Applying for Work

There may be different ways to apply for different occupations and jobs. Most employers will expect you to fill in an application form or send them a resumé and cover letter. If they are interested in your qualifications, they may contact you for a job interview.

Identify Your Skills

When you look at work options, think about what skills you have that you may be able to apply to the jobs. When you apply for a job, employers use the following to decide if you have the skills for the job:

• Your resumé
• Your cover letter
• A job interview
• Reference checks

You can prepare better if you understand:

• The skills and experience you have to offer; and
• What the employer and job needs are.

Consider the skills you have developed formally through education or training. Describe your skills as clearly as you can. You should also list all the skills you’ve learned informally from such things as volunteer work and other experiences. For example, you may have:

• Learned how to budget by managing your household expenses; or
• Learned how to organize special events by volunteering with a community association.

Some skills, like how to operate specific equipment, can be learned on the job or through training. Other skills are harder to teach, so employers may want to hire people who already have them. These are basic skills that can be used in many different occupations, and are known by several different names - employability skills, transferable skills or essential skills.

Here are a few of the essential skills that Saskatchewan employers look for:

• Good interpersonal and communication skills;
• The ability to plan, manage workloads, meet deadlines, and solve problems;
• The ability to work independently or on teams; and
• The ability to work well with others.

Learn more about Literacy and Essential Skills from the Government of Canada.

In your resumé and while preparing for a job interview, you will need to clearly identify your informal and essential skills; as well as your:

• Skill and abilities related to the job;
• Education;
• Language ability; and
• Your work experience.

You can rate your employability skills through a free online test.

Plan your career with Career Navigator Quizzes to learn how your interests, skills and values can point you to fields of study or even a career.

Research the Employer and Position

You can find important information about the company and the job position you are applying for through the company website and the job advertisement.

Here is a list of questions to research:

• What does the employer or company do?
• What work will the person in this job do?
• What qualifications do I need for this position?
• Do I need a licence to work in this position?
• What skills is the employer looking for?
• Who are the customers or clients?
• What kind of reputation does the employer have?

Prepare and Send In Your Application

Once you find out the answers to these questions, you can write a specific resumé and cover letter for the job.

• A resume is a summary of your education, work experience and skills, for employers.
• A cover letter is your letter of introduction to an employer, stating why you believe you are qualified for the job you are applying for.
• A reference is a person who can speak well of you to an employer or a potential employer.

Use the Resume Builder at Job Bank to help you write an effective resume.

If the employer is interested in your application, they may invite you for a job interview.

• Job Interviews offer employers the chance to ask you questions about your work history, education and skills, and learn more about you and how well you may be able to do the job required.

National Occupational Classification and Credential Recognition

The National Occupation Classifications (NOC) classifies occupations into one of six skill levels, in the TEER Category Overview.

These skill levels indicate the amount of training or education that is needed to enter an occupation:

• TEER 0: Management occupations
• TEER 1: Occupations that usually require a university degree
• TEER 2: Occupations that usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of 2 years or more, or supervisory experience
• TEER 3: Occupations that usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training
• TEER 4: Occupations that usually require a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training
• TEER 5: Occupations that usually need short-term work demonstration and no formal education

Locating Your Job Level in the Matrix

Use the first three numbers in your NOC code to locate your occupation on the TEER Category Overview.

If your job is a Designated Trade in Saskatchewan, but does not meet the TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3, it will still meet the SINP job criteria in the International Skilled Worker category and Student sub-category.

Occupations in Skill Types 1 through to 9 are classified under TEER levels. The second digit of the NOC code represents the level.

Please see NOC Tutorial for further details.

Recognizing Your Professional Credentials in Saskatchewan

If you want to work in an occupation where you need to be licensed or certified in Saskatchewan, please contact the provincial, national and/or industrial regulatory association before you apply for nomination to confirm that you will be able to meet licensing or certification requirements. Before nomination, the SINP will contact the appropriate regulatory body to verify that you are able to work in your occupation.

• Medical professions (requiring licensing or certification): you must apply under the SINP Health Professions sub-category.
• Regulated and Non-regulated Occupations: For information on regulated and non-regulated occupations in Saskatchewan and Canada, visit the following pages:
  
  • Regulated Occupations
  • The Job Bank

Important documents

Be sure to have your important documents that you may need in your job search, including:

• Education documents: Examples are your certificates.
• Work experience documents: Examples are your past job descriptions and performance reviews.
• Translations of your documents. You'll need these if your important documents are not in English of French language.