Relocating is not easy, whether your are moving to Edmonton or anywhere else. And the longer the distance you are coming from, the more stress is involved.
How do you make sure you have a place to go when you get here? How do you find a job? Where do I find the professional services I need?
These are all questions that need to be answered -- and thanks to the Internet, it is much easier to have a plan of action in place
before you even set foot in the city limits.
Many Real Estate agents and agencies are online, so you can literally shop for a home over the computer.
Some agents have extensive web sites with illustrated listings, so you can get an "Open House" tour right there.
Of course, buying a home online is a bit drastic, especially if you do not know what you are looking for. I would recommend staying in a hotel
for the first little while in the city, while you shop. That way you get the benefit of seeing a place
in person while not having to worry about breaking a lease if you do find what you are looking for.
Many Employment agencies have recruiters and contacts as far away as overseas. You can e-mail your resume
to the head office here in the city and they will try to match you up with a company looking for someone with your skills.
Hot areas include Information Technology, Engineering and Health Care. And as anyone from outside of Canada knows, having
a job is an important step for immigration process.
Whenit comes to issues around immigration, getting a mortgage, or other areas of Legal questions, finding a competant
lawyer is indeed very important. Take a look through the Yellow Pages -- there are even lawyers who provide services in other languages. Not to mention a good
scout through the Yellow Pages can help you find other professional services you require, like Health Care,
Education (I know of several people who lost a year of school because they
moved from another country and did not get enrolled in time), and Transportation -- especially since it may take a while
before you get a valid Alberta driver's license.
Next time we'll take a look at some specific resources for newcomers to Edmonton.
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