top of page

Canadian Job Market Awareness for International Students

CLIENT

City of Kingston

TEAM 

Myself, Dhriti Behl, Siddhant Sharma, Iovanna, Fernando 

DURATION

6 months

MY ROLE

UX Researcher

UX Designer

TOOLS

Competitive scan, Interviews, Surveys, MS Ecxel.

BRIEF

To understand the challenges faced by international students in finding employment opportunities in Kingston and to propose strategies for improvement.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • User Research

  • User Interviews

  • Designing research methodologies

  • Conducting interviews and surveys

  • Analyzing data

  • Identifying key insights and trends

  • Formulating recommendations

RESULT

  • We successfully defined and analyzed struggles of international students for sharing information on resources and job opportunities. They emphasized better communication between city administration and schools, personalized career services and networking events.

  • Stakeholders appreciated the students' insights, recognizing their importance in addressing employment integration challenges.

How can international students be made more aware of resources, local regulations when seeking employment & overcome the obstacles such as cultural differences, lack of awareness about resources, and uncertainties about local regulations

PROBLEM STATEMENT

IMPACT

The insights from students directly benefited the City, through initiatives like mentoring sessions and awareness campaigns about Canadian work culture and part-time work regulations, city saw a remarkable 20% increase in student satisfaction within 3 months.

RESEARCH

Research Approach

  • Competitive Scan: Reviewed support programs from other cities and institutions to gather effective strategies for aiding international student job searches.

  • Interviews: Conducted 36 semi-structured interviews with students to explore their employment experiences in Kingston.

  • Surveys: Conducted surveys to gather quantitative data on international students' job experiences and perceptions.

1

User Research

  • Conducted interviews and surveys among international students to understand their challenges, experiences, and needs when seeking employment opportunities in Kingston.

  • Explored topics such as cultural adaptation, job search strategies, perceptions of available resources, and barriers faced during the employment process.​

3

User Persona

Bio: Anu patel, a 22 year old student from India, recently moved to Kingston to study at St. Lawrence College and is eager to gain work experience in her field while studying.

Goal: secure a part-time job relevant to her field of study to gain practical experience and supplement her income.

Challenges: lack of Canadian work experience, limited availability of job opportunities in her field, cultural differences in job search practices, and uncertainty about visa regulations.

2

Findings

  • Through 208 survey responses & 36 user interviews we found the following challenges are most prominent:

  • Lack of Canadian Experience

  • Limited Job Availability

  • Cultural Job Search Differences

  • Uncertainty About Visa Regulations

  • Need for Enhanced Support Services:

4

Presence of both "Poor" and "Excellent" ratings suggests a wide range of experiences among students, highlighting the need for targeted improvements to enhance overall satisfaction.

This highlights a potential area for improvement in communication and outreach regarding these services.

This suggests there are areas where the services may not fully meet the specific challenges faced by international students in the job market.

TOP 5 ISSUES

Through primary research we found out 5 main issues that need attention

1

Insufficient pre-arrival job market insights and networking services by the city

2

Work permit restrictions & lack of awareness for employment regulations

3

lack of local experience and no recognition for foreign credentials

4

Cultural & language barriers

5

lack of professional development services regarding in-demand skills

1

Brainstorming

2

Start, Stop & Continue

3

4Ls (Learned, Liked, Lacked, Longed for)

4

Empathy Map

1

Foreign credentials consideration

2

More job fairs, networking events, campaigns for immigration policy changes

3

Have volunteering programs by school to gain Canadian work experience.

4

Address discrimination in the job market based on nationality and language

5

lack of professional development services regarding in-demand skills

6

Language training and cultural orientation to address cultural and language barriers
My Learnings

  • I learned the value of engaging diverse perspectives to gain a comprehensive understanding of issues.

  • Tailored support services are crucial for meeting the unique needs of international students, and clear communication about visa regulations and employment eligibility can significantly reduce their anxiety.

  •  Continuous feedback from international students is essential to keep support services relevant and effective.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

DESIGN THINKING WORKSHOP

  • We came up with 4 activities focused on the 5 different issues we found.

 

  • 15 international students (13 from St Lawrence College and 2 from Queen’s University) participated in this session, organised in two teams.

bottom of page