Plan a search that fits your life

A job search (Alberta alis often says *work search*) is an organized way to look for work. It is not the same as tapping the first colourful ad you see. Official Canadian pages treat looking for work as a skill you can practise: you decide what you can offer, what you need, and where you will look, then you keep a record of what you have done.

This course cannot promise you a job, a wage, or an interview. It is general information, not licensed career counselling, and not legal, immigration, or Employment Insurance advice. If you need help with a work permit, a claim, or a workplace-rights question, use official Government of Canada or Alberta pages, or ask settlement staff, Alberta Supports, or your adult learning council. Wage-and-hours rules belong in *Alberta Employment Standards information*, not here.

Alis’s *Work Search Basics* page (opened 10 November 2026) says to gather what you need and know what kind of work you want before you start. That includes thinking about your needs and wants in a job — hours you can work, how far you can travel, whether you need a paycheque soon, and what kind of tasks you can do safely. A night warehouse shift is not a good “any job” if you cannot find childcare at night. A job in another city is not a good fit if you cannot move. Write those limits down. They are not excuses. They keep you from spending a week on applications you could not accept.

Alis also distinguishes an occupation (a family of jobs that share skills, such as cook) from a job (one position with defined duties, such as weekend cook at a local hall). You will search with occupation words, then tailor each application to that one posting.

Alis says that when you are looking for work you should be as organized — and as busy — as when you have a paid job. Looking for work is a full-time job for many people, and your performance improves if you keep the details in one place.

Their “master list” can live in a notebook, a Word table, or a simple spreadsheet (the Excel Basics course shows how to keep a list, if you want that skill). Alis says the list should have room for:

• employer names and contact details, spelled correctly
• a copy of each job description (postings can disappear before an interview)
• what you sent (resume, letter, form) and the date
• application deadlines and interview dates
• notes about messages you sent or received
• follow-up tasks, such as a thank-you note
• the status of each application

Alis also says to name files clearly — for example Sampletown_cover-email_Nov10 instead of Letter — so you do not attach the wrong file. Use a personal email address that you check often, not a current workplace email. Set up voicemail with a clear greeting, because an employer may call when you cannot pick up.

You do not need a fancy app. A paper binder that you can find again is enough. The habit is what matters: every time you apply, you write down what you sent and when.

If you use a public library computer, take your notes with you (or save them to a cloud folder you control) and sign out. Everyday Computers covers locking a shared machine; this course will not walk through device settings again.

You will search official sites in the next lesson. Today, know the names so you are not starting from random ads.

The Government of Canada’s Job Bank is a free website for searching jobs across Canada. Alberta’s alis site has a “Look for Work” section with articles on work-search basics, resumes, applying, interviews, and offers. On the alis Look for Work page opened 10 November 2026, the Alberta Supports Contact Centre is listed as toll free 1-877-644-9992. Write that number in your notes if you live in Alberta and want to talk to a person.

Your adult learning council may also run employment-readiness workshops. Ask. Those sessions can include interview practice that this self-paced course cannot watch.

Job Bank has separate resource areas for some groups, including people outside Canada. That is not this course. We will not tell you which immigration category you are in, how to get a work permit, or whether you qualify for EI.

Alis notes that to work in Canada people use a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and that Service Canada issues SINs. This course will not help you apply for a SIN and will never ask you to type one here. When we talk about Job Bank accounts in Lesson 7, you will see that some extra services ask for a SIN — and that you can opt out.

Start this course the way alis starts a search: know what you can offer, know what you need, and get organized. Then look for work that fits that plan, not “any job.”

1. Write three limits or needs that a job would have to meet (hours, travel, or kind of work).
2. Choose the email and phone number you would put on a practice resume (not a current workplace email).
3. Start a master list with the column names alis suggests, even if the rows are still empty.
4. Do not type a SIN or password anywhere in this course.

Which limit is hardest to write down — hours, travel, or the kind of work — and who could help you think it through?