How can I get a web design job in Toronto?

Is it difficult for a Black British professional Web Designer to get a job in Toronto?

• My fiancé has just been offered a Marketing job in Toronto, we both have good well paid jobs in the U k, but want to make a life for ourselves in Canada, and start a family there. My concern is that if I can get a job fairly quickly i.e. within 3 months of moving there, is this realistic? Or are Web design jobs hard to come by. Also what is the attitude towards black professionals is it a huge disadvantage being black? Or is it like the UK where it's not an issue any longer, it's pretty much down to how qualified you are. Also is 70k a good salary to have good standard of living in Toronto? Any info would be greatly appreciated. cheers

• Answer:

  You are more likely to have a problem getting a job in Canada based on your nationality rather than your race....And what I mean by that is that you would first have to qualify to obtain a work permit and permanent residence here, which can take months or years. As for race, that really shouldn't matter here. Canada does not have a major problem with racism. It would be a lie to say that there are absolutely no racist people here, and it is always possible you will run into a employer who prefers to hire a white person, or an Asian, or a man vs a woman for the job. But if they do this openly, or it can be proven that they refused to hire someone based on their race, gender, or sexual orientation, they can get into big trouble and open themselves up to being sued for discrimination. As for a starting salary, Toronto area is one of our larger cities and is very expensive to live in. Rent is very high, so many people live 30-45min outside of the downtown core and commute in each day. As a web designer, you may have the added benefit of being able to work from your home, in which case it would not matter where you live. CAD$70K I would say is a decent salary. I've been working in the computer industry for many years and I'm not that much higher than that, but then again I have been told by friends that I am underpaid, and salaries/expenses are lower in my city (Montreal). What you should check on is whether you qualify for the Skilled Workers and Professionals program, which is designed to provide accelerated processing of your immigration request. I would suggest you try the "Working in Canada Tool" from their website, and read up on requirements for immigrating. http://workingincanada.gc.ca/welcome.do?template=cic&lang=en http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp Here are also a few places to look and see if there are any companies that are looking to hire someone with your skills. Canadian Government Job Bank: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/Intro_eng.aspx Canadian Jobs Search Engines http://www.monster.ca/ http://www.jobboom.com/mod-bin/prod/index.pl Keep in mind that Canada, just like the USA and UK, have had to deal with high unemployment and a weak economy over the last couple of years. We are starting to get better, but it also means there are lots of people competing for the same job. You may have to start out with a less profitable or less desirable job to "get your foot in the door" (so to speak) with our immigration department, and take whatever job will get you working within Canada. Once you've had a job here, it's usually easier to find another.