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A few characteristics and values of the Québec job market
- Eleven years of schooling is the minimum training period required for
most jobs. This corresponds to a high school diploma (DES).
- Written and
spoken knowledge of French and English significantly increases your chances
of job advancement.
- Good knowledge of the written language is highly valued
in the professional job market.
- Some professions and trades are regulated,
requiring various conditions to be fulfilled in order to practise them. If
this is your case, you must
contact
the professional order or relevant regulatory body to obtain the necessary
information.
- Québec offers good opportunities for self-employed work.
- The Québec
job market offers full-time, part-time, temporary and contract work.
- Small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) hire the greatest number of workers.
- Your chances
of obtaining an interview with a potential employer are greater outside the
summer vacation period.
- The dominant values of Québec companies are
generally equality, cooperation, flexibility and participation. Québec
managers value employee participation in the company. While not always the
case, they often consult their subordinates
as needed. They expect direct communication and constructive comments from
employees.
- Equal opportunity is a very important value in Québec.
Even if you come from a privileged socioeconomic background and hold degrees
from distinguished
schools in your country of origin, employers will still expect you to prove
yourself,
like any other Quebecer. This may mean filling a less qualified position,
a part-time job or a contract position, at least for a while.
- In Québec,
the terms stipulated in a job contract have greater weight than the relationship
you may establish with your employer. Functions associated
with a job are generally clearly defined, but leave room for the employee’s
personal initiative. If a conflict arises with your employer, the terms of
the contract, rather than the relationship you have with your employer, will
generally
govern the outcome of the dispute.
- Québec employers value employees
who are prompt and respect deadlines. Work meetings are usually organized
with a specific agenda to make sure that
discussions are structured and orderly and that the meeting’s objectives
are met.
- In Québec, hiring and promotion are generally based on skill,
accomplishments and individual employee performance. Often, Québec
employers also take into account the individual’s capacity to integrate
into the work team.
- Women are very well represented in the Québec job
market. As with men, they practise the professions or trades of their choice.
They occupy
a variety
of occupations and participate at every level of the business hierarchy.
- In
Québec, young people can be considered skilled even if they have
little experience. Consequently, young people sometimes supervise others
with greater experience.
- Québec managers usually try to work by consensus
and resolve conflict through negotiation and compromise.
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