Infocentre

Closing

In this part, we talk about the final phase of a job search, evaluating and negotiating an offer and preparing for the future.

Evaluating an Offer

If you are offered a job, the person offering it to you will usually have a compensation package in mind. Depending on the job, compensation packages may include any number of components from a straight salary offer to salary plus benefits. In some cases, compensation is not negotiable; for example in most retail work, it is almost impossible to negotiate a better package. In other cases, compensation is negotiable in either benefits or salary.

The first step in evaluating an offer is done by knowing exactly what compensation you need in order to live. This is your minimum acceptable compensation level and it varies depending on the cost of living of where you reside. For example, a salary of $25,000 may be more than adequate in a smaller community with a low cost of living and completely inadequate in a large metropolitan area.

The second step in evaluating an offer is to find out if the offer is in the salary range appropriate for the position. In general, if you have little experience in Canada you are likely to receive an offer that is towards the lower end of the salary range. This is to be expected, and is based in part on the assumption that you will have to learn how to operate in Canada and that that learning will reduce your overall effectiveness for a while.

Negotiation

The art of negotiating a compensation package lies in having as much knowledge about the cost of living in your area and the salary range paid for similar work in that area. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate a better compensation package than what you are offered initially. Frequently, the areas of negotiation are not in the base salary offer but, rather, in the other parts of the compensation package.

For example, you may be able to negotiate the time intervals between salary reviews. If your potential employer is concerned with your effectiveness of operating in a Canadian environment or if they are concerned about changes in the marketplace this may well be a place where they will be open to negotiation.

Compensation negotiation in Canada is an art. In part, this is because Canadians have a cultural convention against bargaining for many things. It is always a good idea to talk with a counsellor before you attempt any negotiations.

Preparing for the Future

The reality of working in Canada in the early part of the 21st century is that most people will change jobs frequently either voluntarily or because they are "downsized" (losing a job because the company can no longer afford to employ so many people). Being prepared means that you can never assume that any job will last and that you may be looking for work at any point in time.

There are three crucial things that you must do in order to be prepared for the future. First, you should try and build up your savings to carry you through periods of unemployment. Second, you should try and make certain that your skills are always current, which means that you will be constantly learning new material. Third, you should maintain your network while you are working so that they will be available to you when you are next looking for work.

The most important traits to survive and prosper in the Canadian economy are flexibility and adaptability. You must be flexible in your skills, able to transfer those skills from occupation to occupation. You must be adaptable to rapidly changing environments and able to learn new skills quickly.

While there is a lot less security in employment in Canada than there was in the 1960's, there is also a correspondingly greater expansion of personal opportunity for growth and advancement. Learning how to live and adapt to the Canadian work environment is crucial for accessing these personal opportunities.

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