Canadian Experience = soft skills

• Employers look for “Canadian Experience”.
• “Canadian Experience” means having the soft skills for the job.
• Soft skills predict if you will be a good a fit for the company.
• They can show if you will stay for good.

What are soft skills?

• Soft skills are the abilities of a person to interact with others.
• They are used to adapt to the work and the environment.
• They cannot be measured.
• Includes traits such as patience, positive attitude, and dependability.
• They range from communication skills to emotional intelligence.

What are hard skills?

• Technical skills and credentials are hard skills.
• They are important because they enable you to perform your job effectively.
• In Canada soft skills are valued more than hard skills.
• According to Nick Noorani, employers prioritize on soft skills because:


“A candidate with the right hard skills but poor soft skills won’t be able to learn the soft skills required quickly enough. But a person with the right soft skills has the potential to acquire any hard skills they may lack”.

What soft skills should you have?

1. Communication skills
• Know Canada’s official languages: English and/or French.
• Have good listening, speaking, writing and reading skills.
• Learn non-verbal cues.

• These are accepted body language.
• Example: Looking into a person’s eyes when you speak.

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2. Local language
• This is business language and the unique language used in Canada.
• Learn your profession’s jargon to help you understand and perform your job better.
• Learn “Can-speak” to fit into the community.

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3. Presentation skills
• Present well and speak to groups with confidence.
• Good presenters are seen as leaders.

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4. Small talk
• It is a common practice in Canadian workplaces.
• It is light conversation with your co-workers including your boss.
• It indicates that you want to belong.
• People talk about the weather, sports, or current events.
• Don’t talk about matters like religion, politics, finances or health.

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5. Leadership and initiative
• Taking charge of your career.
• Examples:

• Leading a project
• Suggesting ways to make work more efficient
• Become a more assertive and effective team player.

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6. Conflict resolution and negotiation
• This means:

• being open minded
• diplomatic
• knowing how to negotiate

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7. Accepting constructive criticism
• This means accepting feedback graciously.
• It helps you become a better employee and a better person.
• It is hard, but take it as a learning opportunity.

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8. Flexibility
• This means being open to change and showing your willingness to adapt.
• This means:

• adapting to Canadian culture
• adapting to changes in technology
• adapting to business processes in your profession

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9. Business etiquette
• Proper business etiquette is the key to making a good impression.
• Examples:

• a firm handshake
• eye contact
• smiling
• greeting people
• being open and enthusiastic
• being polite.

9 Soft Skills No Immigrant Should be Without is adapted with the permission of the author Nick Noorani.