Working in a Canadian store: quick to find, easy to learn

Many immigrants start their careers in Canada by working in stores or supermarkets: some stand behind the cash register and others shelve goods. Those with a better command of the language advise customers on the shop floor.

And it's only natural — in the fast-growing Canadian economy, the retail market is in constant need of employees. There is always a high turnover in these positions, so it is easy for stores to hire new people without unnecessary deliberation.

In this article, we'll look at:

• how to find an opening;
• wages;
• the pros and cons of being a salesman;
• how to get a job;
• which immigration programs are suitable for cashiers and shop assistants.

Indeed, getting a job in a shop in Canada is easy. Newcomers often find a job like this on the very first day of their search, according to longtime immigrants. Those who aren't lucky on the first day, however, find it within a week. Provided they don't turn their noses up at the offers, of course.

As a rule, shops post their job vacancies directly in their shop windows. People in the know often advise jobseekers to walk around all the shops closest to their home and read the advertisements at the front doors. And this way of looking for work is, oddly enough, best suited to local shops.

Even if there is no advertisement, it is still advisable to go in and ask the salesperson or manager about the vacancies. If the ad hasn't been posted yet, you will be the first.

Salary

Of course, a Canadian store does not offer much in the way of cashier or floor clerk wages. The average salary for a cashier in Canada is $30,000 CAD per year and the national average income is $55,000 CAD. In practice, an inexperienced immigrant with poor language skills can be paid as much as $27,000 CAD or $25,000 CAD per year. That's something like $2000 CAD per month. Sales assistants in some stores have a percentage of sales.

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