Shubhendu Tripathi is a software engineer and the founder of AWSAP Consultancy Services in Kitchener, Canada. Originally from India, Shubhendu landed a tech internship through AIESEC and moved to Quebec in October 2014. Before starting his own consulting company, Shubhendu worked as a SAP ABAP Developer for Leclerc Foods and co-founded MealSurfers, a platform for those looking to earn an additional income with their cooking.
I am lucky to have grown up in an era of disruption. Whether it was Apple or Facebook from the USA or BlackBerry from Canada, these new companies were changing the way business worked. However, it really made me think that what was so special about the culture of North America that all the leading tech companies were coming from the region. And when I got accepted for an international internship in Canada, I decided to come see it for myself. It was more than 5 and a half years ago, and I still surprise myself with the innovative companies and people that I meet here on a daily basis.
I was a part of AIESEC, a leading student organization. It was this organization which helped me secure an internship in Canada.
There are many ways to find work in Canada. Apart from AIESEC, one can also check out Canada.ca. They have a lot of information if you are looking to get work. Always remember, Canada is a very welcoming country especially if you are talented in your field and are really passionate about it.
Overall, the visa process took me two months or three. As to the visa type, I applied for the W2 worker visa. To obtain it, you should provide your education history, a job offer letter, CAQ, Labour Market Opinion number (now called LMIA — Labour Market Impact Assessment). As I remember, the visa cost me about 170–200 CAD.
It was for the same kind of work permit but with extended dates.
I have had many adventures in Canada. From learning to speak in French to failing miserably in alpine skiing. Each experience has only made me feel more alive. I wouldn’t want to change any of it.
There are all kinds of jobs and companies. If you want a normal 9–5 corporate job or want to work with an innovative startup, there is something for everyone. Quality of life is very good. Irrespective of your background and your country of origin, you will always feel at home.
The winter ;)
Yes. The rents have increased in the last few years. While Toronto and Vancouver stay on the expensive side, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton have decent rental rates considering the salaries in those cities.
Kijiji.ca and Realtor.ca are the two popular sites.
This depends on a lot of factors:
If you have to commute within Toronto, you have a lot of options in Subway, buses, streetcars, and cheap UberPOOL. If you live in the suburbs and want to commute to Toronto for work, there are efficient and not-so-expensive GO trains and buses.
If you live in/around Toronto and your work is in the Suburbs or outside 50km radius, you really need to have a car. Owning a car while living and working in Toronto is both expensive and not worth it.
Always keep yourself updated with the latest technology trends. Especially in the following — AR, VR, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Another important thing to do is to make sure that your skillset is not concentrated in one direction. Employers would normally prefer a Full Stack developer anytime over a backend or frontend programmer.
Fancy joining one of the tech companies in Toronto or Vancouver? Browse through the list of available Software Engineer jobs in Canada to find the right one for you!
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