Move beyond Express Entry to properly brand yourself and improve your chances of getting a Job in Canada
Relying on an international employer to discover you is like trying to be number one in the Google search rankings. Take for example Canada and the Express Entry system. It is estimated that there are currently approximately 50,000 individuals waiting to be selected in the Express Entry pool.
Each month, applicants are offered an invitation to apply for permanent residency to Canada and job offers from employers are a major factor in being selected. Is it possible to draw more attention to yourself and get selected in Express Entry? Perhaps, but trying to figure out the search behaviour of employers on Express Entry is a futile task. Who knows what words and which phrases related to education and work experience will cause an employer to discover your profile.
Furthermore, even if the employer does discover your profile, what impression are you leaving with them? Are you using the correct job title so that the employer understands what you can offer and what you actually do in your job? Does your description contain buzzwords that are only understood in your country? Even worse, are there terms that are being misconstrued to your detriment?
What's more, international candidates are realizing that employers are simply not conditioned to do a lot of the heavy lifting in order to search out candidates. The end result is that a lot of international candidates are sitting idle in the Express Entry pool and unfortunately their profiles will never be viewed or considered.
As more and more international candidates are discovering, just being in Express Entry is not going to give you a great chance of getting a job in Canada. International candidates need to move beyond waiting in the Express Entry pool to give themselves a real chance to find a job in Canada. This means actively trying to reach out and find employers who are willing and able to hire international workers, perhaps even before entering into the Express Entry system.
The good news is that when the international candidate reaches out and contacts the employer it gives them a real chance to explain who they are and why the employer should look at them, and this is a critical component to getting a job in Canada.
The reason is that first impressions really matter in the world of international recruiting. Given the high level of uncertainty and the great amount of effort required to hire an international worker, companies need clarity with respect to whom they are talking to and what that candidate offers. In a way, companies need to brand the individuals that they are looking at in order to sell themselves and the rest of the organization on that international candidate. Additionally, it makes it a lot easier for a hiring manager or recruiter to become your evangelist if your brand is one that resonates with the needs of the employer. Is it possible to clearly communicate a personal brand within the Express Entry system? The simple answer is no.
Being discovered within Express Entry is challenging. Representing yourself properly once you are in the system is even more difficult. That is why constantly trying to reach out and communicate with employers who are willing and able to hire international workers, before or even if you are already in the Express Entry system, may be the key to finding a job and starting a new life in Canada.