Looking for an employer in Ontario

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 15, 2008

Unfortunately there are no shortcuts to obtaining employment in Canada. It's a long and difficult process. To complicate matters there are literally thousands of foreign nurses looking for work in Canada and the human resources to process all the applicants at each level are stretched to the limit. The time frame for working through the process from your first inquiry until actually starting work in Canada will take a really long time, probably a year or more. And unless your resume is particularly special, employers aren't going to be tripping over each other to help you.

This forum isn't really intended to act as an employment agency. We can offer general advice on things we know a lot about but our terms of service, as found at the bottom of this page, specifically prohibits asking for or providing medical or legal advice, and I think this might fall under that heading. As well, Ontario is a huge province with a gigantic population. Only you know where you want to live and how you want to live. I recommend using a map of the province to choose locations, then Google the health authorities that encompass those locations to narrow your search. I hope you're successful.

greko · Jan 16, 2008

Dear janfrn, thank you for your response.

From the previous thred that I started I realized that unlike BC in Ontario a job offer is given by hospitals directly, but not by health authority. Is there any difference between the regions within the province?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 16, 2008

Geography of course is a big thing. Some areas of Ontario are very remote, as in the northwest of the province where some of the communities are fly-in only. Smaller cities and rural areas have lower costs of living. Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor, London and Hamilton and their urban regions have very high costs of living. Population density is also a factor that some people put high value on, plus commute times... What looks like a short drive on the map might actually take more than an hour to cover. Hospitals covered by the Ontario Nurses' Association collective agreement have one pay scale and one benefit package no matter where you are, so cost of living is a factor that has to be considered. If you're a specialist, for example a CCU nurse, then your choices will be limited by that. If I were you I'd make heavy use of Google to look at maps of Ontario and the communities you're interested in, photos of the places you're considering, real estate prices and availability, local newspapers, and the hospitals' websites to find the best fit.