The Canadian Border Control is responsible for facilitating the flow of travelers and trade across the border.
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With its set acts and regulations, the agency prevents the entry of illegal products and travelers, keeping the country safe all year long.
Yet, providing security is just one of the many things border control does; the agency also offers hundreds of job opportunities for Canadians, including students and new graduates.
For example, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has employed over 14,000 Canadians who perform different roles at the coasts.
And still, CBSA is looking for more people to fill the numerous job vacancies available in the agency.
Let’s look into some of the job positions available at the Canadian Border Control and how you can improve your chances of getting employed here.
The good thing about the Canadian Border Control Agencies is that they offer numerous job opportunities to people of different backgrounds and education levels.
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The main career opportunities available at these agencies are:
Besides, the Canadian Border Control offers several post-secondary co-op and intern positions for high school graduates, college/university students and new graduates.
Working at these agencies gives the students more experience in the field, putting them in a better position to specialize later on.
The main agency that offers numerous job opportunities in the Canadian Border Control is the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
When hiring, CBSA looks for job applicants who are career-minded, analytical and committed to service excellence.
Also, when applying for any job in the agency, you will be required to have strong communication skills and the ability to take on new challenges every day.
In addition to these basic skills, additional skills and qualifications may be needed to qualify for certain job positions in the agency.
For example, to be a border services officer, you must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident prepared to work anywhere in the country.
As for education level, you need to have at least a high school diploma and a driver’s license.
To become a support specialist in the agency, you must have a university degree and at least two years’ experience working in a relevant field.
On the other hand, applicants for the position of a navigation protection program officer are required to have a valid driver’s license, either provincial or territorial.
Also, you must be of good health and fitness, able to walk for extended periods and work in remote locations.
As for supervisor’s and other managerial positions, having experience in the field would put you at a better position of getting the job, in addition to having extensive knowledge of Canadian law, security procedures and immigration policies.
Also, people who have majored in other relevant fields apart from law can also apply for the different job positions in Canadian Border Control.
These include fields such as psychology, policing, security and criminology.
What’s even better, the Canadian Border Services Agency hires veterans and candidates who have foreign education, provided that the education matches the education standards of Canada.
The application process for a border services officer is quite intensive.
First, the applicant must apply for the position online.
When applying online, you are required to attach your driver’s license, high school diploma, proof of residence and any other certification or document that is relevant to the job you are applying for.
After submitting your application, you will then be required to undertake an officer trainee entrance exam (OTEE).
This exam consists of multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 150 minutes.
If you pass the online exam and your application is appealing, you will be called in for an interview.
The interview process is divided in three stages:
When selected as one of the top candidates, you will be required to undertake two firearm courses designed to help you prepare for your role.
You will also undergo a physical evaluation, language evaluation, psychological assessment and medical exam.
If you pass these, you will earn a position as a border services officer in CBSA.
As mentioned above, the application process for a border services officer involves taking an online examination and going for an interview.
In the online exam, you will be asked multiple hypothetical questions that do not require any prior knowledge of CBSA.
On the contrary, these questions are meant to test the core competencies of a customs officer: reasoning skills, analytical thinking, client service orientation and writing skills.
Therefore, to make a good impression in the assessment, tailor all your answers to showcase these four key competencies.
Also, before you go for the interview, do a thorough research on CBSA.
Then, when answering any questions, tailor your responses in a way that showcases your intensive knowledge about the agency.
Also, to show that you possess the necessary skills needed for the job position, talk about your positive experiences in school or in the career world during the interview.
For example, talk about experiences that showed your competence, writing skills, logical thinking and analytical skills.
Prove to your interviewers that you can handle complex situations and have personal integrity, diligence and decisiveness.
Also, remember to dress well for the interview and don’t forget to carry all the necessary documents on the D-day.
If you take the online examination seriously and prepare well for the interview, you can be positive about being hired for the job position.
And what better thing could there be than working for an agency that welcomes equality by including all diversity groups and provides numerous employment benefits to its great team of workers!