"Step By Step" Training
Applying For A Job
This page has been set up to share photos & video relating to the "Applying For A Job" chapter of "Step By Step, A Tree Planter's Handbook." Visit www.replant.ca/books to see books about tree planting.
It isn't actually very hard to get a job as a first-time tree planter IF you fit the right demographic, and if you're smart about how to apply. Most new planters are in the 18-25 year old age range, and are Canadian. Race, religion, and gender won't matter. As long as you're motivated and healthy, you should be able to find work.
If you're not Canadian, it is harder to get a job. Companies are looking for people who will be able to plant for several summers, because experienced planters have higher productivity, and therefore are a lot more valuable to a company. If you're a foreigner looking for a single summer of work on a work permit, you're going to have a much harder time finding employment than someone with permanent residency. But that doesn't mean that you should give up. The key thing is to already have a work permit in place before you apply! If a company finds out that you're not Canadian and you don't yet have a work permit in place, they'll probably throw your application in the garbage immediately. Planting companies do NOT help foreigners to go through the application process. You need to show that you are motivated and have made the effort to get the work permit before you submit your application. A company is not going to interview a non-Canadian who does not yet have a work permit in place because if the candidate is unable to get a work permit, it will have been a complete waste of the company's time in performing the interview. Applicants from other Commonwealth countries (and from France or the US) seem to have the best success rates in getting Canadian work permits, and in finding seasonal tree planting work in Canada. Having a few non-Canadians in a planting camp always makes it a more diverse and interesting work environment.
The key advice I have is to put as much effort as possible into your applications. Show a company that you understand what you're getting yourself into. Let them know about the research that you have done. Let them know that you've read through "Step By Step" and you've watched videos online, and you know what to expect from camp life. Don't send a short and unprofessional email or facebook message. Write a detailed introduction about yourself and your background (or a proper cover letter) and include a resume. Also, be visible. Although it is illegal for an interviewer to discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, or other criteria, an interviewer will want to be reassured that a candidate is in suitable physical condition for the job. Since many job interviews cannot be done in person (as people apply from all over the country), you will have an advantage if you can make yourself available for some sort of video interview (Skype, Facetime, Google Video, etc.). Some applicants even provide links to their Facebook or other social media profiles, to try to help land an interview in the first place, although of course this is not required.
Finally, be persistent. The best time to start your job search is in January. Almost all candidates are hired between the start of January and the first week of May. If you don't get a response right away, wait three weeks and send your application again. Even if you aren't getting a job offer right away, be aware that a lot of people tend to "drop out" at the last minute, in mid-April or early May. If you send applications to companies (again) during this period, and you tell them that you're ready to travel and start work with just a few days notice, your persistence will be noticed and you might be able to secure the spot of someone else who has dropped out.
If you are thinking about accepting a job offer at a planting company, always ask them for the answers to the following questions, in writing:
Questions to Ask a Potential Employer
Click here to see a page listing books related to reforestation in Canada. If you received a photocopied version of this book from your planting company, or you're a trainer at a Canadian planting company, click on this link for more information.