A SIX STEP GUIDE

Understand how to 
become certified to work as a
skilled professional in Canada

www.prepareforcanada.com
 Contents

Chapter One: Pre-Arrival 4

Chapter Two: Skills Development 6

Chapter Three: Understanding 8

Canadian Workplaces

11
Chapter Four: Job Finding
Techniques

Chapter Five: Associations

15

Chapter Six: Employment

18

2 Career Pathways > Social Work 2

 Career Pathways

Career Pathways is a 6-step guide that helps you understand how to become
certified to work as a skilled professional in Canada; all the skills upgrading and
job searching strategies that you need to succeed in the Canadian workplace.

It offers resources about major employers and best locations for your profession.
It even shows – through success stories – how other immigrants before you have
walked on the path to professional success in Canada. You will find information
that is specific and tailored to your occupation. All in one place!

Career Pathways is divided into six sections and each has a few sub-sections of
their own. Take some time to navigate the various sections and pathways.

1) Pre-Arrival (If you are about to immigrate, it is advisable to start with this one)
Working in Canada Tool
2) Skills Development
Skills Upgrading; Bridging Programs; Universities and Colleges
3) Understanding Canadian Workplaces
Volunteering; Internship; Mentoring; Job Shadowing
4) Job Finding Techniques
Immigrant Settlement Agencies; Resume Writing; Interview Techniques; Information
Interviews; Networking
5) Associations
National; Provincial; Regulatory Bodies; Immigrant Networks
6) Employment
Occupations; Credentials Recognition; Best Locations; Major Employers; Sector
Reports; Resume Database; Job Board

3 Career Pathways > Social Work 3

Chapter One

Pre-Arrival
The social work sector in Canada is regulated in all provinces. Only those who meet the
qualifications and standards set by the provincial regulatory bodies can use the titles of
“Social Worker” and “Registered Social Worker.” These bodies issue licenses or
certificates to individuals who meet their registration requirements.

The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is the national organization

which represents social workers from across Canada. You need to apply directly to
the appropriate provincial regulatory authority if you wish to become licensed as a
social worker or registered social worker in Canada.

It’s important to have a general overview of how your international qualifications may
be viewed in Canada and a general sense of the Canadian labour market and
workplace culture.

There are many steps that you can take before immigrating to Canada to improve
your chances of success to practice your profession in your future country.
• Contact the Canadian diplomatic
mission closest to you to find out about
the employment requirements for the
social work occupation in Canada.

• Contact the association mandated with

regulating social workers in the
province where you’ll settle in Canada
and enquire about the specific licensing
procedure you can take prior to
immigrating and afterwards.

• You must prove your English or French

(depending on your destination
province) language competency or be
tested. Even if you’re a fluent speaker
of English or French, it’s helpful to
• improve your language skills and enroll in language classes while in your home
country and continue them after moving to Canada. You can assess your language
skills by taking an online self-assessment test on the Canadian Language
Benchmarks website.

• It’s easier for you to gather and organize your official education, work and identity
documents while still in your home country. Check with your provincial or territorial
regulatory body to enquire about the documents you need to bring and about
verifying the translation of these documents. You might need to use a professional
translation service in Canada.

Career Pathways > Social Work 4

• Understand how your profession is practiced in Canada and familiarize yourself with
the laws and legislation that governs your profession in the province where you’ll
settle.

• Know the name of your job in Canada and make a list of potential employers.

• Enquire about the procedure to get a driver’s license in Canada and apply for it as
soon as you land, as it would be very useful when you get a job or even to get a job.

Career Pathways > Social Work 5

Chapter Two

Skills Development

In addition to accreditation, you may be required to take some courses, enroll in a

bridging program or upgrade your language skills in order to become certified as a
social worker and find employment in your field.

Skills Upgrading

In order to become employed in Canada, you may need training or skills upgrading,
especially regarding your soft skills. Employers in Canada expect social workers to
have empathy, understanding, strong professional ethics, computer competence and
the ability to work in difficult situations.

Having strong skills in one or both of Canada’s official languages – English or French
– is extremely important for your future in Canada. Whether you choose to focus on
learning or improving English or French will depend on which of the two languages
most people speak in the area where you live. You may be eligible for Language
Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. Otherwise, you can find other
free or affordable classes in English as a Second Language (ESL) or French as a
Second Language (FSL) classes through the school boards or settlement agencies.
There are even language courses to teach you professional terminology, such
as Enhanced Language Training (ELT) and Occupation Specific Language Training
(OSLT). And if you already speak one of Canada’s two official languages at a fluent
level, learning the other one is a good option, as it may offer you better employment
opportunities.

Career Pathways > Social Work 6

Education
Many immigrants continue their education after coming to Canada. Some even
want to change careers or enhance their careers with a Ph.D or MBA.

Universities and colleges across Canada offer a number of bridging programs

designed to help immigrants get Canadian certification in their field.
Click here for links where you can find courses and subjects that interest you.

Bridging Programs

Bridging programs are a good way to transition from your international experience
and training to the Canadian workplace. Though there are not many bridging
programs for internationally trained social workers, many colleges, universities
and immigrant-serving agencies offer courses or workshops related to the social
sector. You may be eligible for one. Conduct some research to find a program
that’s suitable for you.

Ontario

Ryerson University
Internationally Educated Social Work Professionals (IESW)
This program helps internationally educated social work professionals to work in
their field in Ontario. Participants of this program will have access to training,
workplace experience, employment support and an occupation-specific
communications course. In addition, this program will develop a peer support
program for effective workplace integration of participants.

Career Pathways > Social Work 7

 Chapter Three

Understanding Canadian
Workplaces
Canadian employers, who often do not know how to
assess education and work experience from other
countries, may require or prefer you to have
experience working in Canada. Lack of local market
experience can pose a challenge for newcomers, but
there are ways to overcome some of them.

When an employer tells you that you have no

“Canadian experience” they often mean that they’re
not sure if you’re going to fit into their workplace.
They are unsure that you are familiar with Canadian
codes and standards of practice or that you have the
communication skills, etiquette or inter-personal
savvy to be an asset to their firm.
Employers want friendly, assertive professionals with
excellent communication skills who will fit in and
become natural leaders.
You can overcome this barrier and acquire a good
understanding of how a Canadian workplace
operates by volunteering, meeting people, having a
mentor, getting an internship or job shadowing.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an important
part of Canadian society and
lifestyle. It helps you settle in
faster, make friends, practice
skills and even it might lead
you to a job at the
organization where you’re
volunteering or somewhere
else. You can find hundreds
of volunteering opportunities
in community organizations
and social non-profits in your
area by contacting your local
volunteer centre.

You can also ask your

relatives, friends or
colleagues for volunteer
opportunities that suit your
skills and interests. You
should consider volunteering
in your community as it is an
important tool that can help
you integrate faster into
society and workforce.

Click here to learn more

about the benefits of
8 Career Pathways > Social Work 8
volunteering.
Internship

Internships are an excellent

way to gain Canadian
experience. You can find
different internship programs
in Canada that can help you
or you can find your own by
networking.

One of the well-known

internship programs
is Career Edge, an
innovative internship
program that allows
internationally qualified
professionals to apply for
paid internships at Canada’s
leading private, public or
non-profit sector employers.
The program offers paid
internships of four, six, nine
or 12 months for recent
immigrants:
▪ with fluency in English

▪ with at least a Bachelor’s level education

▪ with a minimum of three years international work experience

The program is run by Career Edge Organization, a not-for-profit social enterprise that has
managed over 9,200 paid internships across Canada since 1996.

Another opportunity is the Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program which provides
recent immigrants with valuable temporary Canadian work experience and training
opportunities with federal government departments and other public and private sector
organizations.

Interns are hired as casual employees for 90 working days, with the possibility of extending the
internship an additional 90 working days.

Internships are offered in categories such as: policy, administration, project management,
computer science, communications and science. A mentor will be provided for the duration of
the internship.
Another opportunity is the Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program, which provides
recent immigrants with valuable temporary Canadian work experience and training
opportunities with federal government departments and other public and private sector
organizations. Interns are hired as casual employees for 90 working days, with the possibility
of extending the internship an additional 90 working days.

Internships are offered in categories such as: policy, administration, project management,
computer science, communications and science. A mentor will be provided for the duration of
the internship.

Career Pathways > Social Work 9

Mentoring
Video
It’s important to find How can newcomers benefit from
someone who can coach mentoring?
or mentor you and share
information about social
work in Canada. Many
professional associations
and some companies offer
this type of “buddy”
program, where a
seasoned member guides
a junior one.

Also, many
immigrant-serving
agencies
have mentorship programs
where they team up a
newcomer with someone Job Shadowing
in their professional field.

The Mentoring Not exactly a mentorship or a volunteer opportunity,

Partnership brings
together recent skilled
immigrants and
established professionals
in occupation-specific
mentoring relationships.
The program is managed
by the Toronto Region
Immigrant Employment
Council.
job shadowing is an interesting way to get some inside
information on your industry in Canada, learn about
how the Canadian workplace operates and possibly
gain some good networking contacts. This can last
anywhere from an hour to an entire day. Toward the
end of an information interview, ask if it’s possible to
job shadow the person, of course only if you feel that
the interview has gone well. Job shadowing is a great
way to find out what an hour or a day on your job is like
in Canada.

For similar programs in

other Canadian cities,
check the immigrant
employment council in
your area.

You can also look for

mentoring opportunities
online, by registering for
sites such as MentorCity.

Career Pathways > Social Work 10

 Chapter Four

Job Finding Techniques

The Canadian job market is very competitive and
jobs aren’t easy to find. It may take some time to find
full-time work as a social worker, so be prepared and
understand each of the steps needed to gain
employment.

• Finding a job in Canada may be very different than

in your home country. Most immigrant-serving
organizations offer help with finding job vacancies,
updating your resume, writing cover letters,
preparing for interviews and understanding what
Canadian employers are looking for.

• Broaden your search and include alternative

careers and other geographical areas.

• Join job-finding or networking groups in the social

sector through the immigrant-serving agencies.
Settlement Agencies
• Attend career/job fairs, info sessions and
conferences related to the social sector.

• Most community agencies need volunteers. Look Most settlement agencies and
for volunteering opportunities with social agencies other immigrant-serving
and centres in your community. organizations offer help with
finding job vacancies, updating
• Seek out a mentor in the social sector – for your resume, writing cover
letters, preparing for interviews,
example, a retired social worker – who would give
and understanding what
you valuable insight and advice and probably Canadian employers are
introduce you to their professional network. looking for.

Click here to find immigrant

services in your area.

11 Career Pathways > Social Work 11

Resume writing
Holding a degree in social work will
qualify you to work in many different
jobs such as counselor, admissions
adviser, case manager and several
management and director positions.

Functional Resume: To get an

interview for any type of social work
position, you need a resume that
demonstrates your skills and is
angled toward the position you want.
As such, a functional resume works
best for social workers. For example,
if you have experience working with
at-risk children and adults with substance abuse problems, you must highlight
these skills and categorize your experience by the group you worked with rather
than by the timeline of positions you held.

Statement of Objective: When writing your resume for a social work position, your
statement of objective should appear in the beginning.

Agency Needs: Successful resumes for social work and public health concentrate
on the desire to serve society. Your resume should also focus on the agency
mission and emphasize how your goal and desires align with those of the agency
you are applying to. Blending your personal experience and education with the
needs of the agency or the person hiring is key to a successful resume. Focusing
exclusively on your background can have a negative effect.

Numbers: Don’t be afraid to use numbers. If you worked with a 25-client case load,
let the potential employer know. If you have a high success rate in preventing drug
use in your adolescent clients, put it in your resume. Even if you have served in
director or management positions, state numbers explaining your budget. Using
numbers to explain your work experience can provide a potential employer insights
into your skills and capabilities.

Education: Social work is a field requiring continual education and professional

development. Therefore, include your education in your resume and mention any
bridging programs and continuing education courses. Potential employers want to
see that you have met all of the educational requirements to be a licensed social
worker and that you are constantly working to improving your skills.

Interview Techniques
A job interview for a social worker position will include behavioural questions and
experience or qualifications questions. These questions are asked to assess the
level of your skills and motivation to the said position.

Career Pathways > Social Work 12

Below are some sample questions you might be asked during a social worker
interview:

• What are your experiences/qualifications for this position – working with people
with social needs?

• Why did you choose this career? What motivates you about social work?

• Describe an unexpected/stressful situation you’ve experienced in your previous

job as social worker. How did you handle the situation?

• The following is a description of a client. What is your assessment and diagnosis?

What kind of treatment and plan would you implement?

• How do you show an interest and compassion in what a person (with social
needs) is saying?

• Have you ever acted as a mentor?

• How do you prioritize tasks during a day work? How do you handle a high
workload?

• Have you turn down a request from a person? What was the reason?

• What would you think are the key social work challenges for this position?

• Describe a social problem and the way you collect information to establish a
problem solving model.

• Describe social work in which you conduct team meetings, interviews and group
training.

Informational Interviews

An informational interview is a brief (20–30-minute) meeting that you schedule with

a person who is currently working in your target field and geographic location to
learn more about that particular sector.

You should not try to get a job during an informational interview but rather find out
whether or not a particular position or industry might be a good fit for your interests
and your personality. An informational interview with a contact from your network
can be an excellent source of career information because, in addition to basic
information about a particular type of industry (such as you might find on an
organization’s website), it also offers you the benefit of a professional’s first-hand
experiences and impressions.
Networking

Networking is an essential tool that may provide job leads, offer you advice and
information about a particular company or industry that can strengthen your
resume, cover letter, and interview skills. As many job vacancies are not
advertised, you must make connections with working social workers and others
within your field.

Career Pathways > Social Work 13

Good places to network are gatherings such as conferences, association
luncheons, and social mixers for their convenience in meeting people, building
relationships, and sharing information.

LinkedIn is another important professional tool for networking. It is great for

reconnecting with your ex-colleagues and employers, search by company or jobs,
and get in introductions and recommendations.

You can also mingle with people in the social sector and join some related
professional groups. Note that it’s not appropriate to ask a networking contact for a
job, but if they know of any job leads, they may share them.

Remember that you have to allow time to cultivate and grow the ties you establish
through networking. Nothing will happen overnight and you must to be patient.

Career Pathways > Social Work 14

 Chapter Five

Associations
Each Canadian province has its own regulatory body to license
social workers who meet the profession’s high standards, and to
govern the profession of engineering. The associations listed
below provide additional information about licensure and
certification and offer a variety of professional development,
education and networking opportunities.
National
Manitoba
Canadian Association of Social Workers
(CASW)
383 Parkdale Avenue, Suite 402 Manitoba College of Social Workers
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4R4 Unit 101-2033 Portage Ave.
Phone: +1-613-729-6668 Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 0K8
Email: casw@casw-acts.ca Phone: +1-204-888-9477
Email: info@mcsw.ca
Canadian Association of Social Work
Education (CASWE)
383 Parkdale Avenue, Suite 410, New Brunswick
Ottawa, ON K1Y 4R4
Phone: +1-613-792-1953
New Brunswick Association of Social Workers
P.O. Box 1533, Postal Station A Fredericton, NB
Provincial/Territorial Regulatory E3B 5G2
Bodies Phone: +1-506-459-5595 / 1-877-495-5595 (NB
Alberta residents only)
Email: nbasw@nbasw-atsnb.ca
Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)
10707-100 Ave. NW, Suite 550 Nova Scotia
Edmonton AB T5J 3M1 Canada
Phone : +1-780-421-1167
Email : casw@casw-acts.ca Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers
1891 Brunswick St., Suite 106
British Columbia Halifax, NS B3J 2G8
Phone: +1-902-429-7799
British Columbia College of Social Workers Email: nsasw@nsasw.org
(BCCSW)
302-1765 West 8th Avenue
Vancouver BC V6J 5C6 Canada Newfoundland and Labrador
Phone : +1-604-737-4916
Email : info@bccsw.ca Newfoundland and Labrador Association of
Social Workers
PO Box 39039
St. John’s, NL A1E 5Y7
Career Pathways > Social Media Phone: +1-709-753-0200 15
Email: info@nlasw.ca
Ontario Northern Canada

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social The Association of Social Workers of Northern
Service Workers (OCSWSSW) Canada (ASWNC)
250 Bloor Street East, Suite 1000 c/o Geri Elkin
Toronto ON M4W 1E6 Canada Box 2963
Phone : +1-416-972-9882 Yellowknife, NT X1A 2R2
Email : info@ocswssw.org Phone: +1-867-920-4479
Email: ed@socialworknorth.com
Prince Edward Island
Immigrant Networks
Prince Edward Island Association of Social
Workers Professional immigrant networks are organized,
81 Prince Street volunteer-run member-based associations or
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4R3 networks created by and for immigrant
Phone: +1-902-368-7337 professionals that seek to:
Email: vrc@eastlink.ca
Quebec • create a forum to contribute to and enrich
their respective communities
Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des • provide opportunities for members to find
théraputiques conjugaux et familiaux du meaningful employment and achieve their
Québec (OTSTCFQ) professional goals
255, boul. Crémazie Est, bureau 520
Montréal QC H2M 1M2 Canada These networks organize networking events,
Phone : +1-514-731-3925 mentoring, information sessions, and also
Email : info.general@otstcfq.org provide professional development opportunities
Saskatchewan such as workshops, training and connections to
employment opportunities.
Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers
2110 Lorne St. The below mentioned professional immigrant
Regina, SK S4P 2M5 networks do not serve the social work sector
Phone: +1-306-545-1922 exclusively, but include many immigrant social
Email: sasw@accesscomm.ca workers among their membership:

Nova Scotia
Other Provincial Associations
IETP-NS: Association of Internationally
British Columbia Educated and Trained Professionals of Nova
Scotia
IETP-NS helps newcomer professionals with
British Columbia Association of Social Workers their full economic and social integration in the
Suite 402, 1755 West Broadway province of Nova Scotia.
Vancouver, BC V6J 4S5
Phone: +1-604-730-9111 /1-800-665-4747 (BC
residents only)
Email: bcasw@bcasw.org

Career Pathways > Social Media 16

Ontario

Chinese Professionals Association of Canada

Javeriana University Professional Alumni
Association in Canada
Mississauga Mandarin Association
Philippine Teachers Association – Canada

Video
Professional Immigrant
Networks

Career Pathways > Social Media 17

Chapter Six

Employment
Finding a job in Canada may be different from your native country and you may need
help finding job vacancies, updating your resume, writing cover letters, preparing for
interviews, and understanding what Canadian employers are looking for.
Note that social workers may have various job titles or do different jobs such as
coordinator of social work, medical social worker, psychiatric social worker, social work
supervisor, clinical social worker.
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada’s reference on
occupations. It provides job descriptions, occupational statistics and labour market
information.
Credentials Recognition
One of the first things you need to do is to find out the requirements to work as a
social worker in Canada. Therefore, after you obtain your immigration visa, contact
the regulatory body in the province or territory where you intend to settle in Canada.
They will advise you about the required documentation and the assessment fees. It is
highly recommended that you take complete step before you arrive in Canada.

You may be asked to submit some or all of the following:

• Original diplomas, degrees or full transcripts recording your course and marks, and
the official program syllabuses or course descriptions.
• Full address of the educational and professional institutions where you obtained
your engineering qualifications.
• Employment and character references
• Work descriptions and letters from professional agencies. All documents must have
certified English or French translation (depending on the province).
• Contact the professional association in the province or territory you will settle in
before you move to get more information about the schedule of exams. Take that
into consideration when deciding the actual date of your departure to Canada.
• It’s important not to rush your application and complete it only once you are fully
aware of the licensure procedure and the regulatory body’s expectations from you.

The Canadian Association of Social Workers assesses your credentials. You can
download the assessment application form from the “Internationally Educated Social
Workers” section of their website. You can also ask for an application package be
sent to you. The CASW assessment is accepted in all Canadian provinces, with the
exception of British Columbia and Quebec. These two provinces have their own
assessment process, the details of which you can get from the appropriate provincial
authority.

Note that the CASW doesn’t recognize education received through distance learning
or self-study.

Career Pathways > Social Work 18

Credentials Assessment Services

If you are planning to enroll in a college or university program to upgrade your skills
and need an assessment for academic purposes (or employment purposes), you can
contact the institution in which you plan to study and find out the steps you should
take and the credential assessment agency you should use.
Make sure not to discount your international education and skills. Try to build on your
existing knowledge and skills and explore university and college options thoroughly
before deciding. You might be eligible for advanced standing, transfer some of your
credits and benefit from prior learning assessment options by using your international
credentials and experience to gain credit or course exemptions. This way you will
complete your program more quickly, without wasting money and repeating the
education you already have.

World Education Services (WES) – Ontario

International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) – Alberta
The International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) – British Columbia

To find more organizations and agencies providing credential evaluation, assessment

and qualification recognition services, click here. You can also visit the Foreign
Credentials Referral Office for information, path-finding and referral services on
foreign credential recognition to help internationally trained workers like you succeed
and put their skills to work in Canada more quickly.

Career Pathways > Social Work 19

Best Locations

There are thousands of social organizations across Canada and you may find job
opportunities in every city or town. However, it will be helpful for you to focus on the
cities and provinces that are experiencing the highest population growth or are open
to newcomers. Demand for expanded social services in these areas will create
greater opportunities for social workers.

The figures from the last census in 2011 show that of the 10 fastest-growing census
metropolitan areas in the Canada, seven are in Alberta, and all the rest are in
Western Canada — one each in the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and
Saskatchewan.

Major Employers

Social workers are employed in family service agencies, social housing agencies,
hospitals, school boards, correctional institutions, welfare administration agencies,
child welfare agencies, community health centres, employee assistance programs,
addiction services and government departments. They can also operate a private
practice.

You can view a directory of Canadian social organizations and job postings in the
social sector by visiting Charity Village, which contains a great deal of information
about the nonprofit sector in Canada.

You can also learn about the best Canadian companies that hire recent immigrants
and offer them job opportunities by visiting the Canada's Best Diversity
Employers website. These employers offer interesting programs to assist new
Canadians in making the transition to a new workplace — and a new life in Canada.
Another website to check is TRIEC’s Hire Immigrants Employer Success Stories,
which recognizes employer leadership and innovation in recruiting and retaining
skilled immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area.

Career Pathways > Social Work 20

Copyright © 2018 by Destination Canada Information Inc. All rights reserved. No part
of this eBook may be shared, reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means —
graphic, electronic, or mechanical — without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Laws and regulations are constantly changing. Every effort is made to keep this
publication as current as possible. However, the author, the publisher, and the vendor
of this eBook make no representations or warranties regarding the outcome or the
use to which the information in this eBook is put and are not assuming any liability for
any claims, losses, or damages arising out of the use of this eBook. The reader
should not rely solely on the author or the publisher of this eBook for any professional
advice.

Note: Any fees quoted in this eBook are correct at the date of publication. However,
fees are subject to change without notice. For current fees, please check appropriate
government office nearest you.

Website links often expire or web pages move, at the time of this eBook’s publication
the links were current.

Career Pathways > Social Media 21

 © Prepare for Canada . 2018

© Prepare for Canada, 2015 22