Internship & Visa Exemption Requirements (Montréal)

Hello INs,

I'm currently looking for a 6 month internship in Montréal but getting an IEC work permit visa was very difficult as the quotas were filled very fast (just over a minute).

I was wondering whether it would be wiser to find a company that will hire me first and then find a visa or vice versa .
I also would like to know if Canadian visa exemptions also apply to family members of OECD officials or does this only apply to people who work at the UN ?

Thank you in advance for your help.