Getting started
How to apply for jobs online at big chains
How chain career sites work: Workday accounts, chat and text applications, screening questions, uploading your resume, checking your status, and staying safe.
Guides for your first job
Practical guides for finding and starting your first job in British Columbia and Ontario.
Newcomer tips
Opening a bank account as a newcomer
The ID you need, your right to open a bank account, low-cost and free accounts, direct deposit and void cheques, and how to avoid fees and scams.
Newcomer tips
Canadian workplace basics: what most employers expect
Everyday expectations at a Canadian job: being on time, calling in sick, asking questions, breaks, teamwork, feedback, and small talk with coworkers.
Role guides
Cashier jobs: what the work is like and how to get hired
What cashiers do, the skills employers look for, handling cash and age-restricted sales, where cashiers work in BC and Ontario, and how to get hired.
Job scams
How to check if a job posting is real
Simple checks before you apply: the employer's own careers site, business registries in BC, Ontario and Canada, contact details, pay information, and red flags.
Role guides
Cleaning, janitorial and housekeeping jobs
What janitors, hotel room attendants and store maintenance workers do, how to use cleaning chemicals safely under WHMIS, typical shifts, and how to get hired.
Getting started
Do you need a cover letter for an hourly job?
Many hourly jobs don't ask for a cover letter. Learn when you need one, how to write a short one with no work experience, and see a simple example.
Role guides
Customer service jobs: service desks, call centres and post office counters
What customer service jobs at service desks, call centres and post office counters involve, the skills that help, and how to handle difficult customers safely.
Role guides
Delivery driver jobs: employee or app-based gig work
Delivery jobs as an employee or through an app: the licence you need, insurance for work use, pay rules for app-based workers in BC and Ontario, and taxes.
Certificates
Driver's licences for work in BC and Ontario
BC's L, N and full licence and Ontario's G1, G2 and G: what each lets you do, BC's October 2026 changes, and what to know about insurance when you drive for work.
Job scams
Fake cheque and money mule job scams
How fake cheque, overpayment, 'payment processing' and money mule job scams work, what happens to people who fall for them, and what to do and where to report.
Certificates
First aid certificates for work in BC and Ontario
WorkSafeBC and WSIB first aid levels explained: basic, intermediate and advanced, when employers need them, who pays, and how long a certificate lasts.
Getting started
Your first week at a new job
What happens when you start: giving your SIN, direct deposit, the federal and provincial TD1 forms, training, uniforms, scheduling apps, and probation basics.
Getting started
How to follow up after a job application or interview
When and how to follow up after you apply and after an interview, in person, by email, or by phone, with short sample messages and when to move on.
Certificates
Forklift training in BC and Ontario: what the rules say
There is no government forklift licence in BC or Ontario. Learn what training and evaluation employers must give, the age rules, and whether to pay for a course.
Newcomer tips
Free job search help in the GTA
Free job search help in the GTA, Brampton and Peel: Employment Ontario, newcomer agencies with help in Chinese and Punjabi, libraries, and youth programs.
Newcomer tips
Free job search help in Metro Vancouver
Where to get free job search help in Metro Vancouver: WorkBC Centres, newcomer agencies with help in Chinese and Punjabi, public libraries, and youth programs.
Newcomer tips
How to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Who can apply for a SIN, the documents you need, applying online, in person or by mail, SINs for temporary residents, and how to keep your number safe.
Getting started
Group interviews, job fairs and hiring events
What happens at group interviews, job fairs and in-store hiring events, how to prepare, what to bring, and simple ways to stand out for the right reasons.
Rights at work
Bullying, harassment and discrimination at work in BC and Ontario
What counts as bullying, harassment and discrimination at work in BC and Ontario, what your employer must do, how to report it, deadlines, and free help.
Getting started
Job availability explained: what to write and why it matters
How to fill in your availability honestly, what open availability means, how it affects hiring and hours, working around school, and changing it later.
Role guides
Kitchen helper, prep and dishwasher jobs
What kitchen helpers, prep cooks and dishwashers do, how to stay safe in a busy kitchen, food safety certificates by province, age rules, and how to get hired.
Role guides
Overnight and night shift jobs
What overnight stocking and night shift jobs involve, safety rules for working alone at night, getting home safely, sleep tips, and whether night work pays more.
Role guides
Part-time jobs for students
Balancing school and a part-time job in BC and Ontario: hours and age rules, the student minimum wage, international student limits, summer programs and tax refunds.
Role guides
Pharmacy assistant and beauty advisor jobs
Front store, pharmacy assistant and beauty advisor jobs in drugstores, how an assistant differs from a regulated pharmacy technician, and how to get hired.
Rights at work
Quitting or being let go in BC and Ontario
Notice when you quit or lose your job, final pay deadlines, termination pay basics, your Record of Employment, Employment Insurance, and where to get help.
Rights at work
How to read your pay stub
What BC and Ontario require on your pay statement, gross versus net pay, 2026 CPP, EI and income tax deductions, vacation pay, and what to do if it's wrong.
Getting started
References when you have no work experience
Who can be a job reference when you have never had a job, how to ask them, how to help them prepare, and how to make a simple reference list.
Rights at work
How to refuse unsafe work in BC and Ontario
Your right to refuse unsafe work in BC and Ontario: the steps to follow, protection from punishment, safety training for new workers, and who to call.
Role guides
Retail store associate jobs
What store and sales associates do, the skills that help, busy seasons, pay and uniform rules, Sunday and holiday work in Ontario, and how to get hired.
Role guides
Seasonal and holiday jobs
When stores and warehouses hire for the holidays and summer, how temporary jobs work, your rights as a temporary worker, and how to stay on after the season.
Certificates
How to get a security guard licence in Ontario
Steps to a security guard licence in Ontario: 40 hours of basic training with first aid, the provincial test, age and record checks, the $80 fee, and renewal.
Certificates
How to get a security worker licence in BC
Steps to work as a security guard in BC: Basic Security Training and exam, age and record checks, fingerprints, licence fees, and how to apply online.
Rights at work
Statutory and public holidays in BC and Ontario
BC's 11 statutory holidays and Ontario's 9 public holidays: who qualifies for holiday pay, how it is worked out, and what you earn if you work that day.
Job scams
Text and WhatsApp job scams: how to spot them
Unexpected job offers by text or WhatsApp, 'task' jobs rating apps or liking videos, crypto deposits, and how to block, forward spam texts to 7726, and report.
Rights at work
Tips and tip pooling in BC and Ontario
Who keeps your tips in BC and Ontario, how tip pools work, what your employer can't take from your tips, and what changed in Ontario in 2024.
Getting started
Volunteering to build experience and references
How volunteering helps you get a first job, where to find roles in Metro Vancouver and the GTA, Ontario's 40 volunteer hours, and how to list it on a resume.
Certificates
WHMIS training: what new workers need to know
What WHMIS is, how to read hazard labels and safety data sheets, who must train you, and whether WHMIS training carries over to a new job in BC or Ontario.
Getting started
Working at 15, 16 or 17 in BC and Ontario
Minimum working ages, parent permission, hour limits during school and the types of work teens can do in BC and Ontario, plus Ontario's student minimum wage.
Getting started
Your first job interview
What to expect in an interview for an hourly job: common questions, how to talk about your availability, what to bring, and how to follow up.
Getting started
Writing your first resume with no work experience
No jobs yet? You can still write a strong resume. Use school, volunteering, skills and availability, with a simple one-page layout and an example.
Role guides
Food service and barista jobs
What crew, barista, kitchen and dishwasher jobs involve, which food safety and alcohol certificates you need in BC and Ontario, and how tips work.
Certificates
FOODSAFE and Serving It Right in BC
BC's two main food service certificates: what FOODSAFE Level 1 and Serving It Right are, who needs them, how to get them online, the cost, and how long they last.
Role guides
Getting hired at a grocery store or pharmacy
Cashier, grocery clerk, stocker, front store and beauty jobs: what the work involves, how grocery and pharmacy chains hire, and what helps you get hired.
Job scams
Job scams that target first-time job seekers
Fake job offers target students and newcomers. Learn the warning signs, how to check that an employer is real, and where to report a job scam in Canada.
Newcomer tips
Your first job in Canada as a newcomer
New to Canada? Get your SIN, learn what your permit allows, write a Canadian-style resume, and find free settlement and job help in BC and Ontario.
Certificates
Smart Serve and food handler certification in Ontario
Ontario's two main food service certificates: what Smart Serve and food handler certification are, who needs them, how to get them, the cost, and how long they last.
Role guides
Warehouse and stocking jobs
What overnight stocking and warehouse jobs involve: typical shifts, safety basics, steel-toe boots, overtime rules in BC and Ontario, and how to get hired.
Rights at work
Your rights at work in BC
BC's minimum wage ($18.25 an hour since June 1, 2026), pay statements, breaks, overtime, sick days, the minimum age to work, and where to get help.
Rights at work
Your rights at work in Ontario
Ontario's minimum wage ($17.95 an hour since October 1, 2026), pay, breaks, overtime, public holidays, the Employment Standards Act, and where to get help.