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Help needed from Canadian PPers

In my first G2 attempt, i was at my most confident, i had learnt all the rules of the road and had practiced sufficiently for 10-12 days, unfortunately during the test i was at the intersection, the light turned green, the rule says the incoming traffic from the other side has the right of way and you can only turn left into the other lane once the incoming cars are far away. Unfortunately my driving examiner said i could have gone even though the incoming cars were coming at great speed.Otherwise i did everything perfectly in the test but the examiner was like i failed you for that mistake.

Due to this experience i was really nervous and overthought about my second test. Did everything right once again except for a brief moment of carelessness where i touched 60 km/hr in a 50 km/hr zone for 3-4 seconds, i had immediately corrected my speed after realizing my mistake but the examiner unfortunately had none of it and failed me for the brief transgression.

Then the harshest winter season in Canada's history came from November 2013 to early April 2014 and i was advised to not to give my driving test during this time period because of the snow. Finally when i had time in April as the weather changed, i was very rusty as i hadnt driven for 6 months, i had to repractice, retrain but i was ready in a weeks time. I gave my road test in a different location this time in St Catherines and unfortunately i really messed up this time, this by far was my worst road test performance, i made a terrible mistake and deserved to fail. I believe out of the fear of failure, desperation to not make any single mistake, i over thought and over analyzed the whole test and i ended up going left into a lane from a green light on an intersection into the lane with a left turning sign for the opposite right turning lane (the left turning sign on the road was just not visible, the paint was more or less gone), i couldnt believe how badly i screwed up.

I again gave my test in ST catherines 3 months later in July, this time i practiced a lot with my aunt, i would say driving a good 2-3 weeks non stop to the point where i got used to the routes, roads in the small town. Plus my attitude was totally chilled out as i dont give a F, end result, this was pretty simple straight forward.

Family members have advised me not to give the G test immediately and to take your time but then i have met other people who have advised me otherwise because they took a long while to give their G tests and because they drove on their G2 for a long while, they developed plenty of bad habits and had forgotten applying the rules necessary to pass the driving tests, hence they ended up failing their G tests and because their G2 expired, they had to do their G2 all over again and it was extremely stressful as they lost the abiity to drive their cars. Plus given that i am trying to do my CPA, i dont think i will have the time to do this in the future so why not do this now and get it over with. One thing i have learnt in Canada is that if you can do something today then do it because you most probably wont have time for it later.

As far as the G test is concerned, i observe it is mostly a repetition of G2 but those will be examined on a stricter basis and the highway driving test. The highway is a challenge, there are so many things you have to do in record quick time for e.g. merging with the highway traffic from the entry ramp by using atleast 2/3rds of the entry ramp and identifying a suitable gap between the cars in the right most lane at no less than 100 km/hr but this can be considerably less as well depending on the speed and traffic of the cars, giving the indicator at the right time. Once on the highway you have to check your rear, right and left mirrors every 5 seconds, your speed has to be 100 km/hr. When making lane changes there should be no car in your mirrors and blind spot. My location will be Kitchener

One thing i have observed about the industry is that the driving instructors just scam you and find clever ways of milking money from you. The problem with going to really cheap instructors is the fact that they are just terrible drivers and they mess up your driving even more and they do this deliberately as they want you to keep coming back to them. The problem with slightly expensive but good instructors is that they will still make you take more than necessary lessons from them.
 
BlackThunder said:
Word of advice on the highway when the instructor asks you change lane absolutely make sure you don't impede another vehicles speed when changing lanes. Either slow down to a reasonable speed and let car beside you pass or speed up to a reasonable distance and than change lanes. The number one thing they look for is defensive driving, so be as vigilant as possible and drive like your father in law is sitting beside you for the first time, be on your best behavior. BTW which location is your test from, Downsview?
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When i was asked to change the lane, so i accelerated the speed to find more space for changing the lane. The instructor recommended that in most cases. The trick is to show that you are comfortable driving the car while accelerating pace to change the lane quickly and comfortably. I didn't follow the rules very well, but i showed confidence and that alone did the trick. :jf

Don't drive slow and nor drive like defensive. Otherwise, they will assume you are nervous to drive the car and if you cannot handle the pressure in front of tester, then you cannot handle the pressure at all. The trick is to look cool and confidence while driving the car in full speed accelerating pace if required to change the lane. That way the tester will get idea that you won't be dependable on someone to give you space for changing the lane.

I followed the simple rules; look cool, drive the car with confidence and drive the car with full pace which is equivalent of driving the car naturally.
 
As far as the G test is concerned, i observe it is mostly a repetition of G2 but those will be examined on a stricter basis and the highway driving test. The highway is a challenge, there are so many things you have to do in record quick time for e.g. merging with the highway traffic from the entry ramp by using atleast 2/3rds of the entry ramp and identifying a suitable gap between the cars in the right most lane at no less than 100 km/hr but this can be considerably less as well depending on the speed and traffic of the cars, giving the indicator at the right time. Once on the highway you have to check your rear, right and left mirrors every 5 seconds, your speed has to be 100 km/hr. When making lane changes there should be no car in your mirrors and blind spot. My location will be Kitchener
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Don't drive slow and nor drive like defensive. Otherwise, they will assume you are nervous to drive the car and if you cannot handle the pressure in front of tester, then you cannot handle the pressure at all. The trick is to look cool and confidence while driving the car in full speed accelerating pace if required to change the lane. That way the tester will get idea that you won't be dependable on someone to give you space for changing the lane.

I followed the simple rules; look cool, drive the car with confidence and drive the car with full pace which is equivalent of driving the car naturally.

One thing i have observed about the industry is that the driving instructors just scam you and find clever ways of milking money from you. The problem with going to really cheap instructors is the fact that they are just terrible drivers and they mess up your driving even more and they do this deliberately as they want you to keep coming back to them. The problem with slightly expensive but good instructors is that they will still make you take more than necessary lessons from them.
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It is true unfortunately, but you cannot prove that. That's why you cannot let them get on your nerve while driving the car during the test. Once they get on your nerve, it is over. But i don't blame them for getting nerve on testee especially the driving record in Canada is very poor. A testee must be prepared for kind of distractions especially in highway. In a way they wanna know if you are prepared.

Again, the trick is to look cool while driving the car with full pace and follow the roles like checking blind spot, giving signal before changing the lane, and even if you don't get spot, the trick is to accelerate pace to look for more space to prompt for changing the lane quickly and comfortably and i believe that's best part to show how natural you are at driving.
 
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I need to get my G by 2015 May or else I'd have to start from G1.......I haven't drove in a year :(
 
Cleared my G road test in Kitchener, Waterloo yesterday. Drove with my driving instructor on the 401 yesterday to the test centre. From having a G1 on July 28, 2014 to a full G today, i am finally relieved
 
Savak said:
Cleared my G road test in Kitchener, Waterloo yesterday. Drove with my driving instructor on the 401 yesterday to the test centre. From having a G1 on July 28, 2014 to a full G today, i am finally relieved
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Congrats savak...where is my mithayi?

I remember giving my G2 in Kitchener, nearly 14 years ago. MY instructor did the same, made me drive to the test centre via 401.

Time to get a car now?
 
I remember my G2 test, the guy that was examining me looked like he didn't care, he looked around 22-23 years old.

Nicest guy you'll ever meet. He didn't even make it seem like it was a driving test, instead we were talking like we've known each other for a long time.

The only mistake I made was I didn't parallel park properly.

This was last year of course, passed on my first try. :D
 
an office colleague (immigrant from Romania) told me that when she was talking classes at a driving school, her instructor at the school told her that he can get her passed for sure if she give her 800$. She also told me the instructor was from Pakistan :facepalm:
 
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ahmedzee said:
Congrats savak...where is my mithayi?

I remember giving my G2 in Kitchener, nearly 14 years ago. MY instructor did the same, made me drive to the test centre via 401.

Time to get a car now?
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In due course. Just wanted to get the G and finish with the driving lessons once and for all

Sent from my SGH-T999V using Tapatalk
 
Got my G license almost three years ago from Toronto @ a place where every one advised me not to take and I took it. Instructor was extremely rude and strict but he had no choice but to pass me......
 
Heys guys. Just graduated from York this December and have been applying for accounting, tax related jobs like crazy this month. Are there any Alberta based paper's here? I could use some guidance and advice.
 
Savak said:
Heys guys. Just graduated from York this December and have been applying for accounting, tax related jobs like crazy this month. Are there any Alberta based paper's here? I could use some guidance and advice.
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Bro, with the situation of the oil industry Alberta is not the place to go. I have a friend working at Suncor and they announced that there will be atleast 1000 lay-offs company wide, and Suncor is the biggest oil company in Canada with greatest ability to withstand shocks. Imagine what the other companies might be going through.

IMO the greatest opportunities for your major are in Toronto and Montreal (if you speak french). I know Deloitte and Accenture hire a lot of fresh graduates in Accounting and Finance around this time of the year. Another one of the big employers is Bell, my room mate from McGill got hired last year in Bell and he told me that they usually take 50-60 fresh graduates each year. Also check GE they had an entry level position related to accounting not too long ago.
 
Came to Canada 3 years ago. Gave my Citizenship test today and cleared it with flying colors.
 
I need some information from ppers familiar with Canadian rules. A person having Canadian Pakistani nationality travels from Canada to Pakistan on Pakistani passport not carrying his Canadian passport and other documents. He spends some weeks here in Pakistan. How can he get back to Canada provided he does not have with him the Canadian documents?
 
Alamgeer said:
I need some information from ppers familiar with Canadian rules. A person having Canadian Pakistani nationality travels from Canada to Pakistan on Pakistani passport not carrying his Canadian passport and other documents. He spends some weeks here in Pakistan. How can he get back to Canada provided he does not have with him the Canadian documents?
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If he somehow shows up at a Canadian port of entry (say, at the Canadian border), they can run some checks, ID him, and let him in. But, if he's going to be flying in from Pakistan (or any other country), the airline won't let him step foot on its plane without a Canadian passport or a Canadian visa.

His best bet would be to either have his Canadian passport be sent over from Canada by a friend/relative, or contact the Canadian embassy in Canada.
 
Nostalgic said:
If there's one place flatter and colder than the American upper Midwest, it is the Canadian Prairies. I found the Midwest miserable, but I always consoled myself with the thought of people somehow braving the Prairie Provinces, with those Arctic winds howling south.
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I thought the midwest was a beautiful place
 
6 years in Canada now, became a Citizen last year.

But i regret my decision to get into accounting, the field is not exactly what i thought it would be especially in Canada. Also i don't seem to be enjoying it. Based on the 2 years i spent in schooling and the 2 years i have spent working, my passion and intensity to pursue the field has waned now.

I am actually opening myself to other options and pursue alternative careers. But i would like some guidance as to are there are any organizations out there that actually help people out in terms of career guidance?
 
Savak said:
6 years in Canada now, became a Citizen last year.

But i regret my decision to get into accounting, the field is not exactly what i thought it would be especially in Canada. Also i don't seem to be enjoying it. Based on the 2 years i spent in schooling and the 2 years i have spent working, my passion and intensity to pursue the field has waned now.

I am actually opening myself to other options and pursue alternative careers. But i would like some guidance as to are there are any organizations out there that actually help people out in terms of career guidance?
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congratulations on becoming Canadian citizen; it is totally worth it.

for another career did you look at Second Career Ontario? https://www.ontario.ca/page/second-career

how about going towards Business Administration doing MBA?
 
srh said:
congratulations on becoming Canadian citizen; it is totally worth it.

for another career did you look at Second Career Ontario? https://www.ontario.ca/page/second-career

how about going towards Business Administration doing MBA?
Click to expand...

As far as opting for accounting is concerned, i made a huge blunder back in 2012, i didn't do enough research on the ground realities. I just blindly relied on CPA Ontario's statistics about how much accountants earn, make with the designation e.t.c but the reality is that you only really get to experience the true picture once you put yourself out there for jobs and stuff. I have 2 years of Accounting experience now and Canada's accounting job market is so over saturated that the best pay i am still able to attract is $18/hr and even then the accounting firms have ridiculous high performance expectations where they demand you have the knowledge of an experienced designated CPA. Minimum wage in Ontario is now $15/hr.

Plus in this field it is very hard to balance studying and working, even during off season most accounting firms i have worked for have required me to work for 10-11 hours a day and even coming in on the weekends at times and during tax season it becomes even brutal where you are forced into working every day for 12-15 hours a day for 2 months straight Saturday and Sunday included. Plus i have been studying for the exams in this field and have come to the conclusion that this field is not my cup of tea. My health has gone for a toss as well in the lat 2 years where i have just not been able to do the things i really enjoyed like Exercising, Gyming, Swimming e.t.c.

Bottom-line i am like really disillusioned with this field and where my life and career are going and if i have reached this stage then i really need to make a move and do something else more fulfilling.

Already have a BBA and MBA from IBA in Pakistan, granted it does not have much standing in Canada. But i want to explore options outside Canada now where jobs are slightly easier to get compared to Canada like the US or the Middle East.

Doing an MBA from a decent University in the US is an option but i will only consider it if it really improves my career prospects down the road and ideally i would prefer to avoid it.

What i ideally want is some indepth career guidance from an organization where they would thoroughly do an aptitude test, look at my strenghts, weaknesses, problems and then recommend career choices based on my personality. I have already contacted the YMCA for their top most program and am going to look into it.

What i just want is a nice steady stable job which pays decently and not just close to minimum wage like most accounting jobs do, have a nice friendly working hours like i don't mind 9 to 5, 6 or even 7 but after work i would to have time for other things in life like Swimming, Excercising, Gymming, loosing weight, and just looking after myself psychologically.
 
If you are OK with going to the US, then all you need is a job offer from the US. Once you have a job offer, you can get TN Visa immediately at the border that will let you work in the US right away. There's almost no process required to get the TN Visa. Btw, if any employer in the US complains about you being not eligible to work in the US, explain the TN visa to them and they'll understand.
 
Savak said:
As far as opting for accounting is concerned, i made a huge blunder back in 2012, i didn't do enough research on the ground realities. I just blindly relied on CPA Ontario's statistics about how much accountants earn, make with the designation e.t.c but the reality is that you only really get to experience the true picture once you put yourself out there for jobs and stuff. I have 2 years of Accounting experience now and Canada's accounting job market is so over saturated that the best pay i am still able to attract is $18/hr and even then the accounting firms have ridiculous high performance expectations where they demand you have the knowledge of an experienced designated CPA. Minimum wage in Ontario is now $15/hr.

Plus in this field it is very hard to balance studying and working, even during off season most accounting firms i have worked for have required me to work for 10-11 hours a day and even coming in on the weekends at times and during tax season it becomes even brutal where you are forced into working every day for 12-15 hours a day for 2 months straight Saturday and Sunday included. Plus i have been studying for the exams in this field and have come to the conclusion that this field is not my cup of tea. My health has gone for a toss as well in the lat 2 years where i have just not been able to do the things i really enjoyed like Exercising, Gyming, Swimming e.t.c.

Bottom-line i am like really disillusioned with this field and where my life and career are going and if i have reached this stage then i really need to make a move and do something else more fulfilling.

Already have a BBA and MBA from IBA in Pakistan, granted it does not have much standing in Canada. But i want to explore options outside Canada now where jobs are slightly easier to get compared to Canada like the US or the Middle East.

Doing an MBA from a decent University in the US is an option but i will only consider it if it really improves my career prospects down the road and ideally i would prefer to avoid it.

What i ideally want is some indepth career guidance from an organization where they would thoroughly do an aptitude test, look at my strenghts, weaknesses, problems and then recommend career choices based on my personality. I have already contacted the YMCA for their top most program and am going to look into it.

What i just want is a nice steady stable job which pays decently and not just close to minimum wage like most accounting jobs do, have a nice friendly working hours like i don't mind 9 to 5, 6 or even 7 but after work i would to have time for other things in life like Swimming, Excercising, Gymming, loosing weight, and just looking after myself psychologically.
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if you already have BBA and MBA from IBA (Pakistan) which is a top school, then why you went towards accounting in the first place? that was a wrong decision in my opinion. After landing in Canada you should have get MBA from Queens or from York (if dont get admission in Queens) as those business schools are pretty good for getting good jobs and you most likely would have get good credits for the MBA from IBA (Pakistan)
 
Savak said:
As far as opting for accounting is concerned, i made a huge blunder back in 2012, i didn't do enough research on the ground realities. I just blindly relied on CPA Ontario's statistics about how much accountants earn, make with the designation e.t.c but the reality is that you only really get to experience the true picture once you put yourself out there for jobs and stuff. I have 2 years of Accounting experience now and Canada's accounting job market is so over saturated that the best pay i am still able to attract is $18/hr and even then the accounting firms have ridiculous high performance expectations where they demand you have the knowledge of an experienced designated CPA. Minimum wage in Ontario is now $15/hr.

Plus in this field it is very hard to balance studying and working, even during off season most accounting firms i have worked for have required me to work for 10-11 hours a day and even coming in on the weekends at times and during tax season it becomes even brutal where you are forced into working every day for 12-15 hours a day for 2 months straight Saturday and Sunday included. Plus i have been studying for the exams in this field and have come to the conclusion that this field is not my cup of tea. My health has gone for a toss as well in the lat 2 years where i have just not been able to do the things i really enjoyed like Exercising, Gyming, Swimming e.t.c.

Bottom-line i am like really disillusioned with this field and where my life and career are going and if i have reached this stage then i really need to make a move and do something else more fulfilling.

Already have a BBA and MBA from IBA in Pakistan, granted it does not have much standing in Canada. But i want to explore options outside Canada now where jobs are slightly easier to get compared to Canada like the US or the Middle East.

Doing an MBA from a decent University in the US is an option but i will only consider it if it really improves my career prospects down the road and ideally i would prefer to avoid it.

What i ideally want is some indepth career guidance from an organization where they would thoroughly do an aptitude test, look at my strenghts, weaknesses, problems and then recommend career choices based on my personality. I have already contacted the YMCA for their top most program and am going to look into it.

What i just want is a nice steady stable job which pays decently and not just close to minimum wage like most accounting jobs do, have a nice friendly working hours like i don't mind 9 to 5, 6 or even 7 but after work i would to have time for other things in life like Swimming, Excercising, Gymming, loosing weight, and just looking after myself psychologically.
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Are you married?
 
srh said:
if you already have BBA and MBA from IBA (Pakistan) which is a top school, then why you went towards accounting in the first place? that was a wrong decision in my opinion. After landing in Canada you should have get MBA from Queens or from York (if dont get admission in Queens) as those business schools are pretty good for getting good jobs and you most likely would have get good credits for the MBA from IBA (Pakistan)
Click to expand...

Bad decision. I fell for the CPA hype, didn't realize the ground realities of the over saturated Accounting field in Canada until after university. Also didn't realize how crap the pay would be even if i acquired 2 years of accounting experience. The reality is if you don't get into a Big firm early in your career then your prospects are going to be dead in this field. Am looking to get out now while i still have time.

I felt doing a double MBA might be overkill and also a much more expensive option. But if i had to do another MBA then i would rather do it in the US rather than Canada to be honest.
 
Savak said:
Bad decision. I fell for the CPA hype, didn't realize the ground realities of the over saturated Accounting field in Canada until after university. Also didn't realize how crap the pay would be even if i acquired 2 years of accounting experience. The reality is if you don't get into a Big firm early in your career then your prospects are going to be dead in this field. Am looking to get out now while i still have time.

I felt doing a double MBA might be overkill and also a much more expensive option. But if i had to do another MBA then i would rather do it in the US rather than Canada to be honest.
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in fact i would ask that if you have BBA and MBA from such a top school of Pakistan then what was the reason to migrate to Canada? you must be making very good money in Pakistan at that time
 
srh said:
in fact i would ask that if you have BBA and MBA from such a top school of Pakistan then what was the reason to migrate to Canada? you must be making very good money in Pakistan at that time
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Not exactly. The thinking at the point was that it was good to get a second passport i.e. Canadian passport and that it is good to have second options given the uncertainty back in Pakistan.
 
7-8 years ago i created this thread. More apt for me to update everyone that i finally cleared the final CPA exam in Canada i.e. the CFE, no more Canadian Accounting exams to give. Looks like my wife has indeed bought me good luck already :)
 
Savak said:
7-8 years ago i created this thread. More apt for me to update everyone that i finally cleared the final CPA exam in Canada i.e. the CFE, no more Canadian Accounting exams to give. Looks like my wife has indeed bought me good luck already :)
Click to expand...

awesome
 
Received my Canadian CPA designation today. 8 year struggle but journey worth it in the end 🙂
 
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