Getting Started

You may need to have your academic and/or professional credentials assessed to do certain jobs in Canada. This is essential in all regulated professions. Answering the following questions, with the help of the Working in Canada tool, will help you get organized and prepared for this process.

Even if you want to work in a non-regulated profession, it is a good idea to have your academic credentials assessed. This will help potential employers understand your qualifications better.

Use these questions and the Working in Canada tool to help you prepare the documents you’ll need to have your credentials assessed before starting to look for work in Canada. Getting started on the items below may speed up the time it takes to start working in your profession in Canada.

1. Is your profession regulated or non-regulated in the province or territory you are living in or wish to live?
   Search the Working in Canada tool to find out.
   
   
2. If your profession is regulated, have you contacted the provincial regulatory body to determine what steps to take to start working in your profession?
   Search the Working in Canada tool to find the right regulatory body and contact it. You may need to take some classes, upgrade your education or write tests for licensing.
   
   
3. If your profession is non-regulated, do you have any documents (degree, diploma, certificate) that can demonstrate that your experience or skills are valid to a potential employer?
   To find work in a non-regulated profession, it is still a good idea to have your credentials assessed and recognized. Visit this site for a list of credential assessment and recognition agencies in Canada.
   
   
4. Do you have a copy of your transcripts?
   The regulatory body for your profession, or a potential employer, may want your college or university to send your transcripts directly to them. Check with the appropriate regulatory body.
   
   
5. Have you had your transcripts and your degree or diploma translated into English or French?
   Contact the closest immigrant settlement organization or the provincially approved credential assessment service in your province or territory to be referred to a translation service, or look for a translation service in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory.
   
   
6. Are there any opportunities for certification in your non-regulated occupation? What are the requirements?
   Some professions that are not regulated by law have professional organizations. These organizations may provide certification courses and registration. Membership in these organizations may help you get work in your profession. The Working in Canada tool can help you find out if there are any professional associations in your field.
   
   
7. Do you have a résumé or a curriculum vitae that has been formatted in a style acceptable to Canadian employers?
   Visit your nearest settlement organization or employment resource centre for help.
   
   
8. Do you have letters of reference from previous employers?
   Are your reference letters translated into English or French? Don’t forget to get reference letters for your volunteer work experience.
   
   
9. Where do you look to find a job?
   Look in the Help Wanted section of your local newspaper. Speak to your friends and family and let them know what kind of work you are looking for. Visit your nearest settlement organization for help. Search any of the Internet job search sites (you can access computers and the Internet free of charge in most public libraries and at your local Service Canada Centre).