How to find a job in Vancouver

Every now and then I get messaged by people on travel forums about finding work in Vancouver. From my personal experience, finding decent work in Vancouver can be a continual work in progress. It can be tough, frustrating, and even disappointing. It's even moreso if you're not already living here, you don't have connections, or any in-demand skills. And even if you do, that doesn't guarantee anything. Often I find it's all about being in the right place at the right time. It's also very much about who you know.

I always describe Vancouver as having a "niche" economy. The industries are varied: video game development, mining & geology, academia, TV & film, internet marketing, IT, healthcare, yoga, real estate, tourism, outdoor recreation, hospitality, restaurants, etc. But it's not a city I'd recommend if you're into corporate ladder-climbing, head offices, and big global companies in general. I mean, sure, it exists, but corporate culture's not what dominates here. Vancouver is not a headquarter city in the way that Toronto or Calgary are; it's a peripheral city. But there are a lot of grassroots DIY movements around here for the industries that don't dominate. It's just a matter of finding them.

One way to immediately get a sense of what's going on in Vancouver's is to skim through the list of BC's Top Employers.

Another way to get your finger on the pulse of Vancouver's job market is to browse some local job boards. There are of course the usual Canadian standards like Jobshark, Workopolis, and Monster, but I thought I'd compile a list of the lesser-known but equally-useful job boards out there so that we can have a one stop shop. It makes a good starting point, if not just to provide some insight into the types of jobs available in and around Vancouver.

I am by no means an expert when it comes to finding secure employment in Vancouver, but I do like to help where I can! :)

Alliance for Arts and Culture (great site for jobs in arts & culture)

BC Jobs (everything)

BCIT (technical academic - staff & faculty positions)

British Columbia Employment (jobs with the BC provincial government)

Charity Village (jobs in the nonprofit sector)

City of Burnaby (municipal positions in Burnaby)

City of North Vancouver (municipal positions in North Van)

City of Richmond (municipal positions in Richmond)

City of Surrey (municipal positions in Surrey)

City of Vancouver (municipal positions in Vancouver)

Craigslist Vancouver (everything)

eluta (Very cool - it's like the Google search of Canadian job listings)

Emily Carr University (fine arts academic - faculty & staff positions)

Go2HR (tourism, restaurants, & hospitality)

Joint Vancouver Job & Gigs Board (IT, Web 2.0, etc.)

kijiji Vancouver (everything)

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (academic - faculty & staff positions)

Langara College (academic - faculty & staff positions)

Make A Future: Careers in BC Education (teaching & staff positions)

SFU (academic - faculty & staff positions)

Tech Jobs Vancouver (IT, web 2.0, video games, etc.)

Techvibes (IT, Web 2.0, etc.)

UBC (academic - faculty & staff positions)

Vancouver Police Department (policing & civilian positions)

Of course, feel free to contribute your own tips!