July 24, 2024 10 Comments

Can I apply for jobs from outside Canada?

We get this very common question from individuals who are getting ready to immigrate to Canada. Short answer is: Yes, you can. However, there are a few details you should take into consideration when making the decision to apply for Canadian jobs.

To be employed in Canada you need to have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and be legally allowed to work in the country.

If you are already a Permanent Resident – who has landed and then left Canada – you are allowed to work from anywhere in the world, as long as your employer agrees to it. With the increase in remote work, this possibility has become more and more frequent.

If you have been approved for Permanent Residency but have not landed yet you will be able to legally work in Canada as soon as you land and get your SIN. So, if you have a date of arrival already you can – and should – start applying for jobs as the hiring process itself can take up to 60 days. If this is the case, it is advised that you disclose this information to the employer so they know that you are not hoping for a visa sponsorship, you will be entitled to work in the country as soon as you land. Targeting jobs for which your skill set is unique increases your chances of an employer willing to wait for you to arrive.

If you don’t know when you will be landing and wish to start working before you land as a permanent resident you need to discuss with the employer if they hire international workers, in this case it is up to the employer to figure out the legalities involved as you are not allowed to work in Canada without a work visa or permanent residency.

Whatever your case is, discussing it with an Employment Specialist can help you understand when is the best time to start applying for jobs and how to communicate with the employer about your status.

Canada InfoNet helps internationally trained professionals who have been approved for immigration to Canada prepare for employment in the country. Our services are free and we offer one-on-one support with an employment specialist that can help you create a personalized job search strategy. Register here.

By Ligia Chiari, Employment Counsellor / Mentoring Coach at Canada InfoNet

July 24, 2024

JVS Toronto is Reopening In-Person Services

As of March 7th, in-person services will be available at all JVS Toronto locations. Services will also continue to be available virtually.

JVS Toronto locations will be open for the following:

JVS Toronto Head Office, Psychology and Career Services
74 Tycos Drive Toronto, ON M6B 1V9
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-787-1151
Scheduled services only

Disability Services and the Al Green Resources Centre
74 Tycos Drive Toronto, ON M6B 1V9
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-782-3976
Scheduled services only

Employment Source Toronto North
1280 Finch Ave. West Suite 607 Toronto, ON M3J 3K6
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-661-3010
Walk-ins welcome

Employment Source Jane Finch
Jane Finch Mall
1911 Finch Ave. W., Unit 3 North York, ON M3N 2V2
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-636-2481
Walk-ins welcome

Bathurst Finch Hub
540 Finch Avenue West Toronto, ON M2R 1N9
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 3:00pm
416-633-1240
Walk-ins welcome

Employment Source Toronto Centre
184 Front St. East Suite 203 Toronto, ON M5A 4N3
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-929-4331
Walk-ins welcome

Miriam & Larry Robbins 1 Open Door
Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus
9600 Bathurst Street, Suite 242 Vaughan, ON L6A 3Z8
Monday to Thursday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
905-303-5838
Scheduled services only

Employment Source Scarborough
2868 Ellesmere Road Scarborough, ON M1E 4B8
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
416-286-0505
Walk-ins welcome

Employment Source Markham
30 Karachi Drive Unit 66 Markham, ON L3S 0B6
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
905-470-9675
Walk-ins welcome

Newcomer Employment Services
Albion Centre
1530 Albion Road, Unit 41 Etobicoke, ON M9V 1B4
Tuesday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
647-276-5111
Walk-ins welcome

As we monitor public health recommendations, we remain vigilant to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of our clients, visitors, community partners and employees.

The following protocols have been put in place to ensure the health and safety of all staff and visitors for services delivered in-person:

Safety Procedures for In-Person Services

Clients and visitors will be asked to complete a COVID-19 screening survey. If any answers to the survey are YES, their appointment will be rescheduled.
Schedules for staff and visitors will be staggered to limit the number of people in our locations at all times.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks and/or face shields must be used by staff and visitors.
Physical distancing protocols will be enforced.
Plexiglass screens have been installed and spaces have been reconfigured for safety.
Enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures will be taking place daily.

Our dedicated team of professionals are committed to providing the highest quality of service in a safe, comfortable and caring environment. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our services or safety protocols, please contact us at services@jvstoronto.org or 416-787-1151.

July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

Celebrating 75 years at JVS Toronto

Max Enkin (centre) testing at Bergen Belsen Displaced Persons Camp, 1947

Today marks 75 years since JVS Toronto first opened its doors on June 16, 1947 to welcome Holocaust survivors and veterans in need of employment after the Second World War.

At the time, the tremendous distress and uncertainty experienced by these individuals required much more support than just help finding a job. JVS Toronto developed a work-adjustment program to prepare them for employment and to build meaningful lives in Canada. We expanded our reach, building off that model to support individuals with disabilities, mental health issues or addictions creating pathways to more fulfilling lives.

We started with humble beginnings in a small office on Spadina Avenue and now, 75 years later, we have 9 locations across the GTA and served close to 16,000 individuals last year. Today, JVS Toronto continues to meet the needs of an ever-changing world. Whether we are responding to crises occurring on a global scale, such as providing support to refugees escaping the war in Ukraine, or addressing local needs in our community, we continue to honour our roots. JVS Toronto remains committed to breaking down barriers faced by marginalized groups to help them achieve self-sufficiency through employment.

We are grateful for the generosity of our donors that help us meet the needs of those who need us most. If you would like to provide support for those looking for meaningful employment, please visit jvstoronto.org/donate.

With gratitude,

Allison Steinberg
Chief Executive Officer, JVS Toronto

Donate

July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto’s 75th Annual General Meeting

JVS Toronto held its 75th Annual General Meeting virtually on September 21. We thank everyone who celebrated this milestone anniversary with us.

Our decades of experience are what guide us as we strive to stay true to our founding values. We remain committed to a highly individualized approach to breaking down barriers and helping our clients achieve self-sufficiency. The organization is well-positioned to bring new, innovative, and dynamic programming to our community.

We’d like to thank our staff, volunteers, donors, funders, employers, and community partners for their generosity and dedication over the last 75 years. May we go from strength to strength as we embark on 75 more.

Read JVS Toronto’s 2021-2022 Annual Report

This past year, over 13,000 individuals, each with their own unique story, came to JVS Toronto in search of support. While they all shared a common goal of finding meaningful employment, each represented much more than just a number in our database. Our staff, volunteers, donors, and funders all played a role in impacting the lives of those 13,000 individuals. Read some of their stories.

Celebrating 75 Years

Since 1947, JVS Toronto has impacted the lives of thousands of individuals by helping them plan their careers, find meaningful employment and build sustainable livelihoods. Many dedicated people have made it possible for the Agency to carry out our mission over the last 75 years.

Watch our 75th anniversary celebratory video.

Announcements

Retiring Board Members
JVS Toronto is enriched tremendously by the contribution of our governance volunteers. We thank Lori Bailey, Erin Payne, Marvin Zweig, Daniel Wilson, and former Board Chair Jonathan Kopman for their years of service on the JVS Toronto Board of Directors, and for their friendship and support.

Our AGM Sponsors
We thank XBASE Technologies Corporation for sponsoring JVS Toronto’s 75th Annual General Meeting. It is our honour to recognize them for their daily IT management work and ongoing support of the Agency.

In Memoriam

At our AGM, we took time to honour two individuals who passed on this year. Both were strong supporters of JVS Toronto, and their family legacies live on through their commitment to the Agency.

Larry Enkin
Larry Enkin, son of JVS Toronto’s founder Max Enkin, passed away earlier this year.

Larry became involved with JVS Toronto in 1999. Sharing in his father’s vision, Larry worked to support JVS Toronto’s newcomer self-employment and disability service areas. Together with Impakt Labs, Larry helped create a documentary of the families that came to Canada as part of The Tailor Project. He hoped it would remind people of the benefits of immigration by showcasing how these families have made valuable contributions to Canadian society.

Larry was connected with JVS Toronto, right up until shortly before his passing and was deeply dedicated to the causes he believed in.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Larry’s family.

Amy Mouckley
Amy Mouckley, daughter of Eunice and David Mouckley passed away earlier this year. JVS Toronto has been the fortunate recipient of the Mouckley family’s generosity and support for over 60 years.

The Mouckleys spent their lives making a meaningful impact on people and their community. Following David’s passing, his wife Eunice continued the passionate spirit of her late husband and in 2015 she left JVS Toronto a legacy gift. Amy has now continued this tradition by making her own meaningful legacy gift to the agency. We are deeply grateful to Amy for her kindness and generosity. Her gift will continue to have a profound impact on JVS Toronto clients for years to come.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Amy’s family.

Congratulations to this Year’s Award Recipients!

We thank our family of donors who make our annual awards ceremony possible and congratulate the following award winners on their outstanding accomplishments. Read their stories in our Annual Report.

Freedman Family Award for Young Entrepreneurs – Valerie Amponsah
This award recognizes a young person who has overcome challenges who has completed one of JVS Toronto’s youth entrepreneurship programs, and is successfully operating their business on either a full-time or part-time basis

Joseph Skolnik Award for New Canadians – Carla de Sousa
This award recognizes a JVS Toronto client who is a newcomer and has been in Canada for more than 1 year. The candidate must have overcome barriers of language, culture, lack of updated skills; and has successfully integrated into Canadian society.

Kim Coulter Career Counselling Award – Nancy Chicas
This award recognizes a JVS Toronto Career Counselling client who has demonstrated resilience, motivation and perseverance to successfully overcome personal obstacles in their life and take actionable steps towards realizing their goal.

Betty Skolnik Award for Emerging Professionals – Anonymous (not pictured)
This award recognizes a young professional new to their career who has a promising future ahead in their chosen occupation. The candidate must show potential for growth and a dedication for learning.

Manny Mitchell Award for Excellence in Volunteerism – Kanwardyal “KD” Singh
This award recognizes a current JVS Toronto volunteer who makes a valuable contribution to the program they are volunteering in and has demonstrated consistent commitment, dedication and reliability to both staff and clients.

Berger Family Inspirational Award – Michael Rice (not pictured)
This award recognizes personal perseverance and community engagement. It acknowledges the achievements and contributions that individuals with a disability make to the community. The award is given to a current JVS Toronto client who has faced and overcome obstacles.

And the 2 winners of Eunice & David Mouckley Employer of the Year Award – Dodds Garage Doors (Zack Belzberg) and Swish Chalet (Sam Ho)
This award recognizes a JVS Toronto employer who has worked with us for more than 1 year and has provided special initiatives to clients with barriers to employment whether in language, culture, disability, or lack of updated skills.

July 24, 2024 1 Comment

How to Negotiate the Salary You Want

A common concern for job seekers is how to deal with the issue of salary; and because society tends to discourage conversations about our salaries, it makes sense that this is a challenging issue. As a result, job seekers often report feeling uncomfortable, even rude or selfish, when raising this issue with employers. This makes it even harder; employers don’t always want to talk about it, and candidates are unclear about how much to ask for or how to go about it.

Considering how difficult this question is, the best way to ensure you get what you need is to be as prepared as possible.

Prepare. Gather the information you need.

Let’s look at what it takes to prepare for the salary question:

1. Figure out your specific minimum acceptable income

Consider your particular financial situation and ensure you know what minimum income you need for yourself. Evaluate how much you would be willing and able to accept. Look at your budget and expenses. Consider your need for benefits such as health, vacation, and others, which might also be useful to discuss as part of the salary negotiation.

2. Gather information about what you could realistically expect

Not everyone will be paid the same for the same job. Salaries ranges will vary, depending on where you live, and given the experience and skills that you bring to the job, you will not necessarily be paid the same salary in a big city as you may in a small town, nor would you not be paid the same salary if you have ten years of experience, versus if you are entry-level.

This information is not easy to find. To get information about salaries offered by local employers, check online—look at websites that offer salary ranges, such as salary.com, and large job sites, such as indeed.ca. Another excellent source for this information is the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, which will help you see the salary ranges across the country and provide you with additional information about your field, such as labour market trends and more.

One of the most accurate ways to gain relevant, detailed information is to consult with people in your target field. Contact people (LinkedIn is a great place to do that) and tell them you are researching the field. Don’t worry: you won’t be asking for their salary, but rather a general idea of the pay range and benefits.

Other factors to consider might be whether the position is unionized, which would restrict space for negotiation. Also, the size of the company and its capacity to pay higher salaries should be considered. Other factors to be aware of are whether the position is permanent, full or part-time and permanent, contract, or temporary.

Look closely at the company to which you are applying. Check its website to see if it has indicated salaries on the hiring page. Also, do an online search; sites such as Glassdoor might offer insights into the salary ranges paid for that particular position at that company.

3. Formulate your “ask”

Next, identify the salary range that would work for you based on existing salary ranges, your skills and abilities, and how much you are willing to accept.

To negotiate effectively, it helps to be able to explain why you deserve a particular salary. For example, if you know that the company offers a range of $50-$60,000 for the job, consider how much you could ask for and why; if you think you deserve the higher end of that range, be ready to defend that request. Be prepared to tell the employer what you bring that makes it worth their while to pay you more — maybe it’s the amount of experience you have, the special expertise you might bring, or any other unique assets you think you bring to the position.

The Negotiation

Once you are clear about the salary range and your argument for your specific expectations, think of how and where you will have this discussion.

Some employers will raise the salary issue early during the hiring process, even in the job posting itself. If the employer asks for you to specify a salary in the posting, I would not necessarily recommend answering it specifically in your cover letter — it may be better to simply say in your letter that you are open to negotiating the salary at the interview; otherwise, you might be restricting your capacity to negotiate later.

Unless the employer raises it first in the interview, it’s generally a good idea to hold back raising the salary question until later. Your goal is to make such an outstanding impression on the employer that by the time the salary discussion comes up, the employer has become firmly invested in your candidacy and might be more open to negotiating. So focus on making a great impression during the interview, and as the interview ends — possibly when they ask you whether you have any questions — raise the salary issue. If the interviewer doesn’t invite you to ask questions, squeeze it in anyway… “I just have one question…”. Word your question carefully: it may be easier to start the discussion by asking, “At what point will salary be discussed?”. But be prepared for them to say, “Let’s talk about it now.”

Some candidates understandably prefer to accept the given salary and to negotiate later, perhaps a few months after starting the job. That’s a perfectly reasonable approach as well.

To sum up:

Be prepared for the salary question. If you indicate to the employer that you take this seriously, the employer will, too. Be prepared with a good suitable range and be willing to defend your particular request. Keep in mind the other factors influencing your decision — if the job is more important than the wage for you right now, perhaps you’ll accept an entry-level salary; if the wage is essential for you to be able to survive, then perhaps fight a little harder for the salary that you need.

The more confident and well-prepared you are, the better an impression you will make on the employer.