Engineering and Geoscience Roles

Application of engineering and geoscience skills and knowledge are bound by society and culture. ITEGs may find that their expertise in their home country is done very differently here. It may take time for them to learn how things are done here and to adapt their skills to the Canadian way of doing things.

ITEGs may also find that what is expected of engineers and geoscientists in Canada is very different from what is expected in their home countries. For example, in some countries, roles are very segregated. An individual may perform a very narrow job function and have very little interaction with others working on the same project. In other countries, only a few people working for a company may interact with clients. In Canada, however, members of the engineering and geoscience teams are expected to be able to perform a variety of functions depending on their position and seniority, and to work with each other and clients directly.

According to Engineers Canada, the top 10 work functions reported by Professional Engineers are:

You will be more valuable to an employer if you are able to perform a variety of functions, work well with other members of your team and interact directly with clients. Employers are particularly interested in individuals who can find new business for the employer (called business development), and manage projects, and contracts (called contract management) as part of their daily job. You will not be expected to do these things right away. Like a new engineering or geoscience graduate, your first engineering or geoscience job in Canada will probably be in a very narrow role. With time and experience in Canada, your role and opportunities will expand as you learn how things are done here.

Cultural Differences

Workplace culture refers to what is considered acceptable business practice in terms of such things as punctuality, time management, language, dress, distances between people when speaking, greetings and more in the workplace. As cultures vary, what is normal in one country may not be normal in another.

Similarly, what is considered desirable workplace behaviour in one country may not be appropriate in another. For example, in some countries, there is a pronounced hierarchy in the workplace. The bosses do most of the decision-making with little input from their employees. In those countries, it may not be appropriate to suggest an alternative solution in a team meeting without first being asked for your opinion. In Canada, however, the hierarchy is not as pronounced. Team problem-solving is encouraged in Canada and making an unsolicited suggestion would be considered appropriate work behavior.

Most ITEGs who lose their jobs lose them because of cultural misunderstandings. Some common on-the-job cultural misunderstandings include:

• Social Status: ITEGs can lack respect for supervisors they believe are 'less than equal' to them because of their education or training;
• Collaboration: ITEGs can be unwilling to take advice or direction from a colleague instead of a supervisor;
• Meaning within Messages: ITEGs can interpret the polite Canadian communication style as lying or being purposefully deceitful. ITEGs sometimes believe that an offer of employment as a technician will turn into an engineering position at the end of the probationary period.
• Career Advancement: ITEGs do not always understand that promotions are based on the employment record of an individual and his or her skills meeting an employer's needs at a given time.

It may take a while to learn and adapt to a new culture. Pay close attention to the way Canadians who have been here for a long time behave and the way Canadians react to that behaviour. If you know someone who is very well liked in Canada, think about their behaviour and the reasons why they may be so popular. You do not have to wait until you are working in engineering or geoscience to observe and learn desirable workplace behaviour. Desirable workplace behaviour is generally the same across industries and professions.

In his book "Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions" by Lionel Laroche, Ph.D., P.Eng. (2003) (Amazon.ca) who states "Managing your career is never a simple task; managing your career in an environment that operates according to unwritten rules that you do not know is especially difficult, particularly when you are not aware that these rules are different from those you were brought up with".

Country Insight This Centre for International Learning website provides cultural information on topics like dress, punctuality, hierarchy and decision-making in the workplace.

Potential to Prosperity (follow the links until you get to "personal stories") These profiles include footage of engineers in the workplace; watch the videos to observe what they wear to work, how they interact with each other and with their supervisors, and more.

Computer Use

Computers are used in almost every job that requires engineering or geoscience skills. Most offices operate on MS Windows and require that you be comfortable with MicroSoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Explorer. Depending on the job, other software programs are also heavily used.

Employment Standards

A typical workweek in Canada is Monday to Friday from about 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Employees are generally given 30 minutes to one hour for lunch and two short breaks. If an individual is doing work in the field, on site or in a manufacturing environment, his or her work hours may vary.

In many countries, engineers and geoscientists are almost always hired on a full-time, permanent basis. In Canada, engineers and geoscientists can be hired full-time or part-time and permanent, casual or contract. Because many companies do work for others, the amount of work they have at any given time can vary. Employers increase or decrease the number of employees they have to accommodate this fluctuation in work volume. As a result, employers will often hire engineers and geoscientists on a temporary contract basis. An employer may hire an engineer or geoscientist for 6 months. If they have more work for the individual at a later time, they may give the individual another contract for another defined period of time.

Probationary periods are also normal in Canada. Most new employees will be "on probation" for a set period of time (six months is common). A probationary period allows the employer and employee to work together for a set period of time to allow them to decide if they work well together and would like to continue the working relationship. Generally, at the end of the probationary period, the employee and employer will meet to decide if both the employee and employer are happy with the working relationship. If either party is unhappy, he or she may terminate the contract without penalty. Quite often, if an employee continues working for the employer at the end of the probationary period, he or she may receive an increase in pay.

Employment Law

The Employment Standards Act and Regulation sets minimum standards that employers must follow in the treatment of their employees. The Employment Standards Act covers issues like minimum wages, mandatory payment of overtime, sick days and termination of employment. It is important to know that members of APEGBC are not protected by the Employment Standards Act .

When you are offered a job, you will be asked to sign a contract. You should read the contract carefully and make sure that you understand it. You can ask that changes be made to the document before you sign it. For example, if the contract specifies a lower wage than you believe is fair, you can ask that the wage be increased. The employer will decide whether he or she is willing to make changes to the contract. You will then decide whether the contract is acceptable to you and whether you would like to take the job. This is called contract negotiation.

It is important to note that the word "employee" has special legal meaning. Depending on the kind of contract you have, you may or may not be considered to be an "employee". If you are not considered to be an "employee" under your contract you may not be covered under the Employment Standards Act or under the company's liability insurance policy, you may not have income tax deducted from your pay cheque and will need to save enough money from each paycheque to pay your income tax by April of every year, and you may not be eligible for Employment Insurance. Make sure you understand whether you are considered to be an "employee" or whether you are considered to be an independent contractor or self-employed.

Deductions

It is important to know that, in most cases, your employer will subtract 25 to 35 per cent of your wages for income taxes, pension and employment insurance.

Employment Insurance and Related Programs

All employees pay into the national Employment Insurance program through a deduction on their paycheque. The Employment Insurance (EI) program provides temporary income support to those who are between jobs; cannot work for reasons of sickness, childbirth, or parenting; or who are providing care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death. To receive employment insurance benefits, an individual must meet certain criteria such a having permenant resident or citizen status in Canada and be employed for a given period of time.

The federal government has other financial assistance programs to help people find and keep jobs. You can learn more about EI and other programs at the Department of Human Resources and Social Development website.

First-Hand Advice

From the Pilot Project Management Team:

• The concept of a team environment in which an engineer, a technologist and a project manager collaborate incorporates many Canadian cultural norms and assumed behavioural expectations. An internationally trained engineer coming from a culture where there is a large power distance between people (e.g. hierarchical society) may find it difficult to relate with or take direction from a colleague or supervisor who is younger or less educated.
• To a large extent, participants did not perceive issues around inter-cultural understanding as a barrier, yet this is one of the greatest barriers mentioned by employment counsellors and immigrant settlement workers, and observed in the Pilot Project. Pilot participants who were least perceptive tended to exhibit stubbornness, inflexibility, anger, confusion, depression, superior attitude and defiance.
• Poor cross-cultural understanding was evident among those who had difficulty staying with a company or keeping a job.
• Lack of professional engineering status is not as big a barrier as often assumed. Cross-cultural misunderstanding and poor non-technical skills are bigger employment barriers than engineering credentials.
• Fitting into the Canadian work culture is a key element for success - and one of the biggest challenges for many internationally trained engineers.

From Internationally Trained Engineers:

• This is a different ballgame in a different place.

Career Development and Job-Search Plan

Open your Career Development and Job-Search Document and go to the LMI Worksheet. Using the information and links provided here and elsewhere, answer the questions in the LMI-SKILL AREA "Work Environment and Culture Skills" section.

Next, go to the Skills Self-Assessment Worksheet and rate your ability in the "Work Environment and Culture Skills " section. It is essential that you are honest with yourself when completing this self-assessment. If you are not honest in answering these questions, your Career Development and Job-Search Plan will not be a useful tool for you.

Finally, go to the Skills Summary Worksheet and follow the instructions there. Complete the "Work Environment and Culture Skills" section.