Java Jobs + Canada

[kwame Iwegbue]

Please does anyone out here know anything about the job market for web developers and/or java programmers in Canada? I'm seriously considering moving there, and I would appriciate any help.

[bduncan]

It depends where you are thinking of moving and what your level of experience is. Canada is a big country!
Apparently in Toronto, Java is very prevalent. Out here on the West Coast it is definitely more Microsoft-focused but that is slowly changing.
I can only speak for Vancouver, but here it seems that they are only interested in you if you are Senior level. Getting a junior development job using Java is very difficult. VB/ASP jobs are falling out of the trees though!
Hope this helps,
Brooks

[Anonymous]

Hi
I am in Toronto Canada and passed SCJP with 85%.I don't have any experience in programming java ,applied desperatly for jobs but all in vain,now learning servlets,jsp,ejb and websphere.
I think there are a lot less jobs in Canada as compared with US.
any comments
Wali

[kwame Iwegbue]

WaliM, thanks for your input. I am preparing to take the exam next month, it would be good if we could share some info. I agree that there are less java jobs in Canada than in the U.S., but I also feel the U.S. jobs are a lot harder to get.
(pls write me through the email link)

[kwame Iwegbue]

Also how would a person making 60k in say Toronto, compare with someone in a major US city making the same income, factoring in things like cost of living, taxation, exchange rate? (Average rent in suburban N. Bronx, NY >= $1,100 for two bedroom apt), Tax approx 18-25%( Fed + state); Transportation/ mth approx $70.00;

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"Sometimes, not getting what you want can be a wonderful stroke of luck!"

[Gauthaman Ravindran]

Originally posted by kwame Iweg*:
Also how would a person making 60k in say Toronto, compare with someone in a major US city making the same income, factoring in things like cost of living, taxation, exchange rate? (Average rent in suburban N. Bronx, NY >= $1,100 for two bedroom apt), Tax approx 18-25%( Fed + state); Transportation/ mth approx $70.00;

In general, taxes are higher in Toronto, but rent is cheaper, although it depends on which city you're comparing it to. In general, if you're making $60000 CDN in Toronto, you'll live about as well as if you were making $60000 US in New York. Canadians who move to the States usually do so when they can make an extra $20000 US (that is, a person making $60000 in Toronto would want to make $80000 US in the States), or if the job they can get in the States has better opportunities for career development. And as I mentioned above, it depends on which region or city you're comparing it to -- New York is expensive, San Francisco is extremely expensive, and Texas tends to be rather less expensive.
The other thing to consider is the exchange rate. Even though $1 US is about $1.50 CDN, that does not accurately reflect the value of the Canadian dollar (that is, prices are not, in general, 50% higher in Canada. A $900 US/month apartment in Chicago would go for $900 CDN in Toronto). So if you make US dollars and bring them back to Canada, you get more for your money.

[kwame Iwegbue]

Thank you. This is exactly the answer to my question. But what about the issue of job opportunities for web developers/programmers? I hear a lot about how there is a shortage of information technology professionals in Canada, and then on the other hand one also hears of how there are fewer job opportunities than in the US! How does this work out.

[Gauthaman Ravindran]

Originally posted by kwame Iweg*:
Thank you. This is exactly the answer to my question. But what about the issue of job opportunities for web developers/programmers? I hear a lot about how there is a shortage of information technology professionals in Canada, and then on the other hand one also hears of how there are fewer job opportunities than in the US! How does this work out.

There is a "shortage" of IT professionals in both Canada and the US. Unfortunately, this is probably as much a matter of companies being rather picky instead of any genuine shortfall in the number of qualified people. However, if you have 2+ years in Java, you should have no problem finding a job in either Canada or the US. It's true that there are more jobs in the US, but then again, the US has more people than Canada, and a larger number of technical companies. But there are definitely jobs to be found in Canada. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for work right now (although in Unix system administration, not necessarily Java). I posted my resume on three web job boards on Sunday night, and I've already received calls from a half dozen recruiters with jobs in Toronto (where I live).
The major obstacle is experience -- if you have it (and I do, nearly five years) then finding a job is much easier than when you're starting afresh.
If I may ask, where are you based now? What is your job experience like?

[This message has been edited by Gauthaman Ravindran (edited September 13, 2000).]

[kwame Iwegbue]

Well Gauthaman, It's funny you should ask about experince. The thing is I'm brand new to Java and programming. My feild is actually Medicine. I'm an intern in a medicine program in New York, but I'm trying to make a career change, to something about which I am more passionate! The first step would obviously be to get the sun certified programmer for Java qualification, which I'm working on right now. This is why I'm trying to get as much information as I can about the current job market and opportunities for programmers, both in the U.S and Canada.
Pls follow the email link so we can correspond some more...
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"Sometimes, not getting what you want can be a wonderful stroke of luck!"

[Tony Shi]

I am java programmer working at a major bank in toronto, in my opinion, you better find your first java job in US. here if you no business experience, you are very hard to find a job, also here employer didn't consider jscp as valuabe experience. so my suggestion is : don't find first job in Canada.

[s basetti]

hello,
I am a senior EJB developer(6 yrs experience) worked for SUN microsystems canada. I have been trying the jobs in canada for almost 9 months in complete vain.
I can say that canada is almost dried. I got several responses from USA & now got an H1B applied.
I sincerely by experince say that Canadian IT job market is weaker than jobs found in a single state in USA.
Best of luck

[s basetti]

Another thing is...
Just for your sake search on JAVA or EJB at workopolis.com or monster.ca(major job sites in canada) and see for yourself how many jobs you see...do the same thing with hotjobs.com or net-temps.com for a single state in USA. No. of picks are incomparable..on the other side no. of jobless are more because of saturation of java or IT population is at large in Ontario.

[Chris Mathews]

Originally posted by s basetti:
I am a senior EJB developer(6 yrs experience) worked for SUN microsystems canada.

How can anyone have 6 years experience with a technology that has been around less than 5 years?

[Fred Grott]

Originally posted by kwame Iweg*:
Well Gauthaman, It's funny you should ask about experince. The thing is I'm brand new to Java and programming. My feild is actually Medicine. I'm an intern in a medicine program in New York, but I'm trying to make a career change, to something about which I am more passionate! The first step would obviously be to get the sun certified programmer for Java qualification, which I'm working on right now. This is why I'm trying to get as much information as I can about the current job market and opportunities for programmers, both in the U.S and Canada.
Pls follow the email link so we can correspond some more...

Ah you do realize that there is a high demand fro programmers who know Medicine, right?
No, I am not being sarcastic..
You need to start looking at the NIH website for information..you might be moving to the wrong place..
Have you checked this issue in New York yet..lets would it be ..Sina Hopsital?
Applicaitons that Java is een in Medicine.. Imaging, workgroup groupware to share clinical data amoung tlelecomuting doctors and etc