lunch dates with colleagues, attend special events and so on with equal adroitness.
Focusing on interpersonal skills
Whether you’re at a board meeting or at a social event, your interactions with colleagues and key influencers will establish a foundation for your future success in your organization. Make it a point to be engaging and genuinely interested in the person you are talking to.
• Become comfortable with small talk. Canadians love to talk about subjects including the weather, the weekend getaway, last night’s game before getting to the main topic. • Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. • Talk in terms of the other person’s interests. And do it sincerely. This makes the other person feel important.
Learning to be assertive
Many people shy away from being assertive at work for fear of offending someone, but that may be an incorrect perception. Assertiveness is often confused with being aggressive. While aggressive behaviour takes the ‘my way or the highway’ approach, assertive behaviour means expressing your thoughts, feelings and needs in a direct, clear, honest and respectful way to others.
Assertiveness requires a combination of hard and soft skills, which is highly valued in the workplace. Aim to be assertive. No matter how new or settled, no matter how big or small your job profile is — interacting in this manner will make your employers see you as a valuable team player.
According to Anna Zhang, a rising PR professional and marketing manger for financial projects who interacts with diverse individuals, and one of the people I had the opportunity to coach, focusing on soft skills helped her be more persuasive. “I learned to accept that asserting my point of view in a cordial, but firm way will help me further my career. Assertiveness is a necessary soft skill and if done properly, there is nothing unseemly about it.”
Executive presence
How do you get promoted into a senior management role? Executive presence requires this combination of soft skills in addition to your hard skills.
To be promoted into leadership positions, being perceived as leadership material is essential. Some of the key elements of executive presence include the ability to project confidence, read an audience or situation well and develop a sense of others’ perspectives.
In addition, the ability to speak with authority, make presentations and poise under pressure, and appearance, all contribute to your executive presence.
Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED!. He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic at unleashyourwow.com.
Tap into all available opportunities
Your post-secondary education is much more than a credential
Your post-secondary experience could be much more than getting a credential. It could include making friends, getting work experience, and obtaining good references. It can also provide you with opportunities to broaden your interests, learn how to research and write, receive support from mentors and get intellectual stimulation to inspire you for a lifetime. Full-time students and, in some cases, parttime students are eligible for many services and opportunities. Don’t deprive yourself. Seek them out, use them and reap the benefits.
The people
There are many people you may meet as you pursue your education. Faculty may become your role models, mentors, referees as well as your teachers. Your classmates may help you; they may become part of your professional network, your friends and even romantic partners. They can help you develop new interests and skills as you influence each other. Staff can help you understand the institution and may become your employer if you work on campus.
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The services
Post-secondary schools offer a variety of services. Counselling can help with personal and learning challenges and is often a good source for information about the other services available on campus and in the community. Career services may help you in getting job ready through resume writing and interview skills development, and some schools invite employers on campus to hire. Most schools provide health services, which may also include access to mental health counselling with shorter wait times than in the community. Other services include free tutoring and writing centres where becoming a better student is the goal. Find out what services are available at your school. Most are free and exist because students need them and it is expected that you will make use of them.
The experiences
If you limit yourself to just going to class, you may miss out on experiences that could be very useful personally and professionally. Participating in student government, either paid or voluntary, is an opportunity to sit on committees, meet others from different fields of study, write position papers, obtain experience in marketing, public speaking and budgeting, and anything else that a student government takes on. There are also events that happen through school which offer you the opportunity to socialize – whether it is a ski trip, a coffee house meeting or listening to a local band.
Work opportunities
Many schools offer work experience as part of their program, which could be an internship, placement or co-op experience. Also, opportunities exist for students to work on campus to help support expenses, gain careerrelated training, and to participate as part of student administration, peer programs or institutional life. These opportunities may help you develop skills in time management, team work, and can be something you can add to your resume. They can also help you with improving language skills and provide you with a better understanding of Canadian culture.
A broader knowledge base
It is common for a school to invite speakers who are experts in their field to present their research, work and ideas. These events are usually free and open to interested students. By attending these events, auditing courses, or taking additional electives you have the opportunity to get more intellectual stimulation, broaden your knowledge and find new ideas and interests.
There is much more to school than just your classes. You put in the time, effort and money – so why not make the most of it. Take this opportunity to enrich your life further.
Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (“ICCRC”) is the national regulatory body that serves and protects the public by overseeing licensed Canadian immigration and citizenship consultants and international student advisors. ICCRC’s federal mandate stems from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Citizenship Act. To ensure ongoing consumer protection, the Council administers a complaints and discipline process to ensure that its consultants and advisors comply with ICCRC’s Codes of Ethics and Regulations.
Below is a list of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (“RCICs”) who are currently subject to a suspension or revocation as a result of a disciplinary action. If you have any concerns about these individuals or any of our other members, we encourage you to contact us via our website with the information. This list was current at the time of publication and is subject to change. To see the most up-to-date list please visit ICCRC’s website.
www.iccrc-crcic.ca
Urgent Interim Suspension Discipline Decision
Member: Carlos Alaniz, R406623
Company Name/ Location: Fast Track Immigration
Vancouver, BC
Summary of Allegations: Court Proceedings are in progress alleging 24 counts of fraud and/ or forgery contrary to the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “Court Proceeding”)
Sanction/Duration: Interim Suspension; Effective: 1-Nov-19 until a further decision on the complaint launched in 2019 is rendered by the Discipline Committee.
Decisions, Reasons and Order: https://tinyurl.com/yxxenr67 Member: Artem Djukic, R4099919
Company Name/ Location: Soko Immigration Consulting Services Mississauga, ON
Finding: The Member failed to provide multiple clients with services that he promised. The Member provided misleading and/or erroneous advice to clients, including instructing clients to engage in dishonest and illegal conduct. He failed to provide refunds after agreeing to do so and failed to cooperate with ICCRC’s investigation.
Sanction: Revocation; Effective 08-Jan-20 – Permanent; Monetary Penalty; Costs Awarded to ICCRC
Monetary Penalty: $166,510.00
Costs : $73,787.55
Decisions and Reasons: https://tinyurl.com/ua49cmn
