Post: #2121

(01-03-2014 11:01 PM)TravellingSoldier Wrote:  Hey guys,

To start off I'd like to give a big shout out to Scotian and everyone else who has contributed to this thread! There is a lot of valuable information to be found within these pages and I suggest anyone who is new to this thread go back and do a full read through as I have. I sincerely wouldn't have seriously considered making the move to Alberta without all the info and help here.

Back Story:

I'm from Hamilton, Ontario (absolute shit hole town.) and graduated from high school in June. I saved as much as I could from the time of my graduation to my 18th birthday in preparation for the move. I turned 18 on Nov. 27th and was in Edmonton by Dec. 3. I saved about $5500 and had a good amount of warm clothes prepped ready to venture out into the -40 weather.. I took a job doing snow removal for $15 an hour and used this to help pay for my safety tickets and all expenses (I have a friend to stay with in Ed and was able to live rent free for this first month fortunately.) The tickets I got were H2S Alive, HCP CPR & Standard First Aid, OSSA Fall Protection, CSTS 09 and OSSA Orientation. From what I've seen these are the most relatively important and the others are more site/job specific.

I spent countless hours on job posting sites and boards, researching companies and cold calling, trying to find a job in electrical work (no experience.) I yellowpage searched for electrical contractors and went down the list calling each one asking if they hire start-up apprentices. This actually helped a lot with interview skills and allowed me to create contacts as even the electricians that weren't hiring would give me numbers to call of colleagues and friends which is the best way to get hired usually. Ironically enough I got a break with a friend who's brother-in-law is an electrician. Just by calling the company he works for and dropping his name, they called me and I started work on the 16th. The only question they asked when they called to send me up to camp was "Can you pass a drug test?" Lol... Within 3 hours of the call, they picked me up and I was up north, 45 mins from The Big Dirty at a nice camp called Kinosis.

Within a week or 2 they are going to be indenturing me as a first year electrician - $22 per/hr wage, 84 hour week, overtime after 8 hours, overtime saturday and sunday. All this WITHIN 2 WEEKS of arrival, in the supposed "slow period" for work. I was making $13 an hour in Hamilton and my friends were all jealous.... Now, I may have had a lucky break with a contact, but there is tons of work out here which you already know and as long as you are sociable you can make friends and find a job relatively easily. Trust me, if you have nothing holding you back, especially if you live within Canada make the move out here and bank some money so you can pursue your actual dreams. Unless you like the work, which I don't mind at all, more power to you!

Anyways just thought I would share a little bit of information for my adventure out here so far and will keep you all updated, if you have questions feel free to ask. Thanks again Scotian and everyone else who has contributed here, I probably wouldn't be in Alberta without you. Take it from me, a greenhand newly 18 year old with a dream, anything is possible if you work hard for it. It is literally as easy as posting on Kijiji your credentials, you will find a job out here. I was making a call to a company on the Greyhound a day before I arrived in Ed and started doing the snow removal a day after arrival. If you want it enough, and you are motivated, it will happen. Lying on your resume a bit doesn't hurt either haha... Best of luck to you guys! And don't make fun of me for my screen name, I just like the Dixie Chicks.... lmao.

P.S, I don't have a car or plan to get one, you can still find work without

Wow your story is very motivative. I already had a plan of making the trip to edmonton and this pretty much seals the deal on that plan. Thank you for sharing your experience. I practically have the same plan as you and am going to have the same tickets as well. Its a waiting game now for me. I'd rather take the trip either march or april, cause i need to save up and i do not want to deal with that winter just yet. Very informative thread, thank you to everyone who contributed. It takes awhile to read but you wont regret it for sure.