IT employment climate in Ontario, CAN?

[StageLeft]

I'm interested in moving to Ontario in about a year and a half. By then I'll have 2.5 years in IT (currently a developer on an e-comm site). I'm not sure of the city but Toronto looks like a no-go, so I'm thinking Ottawa, Kingston, etc.

What sort of prospects will there be (what sort of money will I make?) and I'm thinking of going into consulting; so whats the story?

Thanks

 

[chansen]

Be sure to add the Kitchener-Guelph-Cambridge area in your search. That's the real technology hotbed of Ontario right now. I don't work in IT, so I can't give you numbers. Still, I do know that area is starved for qualified people right now.

Regards,
Craig

 

[kami]

Yes, I'm living in Kitchener right now... Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge area is Canada's "technology triangle." Something like 7 out of Canada's top 10 technology companies are based in this area.

 

[StageLeft]

What sort of money would I be looking at - I know you can't give a great guess, but what would the average 2-3 year experienced person draw as a developer? What about as a consultant?

 

[Optimus]

I too am in the KW and Cambridge area, and I would also suggest looking at it!

Tons of great companies, and a lot of IT demand.

2.5 years development experience in a high demand skill - probably between $55 - $80 a year depending on a lot of factors.

One word of advice, Canadian companies are slow at the hiring process - try not to be out of work when you are looking.


Kami - you aren't at RIM, are you?

 

[StageLeft]

Yeah, well another problem is that not living in ontario at the time will make it even harder to get interviews setup, I'll have to find a cheap place to stay for a while...although my wife by then should have a job there so it should work out ok. I'm making a sad $36k now (its reasonable for the area). I could be making $50k plus in US. OH well. $55 or more Canadian ain't too bad

 

[GL]

Skoorb,

Even if you do end up looking for/finding a job in Toronto, the rent here is so damn high ($1500/month for a decent place) you might regret it. That's not to say the region around Toronto wouldn't be that bad of a choice...and there's plenty of areas to choose from there (all the outskirts of the GTA). I think all the choices mentioned in this thread are good in terms of places to look for work...well except Kingston...haven't heard about any high-tech job surpluses there.

Why not make a list of companies you'd like to work for? BTW, ATI just took out a nice big colour ad here in Toronto. They hiring just about everybody (engineers to programmers to marketers, etc.). Once you know what you want to do with which company, it gets easier to figure out where to move.

-GL

 

[kami]

Optimus, I wish. I'm just a lowly student working at a web/media design firm.

 

[sookaa]

GL

qualify what type of place you are referring to for 1500 a month....

I live in downtown toronto and there are not many places charging that much unless you live in a bay street condo

 

[GL]

A place big enough for him and his wife...usually unfurnished bachelor apartments are going for less ($650-950). He'll probably want a place a little larger than that and perhaps furnished with a few appliances. Maybe a range would have been better. He should expect to pay between $1200-$1500.

-GL

 

[kami]

Furniture and appliances are always a plus.

 

[Optimus]

Kami - sounds like CyberPlex!

 

[Optimus]

Woah! Double post!


My first one! I'm so proud!

 

[Soulflare]

I'm sure Skoorb could get a real nice place in the Jane/Finch area
of Toronto for much less

Actually you can get lucky in Toronto, since my sister managed to
get a largish 7th floor apartment that overlooks the lake in the
Beaches area for about $800 a month. I'll be crashing on her futon
for a couple months when I move to Toronto sometime early next year
to find a better advertising job.

 

[Soulflare]

I don't know Optimus, he sounds a little underwhelmed to be working
for Cyberplex and I don't think they would have many (if any) part-
time positions. They do have an office in Waterloo, but by the looks
of who CX_Waterloo is hiring, they also appear to be more application/
IT oriented than creative.

Speaking of Cyberplex... do they have a good reputation when it
comes to the treatment and compensation of their employees? They
are one of the 14 Internet Marketing companies I've narrowed my
search down to in Toronto.

 

[Optimus]

Soulflare - yeah, but CP are the only web guys in KW I could think of at the moment - also, he could be an intern from U of W or U of G... Kami?

As for CP - all I can say is that my brother left after 9 months and was not a happy camper. Take that as you may. Also, they are almost half staffed by people from where I used to work, and that place was terrible. That could mean they were the smart ones who got out, or the same. Don't really know.

 

[Soulflare]

<< As for CP - all I can say is that my brother left after
9 months and was not a happy camper. >>



Hmmm... that sounds a lot like my experience here. I guess
I'll be moving them to the bottom of my shortened list.

 

[Optimus]

Didn't mean to put you off them, Soulflare... thats just what I saw happen to him. He's now very happy at another web company, but who knows? Maybe he just didn't fit in at CP.

Still...

Do you only do Internet marketing? Or more IT/development stuff? Because also in Waterloo are RIM, Sybase, Microage...

 

[Soulflare]

I do mostly creative work such as web and graphic design. So if
I were looking for a job in the KW area I'd probably be looking
at a company such as Quarry or the Reid Group, however neither of
those companies are any better than what I would find in London.

 

[dennilfloss]

IT companies in Ottawa are hiring like mad. When one closed last month, recruiters from the others were on the parking lot and half the people had found new jobs within a couple of hours.


They don't call us Silicon Valley North (and we did stake the name before other places in Ontario) for nothing. On the downside, the area where most of the companies are located, a soon-to-be amalgamated suburb called Kanata, voted for the Canadian Alliance in the election. I guess they want less taxes.

Monitor
IT News
Surf Ottawa

Tropical Depression (Alan Jackson)

 

[BiggieN]

would it be hard for an american to work in canada?

 

[dennilfloss]

I don't think it is very hard. I know a few American academics who work in Canada.

No One Else On Earth (Wynonna Judd)

 

[Soulflare]

<< Kanata, voted for the Canadian Alliance in the election.
I guess they want less taxes. >>



It probably has a lot do with those Ottawa Senators and all
18000 in attendence. I mean, how else are they going to be
able to re-sign Yashin? (The Corel Centre is in Kanata)

 

[chansen]

Why would the Senotor's re-sign Yashin?

As for American's working in Canada, it is very difficult. There is a long and demanding indoctrination process which includes shock therapy to promote the use of the word &quot;eh&quot; at the end of each sentence. Voltage is doubled if the subject uses the word &quot;huh&quot; instead. Also be prepared for Canadian coworkers spontaneously rendering you defenseless by rasing your suit jacket over your head and proceeding to pummel you. We are a violent, back-stabbing, backwoods, liberal, cold-hearted, nonsense-spouting, stick-wielding bunch. You have been warned.

Regards,
Craig

 

[Optimus]

Don't forget the fact that Americans who come to work up here are used to Pabst Blue Ribbon and Bud Light, and thus get their butts kicked by our real beer!