New Laws and Big Opportunities

📰 Highlights

🥸 Ontario is passing a law requiring employers disclose when a job posting really exists. The same legislation also requires employers to follow up with interviewed candidates, no matter the decision. This law addresses ghost job postings and ghosting candidates after the interview with a fine of up to $100,000 if employers don’t comply. Ontario is the first province in Canada to pass such a law.

Our take: This is a fantastic step to address the job market craze of the last 12 months, but we’re left wondering—how will enforcement play out? Will there be regular audits, or will it rely on job seekers reporting non-compliance? Only time will tell if this law has the teeth to drive real change. Now you know you can drive that change too 😉 

🏦 Let’s address the elephant in the room - our country has no Prime Minister right now. The PM Justin Trudeau resigned on Jan 6 2025. This act put our government into a vacation mode until March. Don’t you want to work for the government at times like this?

The PM’s resignation means that any laws currently in review are at risk of delays or getting cancelled. This includes the infamous capital gains tax and alternative minimum tax reforms aimed at increasing taxation for the top earners.

🇨🇦 More immigration changes are coming early this year:

• Agree-Food Pilot program is now capped at 1,010 due to high demand.

• Work permits for spouses of international students are now limited to Master’s and PhD

🥳What you may have missed

🦠 Norovirus cases are on the rise in Canada. It is commonly known as stomach flu . Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

To reduce the risk of infection, doctors advise frequent handwashing ( sanitizers don’t work against this virus!), avoiding contact with sick individuals.

📱 Blackberry is coming back from the dead. Once a dominant force in the smartphone market, it has pivoted to focus on cybersecurity and enterprise software, where it’s finding new growth. If you’re looking for a Canadian company to invest into, this might be the one!

☢️ Demand for Uranium reactors is expected to rise by 20% and Canada wants to be the global leader in nuclear production. Have you considered a career in nuclear energy?

🐷 Loblaws was caught for overcharging and underweighting meat in Western Canada. Lesson learned? Always check your product labels… and bring a portable scale to weigh your meat. Ridiculous, I know.

🧑‍🎓 Increase your odds for an interview

When you apply for a job randomly on the job marketplace websites or the company’s website, you have a 1 in 200 shot at landing a job. Those odds skyrocket to 1 in 25 when you happen to make a referral from a current employee of the company you want to apply to.

If you want to increase your chances of success - find someone who’s willing to refer you. Now - reaching out to random strangers online begging for referrals won’t cut it. Here’s what you can do instead:

1. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find mutual connections. Search your target company on LinkedIn and filter for current employees. Look for second-degree connections (mutual connections). Reach out to your mutual contact:

   • “Hi [Name], I noticed you’re connected with [Employee at Company]. I’m considering applying for the [Job Title] role there and would love an introduction if you’re comfortable. Let me know how I can make this easy for you!”

   • Don’t be shy to ask your friends around for a more informal introduction outside online social networks!

   • At the same time, don’t ask for a referral in the first message.

2. Warm-up cold connections with genuine interest. You can also reach out to employees at your target company who work in the same department or a similar role. This approach will have a lower success rate - but as long as you follow these tips from our previous newsletter, you’ll be good!

3. Ask for referrals the right way When you’ve built rapport with someone, be clear and direct:

   • “Thank you for sharing your insights about [Company/role]. I’m applying for [Job Title], and I’d be grateful if you could refer me. Here’s my resume and a short note you can use if it’s helpful.”

   • Don’t be pushy or overly apologetic for asking!

4. Always follow up! If you don’t hear back, follow up a few days later. Life happens, and your contact may simply forget. Use the rule of 2 reminders - 1 reminder 5 days later, another - 7 more days later:

   • Hi [Name], I hope you're doing well! Just following up on my previous message about [specific topic]. I completely understand if you’re busy, but I’d appreciate any insights whenever you have a moment.

5. Leverage employee referral programs. Many companies have referral bonuses. When speaking to an employee, mention this tactfully:

   • “I noticed [Company] has a referral program. I’d be happy to share my resume if it’s something you’d be open to participating in!”

     Remember:

     If you don’t ask - you don’t get!

     If you want to get referral-ready with a stellar profile and resume, sign up for our Resume Bootcamp where we will develop a killer resume to impress your referrals.

🍰 Timbits

☕️ Starbucks free drink refills are coming back

🌆 Best cities in Canada for work-life balance

😷 How does healthcare cost in Canada compare to USA?

💳️ How to protect your credit card from being hacked.

🏙️ We found the best province in Canada

🦜 How to make and maintain friendships.

🇬🇧 Canadians now need a permit for short term UK visits

🍰 Event alert: job fair in Toronto

In-person Youth Career fair for folks 18-35 in downtown Toronto:

💼 Jobs Highlights

Got a job posting you’d like to promote? Fill out this form

📌City of Mississauga, has 44 roles seasonal, part-time and full-time jobs open in various roles in IT, Recreation, Culture and Sports.

📌 ThoughtExchange, a Canadian AI edtech is hiring across customer support and operations.

📌 LightMatter, an American AI infrastructure company, has several senior engineering positions open in its Toronto office.

📌 Float, a Canadian business banking platform has recently raised a big round of funding and has, has 20 roles across HR, development, finance and operations.

📌 Loopio, an accounting/operations B2B SaaS is hiring for 20 roles across finance, accounting, IT and marketing.

📌 Wattpad, a Canadian education company, is hiring for over 30 roles in project management an coordination, customer success, engineering and creative.