When it comes to expectations, one of the things most international students don’t expect before arriving in Canada is the importance of having “Canadian Work Experience” on their resumes. It is that kind of thing that you just don’t get how relevant it is until you experience it on your own.
You see, here in Canada, work culture gives a ton of weight to people having any type of “Canadian Work Experience” added to their resumes. You could have been the CEO of Starbucks back when you were in your own country, still, Canadian employers would likely not care unless you accompany that with local experience. “Well, your experience looks great! But, have you ever worked for a company here?” It’s a frequent question our students get while looking for a job here.
“It makes no sense to me why, for some reason, people here dismiss all the experience I have from Colombia. Are people here so different that we need to start all the way from the bottom? I don’t think so. In fact, I have found that it is way more challenging to work back in Colombia than here in Canada.” Camilo, Social media Manager from Colombia.
Basically, what we are saying is… That it doesn't matter how talented you are or what kind of job experience you have back in your home country, getting a job as an international student is tough! This issue got so well known within the international students' community that businesses and people are doing their part to reduce students' struggle in finding a job.
Introducing Beeznests! An online platform that connects international students with potential employers or specific projects in which they could work so that they can add the valuable “Canadian experience” to their resumes. Besides that, some of the other services Beeznests has to offer in relation to career development for students include; boot camps, workshops, networking events, etc. And this month, we actually met with Beeznests founder Jin Liu! So that she could tell us more about how her business has helped and empowered other students.
Experiencing the international student journey herself and the struggles this journey brings with it, Jin started a business that would help students. Her business finds projects or opportunities that give students the experience they need to be more relevant in the marketplace.
Beeznests was born from the realization that there is a massive gap for international students when it comes to school work and the business community. Beeznests objective is to try to fill that gap and to do it by providing students with work experience that actually has an impact on their professional careers. The way Beeznests works is by connecting local businesses with great talents (students) so that they can find appropriate candidates for their paid internships/projects.
Did you notice the emphasis on "paid"? 😉 Well, that's not there just because having a paid internship aids students in supporting their expenses which, as you know, in this city, are pretty high. It also pushes companies to care more about their interns, offering more responsibilities and a more relevant workload.
"I started this business because I realized, when I got my first unpaid internship, that businesses were not giving enough tasks or relevant responsibilities to unpaid interns. Unpaid internships were just not adding enough value to our professional careers. So I wanted to do something about it." Jin Liu, Beeznests Founder.
So, breaking down what Beeznests offers for you guys to understand it better: it's basically a platform where companies or individuals can post an internship or project. Students can go through them and decide if they want to apply, or, alternatively, students can go and publish their own projects there! The basic concept of Beeznest is to promote the idea of students being proactive when looking for a job, not just standing still waiting for things to happen to them.
Let’s say you have a business or project idea. Well, you can sign in to Beeznests and publish it there so that you can connect with like-minded students who would like to help you with your project! “You are not finding the right opportunities for you? Then you can create them!” That was Jin’s intention when creating this platform.
“But that’s not different from looking for a job in any other job searching platform like Indeed or LinkedIn!” Well, not exactly. The concept is the same, yes. Still, published opportunities in Beeznests are specifically selected for international students. Helping you avoid the challenge of competing with not only international but also domestic applicants. Furthermore, posted positions here always include the person who is posting them! Therefore it allows you the opportunity to reach out to them, network, and increase your chances of getting noticed 😉
So please, to whoever is reading this, regardless if you are a current student or someone who is still thinking about becoming one, or maybe you are already in Canada, and you are already settled in… Regardless, we ask you to please don’t ignore this issue, too many international students struggle with finding a job when they arrive so, by being aware of this you could be prepared for that moment, you could arrive or help other people arrive with the proper mindset as they would already know what to expect from Vancouver. The majority of students come here to study as part of a bigger picture; the dream to eventually become Canadians.
Not being able to find a job and being dismissed by potential employers is not something students take lightly. It really affects them. It is emotionally exhausting. It drains their energy and makes them question if leaving everything behind to come here is worth it. So we ask you, don’t ignore this information; use the tools people like Jin and Beeznests offer. If you are no longer a student but know someone who might want to be one, share this information with them. It gives them an accurate picture of what to expect and what to do.
Oh, and one last final note before we go, the last tips from Beeznests founder:
Be mentally prepared… Vancouver is a great place to live, but it's gonna be tough for you. It's an expensive city, and you usually start from the bottom. Entry-level job, working as a barista, server or something similar.
Be patient: Starting from the bottom is not easy, but if you trust the process, if you are proactive, and if you believe in yourself and what you bring to the table, then you'll get out of there soon enough.
Don't stay still and wait for things to happen! If things are not moving around you, then take action and create some movement yourself. Talk to people, network, talk to other students and create a project together. All of these things will allow you to go forward.
Want to find jobs for international students? Then don’t forget to join Beeznests and make your profile. You’ll have access to multiple opportunities, projects and you’ll be part of a community of international students. Join right here!
We have also partnered with Beeznests for an exclusive offer for our members only.
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