Expat story: Maxime Langlois, SCADA specialist
We meet a new French expatriate who arrived in Montreal in July 2021. Find out why he decided to move to Canada and how his immigration process went.
🎙 Hi Maxime, can you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Maxime Langlois, I'm 25 years old, I come from Lyon and now I live in Montreal. I am a SCADA specialist, in a more common language, I am a computer developer in human-machine interface. I came to Canada with a Working Holiday Permit (WHP) with my wife.
🎙 Why did you choose to come and live in Canada and more specifically in Montreal?
I decided to move to Canada because I didn't feel comfortable in the French work system anymore: little recognition at work, stress, bad atmosphere, etc. I had already had the idea to come and work there when I was studying. Then when the opportunity arose, it turned out that it was also my wife's dream, so all the lights were green. We decided on Montreal, because for us, it was the right compromise to have a rich professional life, a multitude of activities to do and the fact that the city is French and English adds a little more.
🎙 You found your job through Talentech, how was the recruitment process?
Indeed, I was contacted by Talentech via LinkedIn to see if I was interested in professional opportunities in Quebec. After that, within a week, Talentech introduced me to companies and I went through various interviews. Then, two weeks later, I got a job in my current company with whom I am doing very well.
The recruitment process was very quick between my company and Talentech, I didn't take care of anything, which takes a big weight off our shoulders when moving to the other side of the world.
What took me the longest was not finding a job and doing my WHP (in 2021, the WHP was delivered with a promise of employment.) but leaving France because of the famous notice to leave in his company and his apartment. What you need to know is that all in all, it took me 5-6 months to come to Canada.
🎙 So you're a SCADA specialist, what does your day-to-day work involve?
The team I'm in, in the supervision department, we develop interfaces for computers used in the plant. This software is used by plant employees to facilitate their tasks, such as remotely opening a valve in the plant, wherever it may be, via our interface. From an operating room, they can all do and control manufacturing tasks.
In this development, I do not operate in the creation of the mechanism, but on the graphic part, i.e. what is displayed on the screen when a user opens our software.
In my company, we receive tenders from various customers who want to upgrade their systems. And with my team, we will first study the call for tenders to know if we can position ourselves. Then, if the decision is favorable, we develop the customer's requirements with more or less specificities according to the expectations. Once the software is finished, we go to the customer's site to install the system, do tests and check that there is no loss of data compared to the old system. When the application is officially finished and all the adjustments have been made, we install our software. I also write the documentation of the developed software.
Our projects can be more or less long, it is very challenging. Currently, I am on a project that extends over 4 years on a single plant ... So there is a lot of work to do!
🎙 Have you noticed any differences in your job between Canada and France?
In terms of tasks, no, it's pretty much the same and besides, I work on the same software so I haven't lost my marks.
But there is a clear difference that should not be overlooked... The atmosphere in my company is great. I have erased all the work stress I had in France. In Canada, there is a very different way of working. The days start earlier so you can really enjoy the weekends. It's another way of life that is really very pleasant!
🎙 How would you characterize your experience with Talentech?
A quality experience, really. I was very lucky, the support was incredible, if I had the slightest question the teams answered me instantly. I had regular meetings with the team to follow up on my interviews, my administrative procedures, etc. I really recommend Talentech's support if you want to expatriate to Canada.
🎙 How was your expat experience in Montreal?
What you need to know is that we were leaving with 5 people: my spouse, our two dogs, our cat and myself, which requires a minimum of organization. It was necessary to organize all the administrative part as well for us as for our animals, this part took us a little time.
It's quite complex for animals, you have to be well informed about the terms of entry into the territory and the conditions of the airline companies. After that, you also have to find out how animals are welcomed in Quebec and more particularly in the accommodations, because the owners are less well covered on their accommodation compared to France. The search for an accommodation that welcomes animals took us a long time, but we finally found it thanks to Facebook via an expatriates group.
And then once we arrived in Montreal, everything went very well. We met a lot of people thanks to our animals, our neighbors are great and we participated in parties for the PVTists. I am preparing for the Montreal Marathon with my work colleagues and it is really great.
🎙 What would you say to someone who is still hesitant to come to Canada?
I would say not to hesitate, especially when we are young, we are very lucky to be able to live this experience. It allows us to open our mind by discovering a new way of life, new people, new landscapes, etc. Frankly, come!
Are you interested in a Canadian adventure? Are you thinking of coming to discover Canada and more particularly Quebec? Go ahead and contact the Talenteam!
You are looking for a job like Maxime in programming, automation or industry, apply on our offers here. Talentech accompanies you in obtaining your job, your immigration process and your relocation to Quebec.
>> Read more about Jonathan's experience as an HVAC automatician in Terrebonne.
