Watch Video: Indian Students Struggle for Part-time Jobs in Canada, 100’s Queue Up
Watch Video: Indian Students Struggle for Part-time Jobs in Canada, 100's Queue Up
Viral video showcases difficulties faced by Indian students in finding part-time work amid high cost of living
June 23, 2024
A video showing dozens of Indian students queuing up for a job at Tim Horton’s in Toronto has gone viral, shedding light on the significant challenges they face in securing part-time employment in Canada. Nishat, a York University student, shared his experience and frustrations after spending over six months looking for a job.
Nishat came to Canada for a post-graduate course in accounting and has been struggling to find part-time work to support himself amidst the high cost of living. His video, shared on Instagram, captures the long queue of hopeful applicants at the Tim Horton’s job fair, with more than a hundred students, predominantly Indian, lining up for a chance at employment.
“Since arriving in Canada, I’ve been looking for a part-time job,” Nishat said. “Most Indian students take up part-time jobs to survive in Canada as the cost of living is very high. There is a sense of humiliation because I have to keep asking my family for money. You also see your friends working, and it is frustrating.”
The job fair, which Nishat attended 30 minutes before its start, already had a long line of applicants, highlighting the fierce competition for part-time jobs. “More than a hundred students had already shown up for the job fair. Looking at the long line, even the white people nearby were shocked,” he added. Tim Horton’s staff asked the students about their schedules, collected their CVs, and dismissed them with a promise to call if shortlisted.
Nishat’s Instagram Reel, which has garnered nearly a million views since June 12, struck a chord with many Indian students in Canada who commented on their similar struggles.
“Due to unnecessary overcrowding in Canada, it is almost impossible to find a job for survival,” one commenter wrote.
Another shared, “It’s been 10 months and I’m still looking for a job,” while others mentioned their months-long job searches.
The report highlights a broader issue of job scarcity for Indian students in Canada, exacerbated by the high cost of living. Despite the ongoing India-Canada rift, Nishat and many others are more concerned about their immediate futures and whether they will secure employment after completing their studies.
“I am not thinking about the India-Canada rift so much. I am more worried and concerned about my future. There is a huge dearth of jobs here, and I don’t know whether I will be able to secure work once I complete my studies,” One candidate spoke to a news agency.
“There is a sense of humiliation because I have to keep asking my family for money. You also see your friends working, and it is frustrating”, a user commented
“On top of that, people think you can’t bag a job because there is a problem with you. It is only recently that people have started realising that Canada does not have jobs”, a third user added.
“There is a sense of humiliation because I have to keep asking my family for money. You also see your friends working, and it is frustrating.
“On top of that, people think you can’t bag a job because there is a problem with you. It is only recently that people have started realising that Canada does not have jobs”, a student reflected the anxieties of many international students facing similar predicaments.
