Two years after relocating from India to Canada in pursuit of peace of mind and better work-life balance, a 28-year-old woman is grappling with an unexpected dilemma, career dissatisfaction and stalled professional growth in her adopted country.
The woman, who worked in a non-tech role she loved back in India and earned a handsome INR 16 lakh per annum, secured a remote job in Canada soon after her move. In this post, she says she is grateful for the opportunity and lifestyle Canada has offered. But beneath the surface of a seemingly picture-perfect immigrant story lies a growing sense of professional stagnation and financial concern.
Currently earning CAD 82,000 per annum, she expresses disappointment with the pay and lack of career advancement opportunities in her field. “In these two years, I’ve only seen a handful of relevant opportunities, and none of them worked out,” she notes. The sluggish job market in her sector has left her disillusioned with the very career she once found fulfilling.
To complicate matters further, her partner, who was earning around CAD 90,000 in Canada’s already-fragile animation industry is now out of work. The couple is facing tough choices. While they are open to the idea of her being the sole breadwinner, she is concerned about long-term financial sustainability, especially if they were to return to India, where animation jobs are even scarcer. “I sometimes think of moving back, but I’m unsure whether we could retire on my salary alone,” she says, adding that the thought might be premature but still valid for future planning.
‘Canada is no longer financially lucrative’
The internet quickly responded to the post. A user said, “I feel like 85k is not bad salary, sorry to hear about your partner but major job cuts are coming in IT and overall slow economy for few years. I would say try to skill up in AI because I feel like it’s gonna impact India also sooner or later..good luck..” Another added, “Canada is no longer financially lucrative & will not be so for next 2-4 years. If possible, I suggest you to go back.”
“100% feel what you’re going through. Although initial years are tough as an immigrant but Canada right now is in a period of transition and it is not pay friendly for anyone who has experience or has a lot of knowledge and skills, that’s just the reality of it. I moved here almost 10 years ago and had the privilege to work in both private and public sector and both sectors are equally poised and the pay is really bad to keep up with a normal living. As for options you could consider looking at different industries or line of work that pays better if you have time in hand before settling down in your life or take up work back home which you were initially interested in. Hope that helps,” noted a netizen.
“Gain new skills in canada. Look for a job that pays higher salary. Job market is dynamic. It changes everywhere. There are high paying jobs in Canada n india. Try more. Moving to india magically will not solve your problem,” claimed a user. “Try to move to places like Vancouver where there are opportunities for animation based roles. But before you move there, probably your partner just needs to find jobs there and apply and see if he gets through. Animation jobs in India is not great unless he’s into the film industry and doing some VFX work for some films the work culture is very toxic with very less pay. Its better for people in his industry to find work outside India. Try to stick with him there and give enough encouragement to find work in Canada. One of my friends is doing animation in Vancouver, Canada for feature films and series so you know I’m not fluffing around when I’m suggesting any opportunities in Canada for animation roles,” advised a user.