You asked, we got you the answers. In our Ask the Expert series, Dan Shaikh responds to real questions from our readers about building a career in Canada. In this instalment, he addresses a concern many experienced professionals share: how to find a job later in life.
A 67-year-old quantitative analyst with decades of experience at a major U.S. bank recently asked me for advice. He has his Canadian permanent resident card and is ready to make the move. His question was simple: how do I get a professional job in Canada?
His situation is specific, but the challenge is universal. Whether you’re 25 or 65, skilled newcomers face the same core problem: Canadian employers don’t know who you are.
AI is transforming the job market faster than most people realize. Entire industries are shifting. In a world where automation can replicate skills, visibility is what sets you apart. Your experience matters—but only if people can see it.
For any professional moving to a new country, this challenge is significant. Canadian employers don’t know your track record, and they can’t easily verify your network. When they search for you online and nothing shows up, you become invisible.
Building a personal brand that makes you stand out in your industry has never been more important. Visibility creates trust—and trust is what leads to opportunities.
The visibility gap
Most skilled professionals have spent their careers letting their work speak for itself. They didn’t need a personal brand because their reputation was built through years of relationships and results.
That reputation doesn’t follow you to a new country. Add the “Canadian experience” requirement, and you’re facing an uphill battle before anyone even sees your resumé.
Building a visible personal brand
Most people think LinkedIn is enough. It’s not.
LinkedIn is where everyone focuses, but building a strong personal brand requires showing up where people aren’t always thinking about work—platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and your own website. When you show up across multiple platforms, you stay top of mind—even when someone isn’t actively hiring.
Start with a personal website. This is where you control your narrative. Most people don’t even own the domain of their own name. But decision-makers will search for you. When they do, what shows up?
Your website should be the foundation of your visibility.
YouTube is one of the largest search engines in the world. Regardless of how you feel about video, you need to be searchable on it. People need to see how you communicate. Hearing your voice and watching you speak builds trust in a way text alone cannot.
Instagram offers a quick snapshot of your credibility. Someone landing on your profile can understand your story in seconds—your work, your achievements, your presence.
The role of AI
AI is now pulling information about you from everywhere—your website, your LinkedIn profile, your social platforms.
If you’re not giving it anything to work with, you don’t exist in those systems.
The professionals who show up consistently across platforms are the ones who get found.
Your experience is your edge
Your experience still matters. In fact, it matters more than ever—but only if you position it correctly.
You need to demonstrate that you understand the industry you’re entering. Can you solve problems?
AI can automate tasks. It cannot replace judgment built over years of experience.
Position yourself as someone who solves problems—not someone who simply completes tasks.
Practical steps
1. Build your digital presence before you arrive
Start with a personal website. Then optimize your LinkedIn profile, set up your Instagram, and consider YouTube. Make it easy for Canadian employers and recruiters to find you.
2. Reframe your experience as problem-solving
Focus on the problems you’ve solved, not just your titles. What challenges have you navigated? What results have you delivered? Employers may not recognize your previous company—but they will recognize outcomes.
3. Build relationships before you need them
Approach networking with curiosity. Understand what challenges people are facing and look for ways to help. Join professional associations. Attend industry events. Offer to mentor others. Relationships lead to opportunities.
4. Get visible in your area of expertise
Write about what you know. Share insights. Get on video. When people see you consistently, they begin to associate you with your field.
Visibility creates trust. When the right people can find you and understand what you bring, opportunities follow.
The challenge for newcomers isn’t a lack of experience. It’s making that experience visible in a market that doesn’t know you yet.
Build your presence now.
