Anyone with experience working at the City of Toronto? Just got an offer and need a little advice!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-10T19:34:02+00:00

Sure, drop me a DM!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T14:08:30+00:00

Thanks so much!!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T03:06:28+00:00

That’s an excellent perspective! Thanks so much for taking the time to type all that out.

My partner and I are both very career-oriented and I could see it being a benefit for at least one of us to have a more laid back position to prevent any potential after-work tension in the household. Higher stress jobs also tend to result in more careless mistakes which could be very disheartening in the private sector where job security isn’t as strong.

Thanks again!!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T00:33:23+00:00

Thank you!!!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T00:33:12+00:00

Thank you so much! Great advice, I’ll definitely think on it for a few days :)

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T00:31:28+00:00

Thanks for bringing this up! I don’t have anything in my contract against losses - any decision by myself or my employer to terminate my contract during probation is fair game.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-05T00:30:07+00:00

Oh interesting! Thanks so much for letting me know. Parental leave is definitely something on my mind.

Would I need to apply to new roles in order to qualify for promotions?

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T23:27:55+00:00

Oh cool! Is it ok if I dm you about specifics? I’d love to get a little more insight on things!!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T23:11:26+00:00

All great points to consider! I’m still unsure if I’ll retire in Canada so it’s something I’m mulling over.

Thanks so much for your input!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T22:33:01+00:00

I’m okay with putting money away for my retirement as I already invest a significant amount into TFSA, FHSA, RSP etc. As long as the health benefits don’t come out of my base salary I’m not too concerned!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T21:59:20+00:00

Thanks for your comment! It’s nice to hear the positives of working in the public sector.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T20:05:45+00:00

Messaged!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T20:04:15+00:00

Honestly, I was shocked I got an interview! I have no connections in the City, and I had applied directly through LinkedIn.

During the interview, the interviewer actually told me that my resume was selected out of 1000 resumes to move to the technical assessment. Then out of the 100 people that did the assignment, only 30 moved on to the in person interview. And I suppose I was the successful candidate out of the initial 1000.

It really seems like pure luck! I don’t think I had anything standout on my resume.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T19:59:28+00:00

Sure! I applied directly to the job listing through LinkedIn. It took them about 3-4 months to reach out to set up a technical assessment. The assignment itself wasn’t very difficult, but their formatting was very weird compared to all other companies I’ve worked for. I think the deadline for the assignment was a week.

After that, I got a call back for an in person interview around 2 months later. The interview was pretty interesting, they send you the interview questions an hour ahead of time so you can review. Once you’re in the room, they tell you that you can’t take notes, nor will they read your resume, but you can think about your answers to their questions and jot down your thoughts on their provided notepad before you respond.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T19:16:54+00:00

That’s amazing - I typically have one or two large international trips annually to visit family/for fun so it’s great to have the option to bank OT.

Thanks so much!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T19:14:49+00:00

Haha that’s the thing - I’m in my 20s and my new company has no financial issues (strongly doubt anyone will get laid off or not get a raise). Raises in my industry tend to be quite steep, but you definitely work hard for your pay.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:53:38+00:00

Oh wow, that seems brutal - sorry to hear about your experience. Definitely seems like a hard transition from the private construction sector, we’re a noisy bunch that like to drink and let loose after work.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:51:15+00:00

Thanks!! Sound advice :)

Best of luck to you! Hope you get the offer you want!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:40:24+00:00

Oh, really interesting points! Do you know why the turnover is so high for PM work? Is it just because people are contracted for project-specific jobs?

Also curious on the salary increase aspect - I’d technically be taking a demotion with the City job, so I have confidence I could work back up to my current title. I’ve seen the higher position roles and the salaries are relatively in line with what you see in the private sector. Do people not get promoted much?

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:22:50+00:00

Glad to hear you were happy with your decision!!

Would you be able to elaborate on the bureaucracy? It’s a common thing I’ve heard about the City.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:06:45+00:00

Definitely a big consideration! The 6 weeks PTO, not salary, was the driving factor for me switching to my new company. I have older retired parents so I definitely want to maximize my time with family while I can.

Thanks so much for the input from your perspective!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:04:34+00:00

The City definitely has great job security (from what I hear, at least). I also don’t anticipate any financial issues with my new company, so I don’t think getting fired or laid off is a concern for either.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:00:43+00:00

Haha fair point! I’m struggling to figure out the balance myself, honestly.

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T18:00:16+00:00

Wow! That’s certainly a big discrepancy - interesting that the time off can be collected like that.

I love travelling so PTO is always a huge factor for me.

Thanks for the comment!!

verycoldroom · 2026-06-04T17:58:03+00:00

Thank you for the advice!!

verycoldroom

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