Saba Viraney, a lawyer from India, knew she had to take additional courses to practice her profession in Canada. However, she didn’t expect her accreditation process to be so challenging and to take three years.

Viraney has a Bachelor of Laws degree from India and a Masters in International and Commercial Law from the United Kingdom. Before moving to Canada in 2002, she worked as a lawyer in India. “Even though in India we have the Common Law, for example tax laws and family laws are very different from these in Canada,” Viraney explains. “Though the concept and the basic principles are the same, a lot is specific for each country, so when you move, you have to go through all laws again.”

To start the accreditation process in Canada, Viraney first visited the website of NCA (National Committee on Accreditation). This website guided her through the whole process. First, she had to provide all her transcripts from the countries she had studied and also reference letters from the places she had worked. She was surprised to find out that the transcripts had to be sent directly from the institution that had issued them. “I was fortunate that my sister and my parents in India were able to help me in this,” Viraney says. “I would advise foreign trained lawyers who plan to immigrate to Canada to check the NCA website before coming. Because once you come here and realize that you have to get all those transcripts sent directly to the Committee from your institutions back home – that can be very challenging. It would be difficult to arrange and coordinate things if you are not there. Moreover, some institutions have never received such requests for sending transcripts  – and you have to explain to them and make them do what needs to be done.”

Viraney also advises that if you prepare well before coming to Canada, upon arrival you could have your credentials already assessed, so you could save time and avoid some frustration.

“If you prepare well before coming to Canada, upon arrival you could have your credentials already assessed, so you could save time and avoid some frustration.”

When NCA received all Viraney’s transcripts, it informed her which law courses she had to take so that her education would be equivalent to the Canadian LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws). After completing these courses, there were two important steps in her accreditation process – the bar exam and nine months of articling.

“Articling was the most challenging part,” Viraney says. ”It is not easy for a foreign trained lawyer to get an articling position. You have to ask people and find a professional who is willing to supervise you. In my case, I found someone to take me in the beginning, and later he helped me find another lawyer so I could finish my articling.”

While looking for a supervisor, Viraney faced a problem that internationally trained lawyers encounter when they start looking for jobs in Canada. “If you graduate from a Canadian university,” she explains, “you have your grades and feedback which employers consider when hiring people. But if you have studied in another country, the Accreditation Committee gives you just “pass” or “fail” – this is a big setback for immigrants.”

The difficulties didn’t discourage Viraney and after completing the accreditation process, she started looking for a job. She didn’t go to agencies but applied on popular job websites. There was another surprise – for a job that she applied in January 2009, she got a reply in September 2009. However, her effort and patience paid off and now she is a Barrister and Solicitor, with her own practice and she provides legal services for real estate, family law and wills. Her language skills in English, Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati enable her to help clients from different backgrounds.

“My start in Canada was not easy,” Viraney says. “I had nobody to help me, nobody to guide me. It was a process of trial and error. And I see other internationally trained lawyers experiencing the same. So in future I will be happy if I could guide newcomers, if I could be a mentor, if I could help my colleagues out.”

Lucy Slavianska

The post Saba Viraney: Prepare well before moving appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

“When you come to Canada, you need to have a vision of what you really want to be,” says Abba Chima, a lawyer who currently works in Ontario. “And you have to stay focused on that vision.”

Before leaving Nigeria in 2004, Chima collected all documents that he thought might assist him in Canada – diplomas, certificates and reference letters from colleagues and organizations he had collaborated with in different legal matters. “If you are going into the unknown, prepare yourself as much as possible,” he advises. “I didn’t know which documents were going to help me and which would not, but I did what I could with my credentials.”

However, when he came to Canada he discovered these documents were not enough to get him a job. “The issue of Canadian experience interfered with whatever arrangement I had made,” he says. “Like everything was thrown out of the window. So whatever I applied for, even for positions that I was sure I qualified for, the only comment I received was, ‘You don’t have Canadian experience.’”

As many professionals coming to Canada, Chima found out that the job market was quite different from what he imagined before immigrating. “What you read [before coming to Canada]… is that this place provides better opportunities for professionals…,” he says. “It is almost like when you see western movies – if you rely on the western movies and you come here and find yourself unemployed, you are surprised.”

To remain in his professional field, Chima investigated the steps he had to take to qualify for a lawyer in Canada. It turned out to be a long process – and meanwhile he needed to survive financially and support his family. So he had no choice but to contact agencies and apply for general labour jobs. “I never thought this could happen in my life,” he admits, “but you have to pay your immediate bills that face you from your arrival at the airport.” His first job was at an auto factory, but since it was on call basis and he didn’t know when he would be called again, he took additional part-time jobs to make sure he won’t find himself without income. Many times he would work for eight hours at one place and after that – without any rest, sleep and food – he would commute to another place where he would work another eight hours. The hardest job he remembers was at a conveyor belt in a bakery. Once he was so tired after two shifts in a row that he almost passed out in the bakery. In the auto industry he worked for five years. And all these years he was studying to become certified as a lawyer.

“When you come to Canada, you need to have a vision of what you really want to be.”

“For years I didn’t sleep more than 2-3 hours on an average day,” Chima says. “Sometimes, I didn’t have time to sleep at all. But somehow God sustained me. And the sacrifice paid off.”

After completing his certification process, Chima started his law practice in Canada and now he has his own law office in Toronto.

For his success Chima credits his determination and the Grace of God. “When I left my country,” he says, “my primary goal was to continue in my profession in the legal field – no matter what. I knew there were going to be challenges – some of them predictable, some unpredictable. This is a different jurisdiction from where you’ve lived before. But you shouldn’t lose focus.”

Knowing what you want to achieve is crucial when it comes to following people’s advice. Chima warns newcomers that the first few people you meet upon arrival to Canada can have a strong influence on your future in the country. “If they are the right people, they will put you on the right track,” he says, “but if they are the wrong people, they can derail you through the advice they give you. In my case, some told me, ‘Oh, you can’t be a lawyer here!’ And some were sending me on the wrong path – they were telling me, ‘Why don’t you do a psychiatry course since you have a science background?’, or ‘Why don’t you do a paralegal course?’ But because I had that personal determination and strong conviction, I didn’t follow their advice. I said, ‘No, I can’t be a lawyer and then become a paralegal – it doesn’t make any sense.’ So you have to align yourself with people who would encourage you and support you to remain on the path you have decided for yourself.”

Chima likes to share his experience with other immigrants. He has mentored more than 12 lawyers and other internationally trained professionals who are working now in their fields.

By Lucy Slavianska

The post ‘Have a vision of what you really want to be’ says lawyer Abba Chima appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

“I was so confident in my abilities and I had such a strong resume that I never doubted I would quickly get a job in Canada,” says Jaya Dharan, program coordinator at one of Calgary’s immigrant employment services organizations. “So the fact that when I started applying and didn’t even get a phone call was surprising. In Dubai, where I lived for 15 years prior to coming to Canada, I did not have to apply for jobs – I was headhunted!”

With a Master’s degree from Punjab University in India and strong background in administration, in Dubai, Dharan had worked for the Ministry of Education, The British Council and The British University in Dubai. Hoping for the best job opportunities in Canada, she and her husband decided to land in Calgary – because the agent who helped them submit their applications advised them that Alberta was a prosperous province and its biggest city Calgary was the best place to work in Canada.

The family knew that it usually takes some time in a new country to settle and find jobs. Therefore, to avoid having two job seekers at home and no income, the Dharans decided that Jaya would move to Calgary first with their son, get a stable job and then the husband would quit his work in Dubai and join the family in Canada. Finding a stable paid job for Jaya, however, took longer than they expected.

“When you send your resume and you don’t hear a response, you feel you have been judged – and you have been judged negatively,” says Dharan recalling her first months at the Canadian job market. Time passed and she felt isolated and very lonely – unemployed, far from friends and family, in a country very different from Dubai and India. “There were times when I felt hopeless,” she admits. “And hopelessness is the worst a person can experience.”

Looking for ways to overcome the isolation and the negative emotions, she joined a meditation group in Calgary. “I was fortunate I found this activity,” she says. “I got immense support – I had a place to go where I wouldn’t be judged. There was a friendly atmosphere, there were smiles and hugs. It really helped me restore my positive outlook.”

Having overcome the first shock, Dharan started to look for alternative ways to get into the Canadian work environment. She contacted the immigrant agencies in the city and received  good advice – to start volunteering first.  So with the help of Immigrant Services Calgary she got a volunteer position at the Canadian Red Cross. “Volunteering full time gave purpose to my days,” Dharan says. “I had a reason to get up in the morning: to go to work, to meet amazing people and build professional relationships. And my supervisors later become my referees. In fact, ensuring references is one of the biggest advantages of volunteering – because everywhere you go you need references. And your friends and neighbours can not provide you with them – references must be work-related.”

Dharan was still volunteering for the Red Cross when she got an internship at Bow Valley College. The internship (as Administrative Support) was not paid, but it led to her current job: the college was one of the main partners of CRIEC (Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council) and Dharan was involved in one of CRIEC’s projects. While working on the project she learned about a job opening for Coordinator and applied. Having gained the required knowledge and experience, and having excellent references, she was hired and is now passionately working for a mentorship program designed to help newcomers find jobs.

“Wise people say that you have to surround yourself with positive people in order to be happy and successful.”

“Wise people say that you have to surround yourself with positive people in order to be happy and successful,” she says, “and I want to be one of those positive people my mentees meet. I keep telling them that I have been in their situation and I have overcome the difficulties – and if I have done it, they can do it too!”

Some of the keys to positivity, according to Dharan, are patience, appreciation of what we have at the moment, and flexibility. “We all come to Canada with dreams,” Dharan says, “and it is very important to have dreams. But we have to be flexible as well. And if sometimes we have to redefine our dreams, we should be open to that. There is a simple example: if you dream of having a large house with a huge backyard, but at the moment you can only afford a condo with no backyard, don’t let this make you sad. Think of it as just the first step. And be happy that you have made the first step. Make that condo a happy, cozy home and keep on dreaming of the big house – it will happen too – it’s just a matter of time… However, I have met mentees who are highly qualified, and when they come to Canada and don’t immediately get the same level of jobs they have had before, they get upset – they don’t want to be patient and flexible and they become very unhappy – and this doesn’t help. So I would suggest: be flexible, don’t lose your dreams, but be open to changing your path towards them. I still have my dream of a big house with a big backyard, I haven’t gotten it yet, but I am happy for where I am standing right now.”

By Lucy Slavianska

The post Jaya Dharan: “Don’t give up on your dreams! And be flexible” appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

“Do not think that what you’ve done in the past won’t come handy in Canada,” says Yashod Bhardwaj, Corporate Development Analyst working with a leading Fortune 500 engineering and construction company in Calgary. “It definitely comes handy. And if you have been a hardworking person and you have spent a lot of time on your academics, don’t get discouraged by the fact that here people ask for Canadian education and experience. You will always find people who will tell you that you don’t have Canadian experience and good enough communication skills…the list goes endless. But it is very important to believe in yourself and say: ‘I am confident that my work experience from back home is very relevant.’ Make a two-page resume that shows how your skills match with what is required in Canada. Also, focus on your LinkedIn profile. So everything that you have done earlier will surely help you – in my case it helped me a lot. Had I not had the work experience from India, I would have never secured an amazing project manager’s job as my first job in Canada – right after finishing my education in Toronto, and would have not qualified for the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program, that helped me in securing the Permanent Residence of Canada in 6 months, otherwise it could have taken years”

Bhardwaj has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Delhi and a Software Diploma from India. After six years mostly in the IT or IT-enabled services industries in India, where he worked for IBM and in the field of knowledge process outsourcing and market research, he decided to get a postgraduate diploma in another country. He chose Seneca College in Toronto and in 2007 enrolled in its International Business Management program.

To pay for his education and cover his living expenses, while studying Bhardwaj also had to do part-time jobs. “I come from a middle class family in India,” he explains, “and I’ve never wanted to ask my parents for a lot of money.” So from Monday to Friday Bhardwaj would study for 40 hours and also work at the college and do other survival jobs on weekends.

Even though it was tiresome, Bhardwaj says there was a positive side of doing survival jobs. “It used to be a lot of fun because I was new to the country and I was learning,” he says. “And what I learned from doing these jobs was how to step out of your box and make friends with people from other communities. If you just mingle within your community, you won’t be very successful. Canada is one of the very few countries that really are ‘home away from home’ to people from all over the world, so to be successful in the long term you have to develop the necessary communication skills and confidence. I would advise newcomers to start from day one – set a goal: to make friends with people from different countries and make those friendships very genuine. This is very important and was really useful to me.”

After completing his education, Bhardwaj landed a job as Marketing Project Manager in a research-based institute in Toronto. He held this position for a few years before moving to Calgary for another job in the Oil & Gas industry. Being successful in his job hunting, he is enthusiastic about helping other highly qualified immigrants find employment in their fields. In his free time Bhardwaj volunteers as a mentor at the Calgary Regional Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC).

Canada is one of the very few countries that really are ‘home away from home’ to people from all over the world, so to be successful in the long term you have to develop the necessary communication skills and confidence.

From his own experience and the experiences of his successful mentees, Bhardwaj concluded that the best strategy for finding the desired job is by conducting informational interviews.  Therefore, he advises newcomers not to completely rely on job search websites like Workopolis and Monster, but to do research and start building their own professional networks.

“An informational interview is a way to get connected with the experienced people in your targeted industry,” Bhardwaj explains. “The first thing you have to do is to create a list of the top companies you would like to work for and the key people you need to connect with. Make a list of about 50 people and send emails directly to them or give them phone calls and ask for 15 or 20 minutes of their time.”  Before writing an email, Bhardwaj warns, the job hunter should always research about the recipient on LinkedIn and find out if he or she has been mentioned in any articles. Such knowledge shown in the email is important to get a positive response for an informational interview. Also, the sender should make sure the email is well written and contains no mistakes. “And when someone agrees to talk to you,” Bhardwaj says, “don’t ask for a job, but ask what kind of qualities and skills are required in the industry in Canada, how you could improve to become the perfect candidate for a job, what kind of salary expectation you should have – questions like this. Be specific. Of course, during the conversation, try to present the best of you. And later, based on the feedback, work on your strategies. Also, your focus towards the end of the interview should be to get the contact information of at least two more industry professionals, this will really help you to build your network. The chances are that out of 50 people at least five would respond to you. And somewhere along the line someone will be looking for someone to hire, and ask you for your resume and you will end up having the perfect job. Sometimes instead of 50 emails you might have to send 100.  It might be hard work, but sooner or later it pays off.”

Most immigrants, however, feel awkward about sending emails or making phone calls to people they don’t know. “Don’t be shy to approach people,” Bhardwaj says. “For example, in a city like Calgary I realized that you can send an email to anyone and ask for 15 minutes of their time and they would give it to you. But things happen only when you are confident enough to go and shake hands with people from other communities and other cultures. So trust yourself, go out there and open up to strangers – it is okay. In some cases people might say that you don’t have all the Canadian stuff, but you eventually will get lucky – because there are people who understand and are helpful. That’s how I got my job; and as a mentor, I see many immigrants succeeding in that way.”

By Lucy Slavianska

The post Yashod Bhardwaj: “Informational interviews are the best strategy” appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

It took Delish George only 40 days from landing in Canada to landing a job in his professional field. He is now Residential Mortgage Officer at a mortgage bank in Calgary.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Mahatma Gandhi University, George worked from India for the US Residential Mortgage Industry. He had 10 years of experience and was Senior Process Lead. Since he found out that mortgage practices in US and in Canada were very similar, he was confident that his knowledge and qualifications were sufficient to start working in Canada right away.

However, he had to begin from a lower position than the one he held back home. “I was senior in the company in India and I was doing higher profile jobs for the US banks than what I am doing now in Calgary,” he says. “I can’t blame the system here because even though my resume showed my experience and skills, employers could not be absolutely sure whether I knew all the necessary stuff. They took me and gave me a chance, so I was very lucky.”

Calgary wasn’t George’s first choice for landing – he had heard that for people with background in finance, Toronto was a great place to develop a career so he had planned to settle in the GTA. However, the year before he moved to Canada, his wife, a qualified social worker, landed in Toronto and was unable to find employment in her field. To pay for her expenses she had to do entry level jobs unrelated to her profession. She learned that there were better of opportunities for social workers in Alberta and for that reason the family decided to settle in Calgary.

When he landed, George immediately started to educate himself on how to look for jobs in his new country. He attended some employment related seminars. One of them, at Immigrant Services Calgary, was about networking. “My primary way of searching for jobs was reading postings on the Internet and applying online,” George says. “But at this seminar I learned that companies post vacancies only as a last resort. Usually they first try to fill the vacant positions internally. Also, hiring managers ask employees or other people they know if they could recommend someone for a particular position. So most vacancies are never announced online. As for the announced ones, by the time you apply they might have found someone else.”

In spite of all that negative information about the postings on the Internet, George continued applying online. “I didn’t know anybody in Calgary,” he said, “so I didn’t have another choice at that time.” Luckily it worked for him. During a session with a career coach at Directions for Immigrants, the coach showed him a list of vacant positions that were announced on the Internet. “She told me these were the jobs I should target and pointed out one recent opening,” George said. “It was the opening for my current position…”
The coach helped him write his resume in Canadian style. The hardest part of the application, George recalls, was the cover letter. “I find writing detailed cover letters very demanding in Canada,” he says. “Here you have to prepare a different letter for each position you target. It takes a very long time: but you need to spend this time because if you don’t have a cover letter they wouldn’t even look at your application.”

“Here you have to prepare a different letter for each position you target. It takes a very long time: but you need to spend this time because if you don’t have a cover letter they wouldn’t even look at your application.”

To prepare for the interview, George read on the Internet about the typical questions that were asked in Canada and found them very different from those he had heard in India. His first interview in Calgary was over the phone – a Human Resources person from the company he was applying for called him and asked him why he wanted to join the team, how much he knew about the bank, what salary expectations he had, and other questions. The person was calling from a Toronto office, but when she was satisfied with George’s answers she arranged an in-person interview with a manager in Calgary. The second interview went well and two days later George received a phone call and was told he was hired.

Finding a professional job in just 40 days, on the Internet – without knowing anybody in the industry in Canada, was extraordinary for a newcomer: “I was very fortunate,” George admits. His story, however, shows that a smooth and fast way to employment in Canada is not impossible.

By Lucy Slavianska

The post Delish George got a professional job in just 40 days! appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Watch how IAF micro loans are helping build brighter futures for internationally trained professionals like Eva Hadzima, Dapo Bankole, and Ionela Cristina Popescu!

The post The future is bright: Three success stories! appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Abraham Ogidan arrived in Canada in March 2012 from Nigeria, along with his wife and son. They came to Canada because they saw an opportunity for a new beginning in a country that celebrated multiculturalism and presents everyone with the opportunity to grow and excel.

In Nigeria, Abraham had been working as a Supply Chain Specialist and was hoping to return to his field in Canada. Although he had previous work experience, Abraham needed Canadian qualifications in order to re-enter his desired profession. Upon researching educational opportunities, Abraham came across the Supply Chain Management Diploma at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary. In order to enter this program, Abraham needed financial assistance. He was told by a friend to contact IAF.

IAF was able to help Abraham by providing him with the financial assistance required to complete his diploma program. Abraham feels that IAF presents a new immigrant with affordable financing to obtain the Canadian qualification needed to obtain a professional job which in turn could lead to building a career in their chosen field.

Abraham has found employment at Shell Canada as a Supply Chain Specialist, and he is happy to be back in his professional field. Abraham and his family continue to reside in Calgary.

The post Finding opportunities in Canada appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Dr. Olamipo Bamigboje and her husband Kay were both physicians in Nigeria before coming to Canada. They both saw coming to Canada as a chance to explore more diverse opportunities for advancing and developing their careers.

The couple along with their son made the journey to Canada in 2013 and moved to Saskatchewan in 2015. Coming to Canada and experiencing the weather changes were a bit of an adjustment, specifically the dipping -40 degree days.

As the family was building a home in the Saskatchewan, they ventured to the Saskatoon Open Door Society where they were told about the Immigrant Access Fund of Saskatchewan. Olamipo saw IAF as a funding option to help alleviate the costs associated with her professional exams and she made the decision to apply.

Dr. Olamipo found the IAF process to be very useful and supportive in her path to being a physician in Canada.

“IAF contributed immensely to my entering my professional field by giving me the necessary funds I needed to write the required professional exams in a timely manner. Through the IAF loan I was able to pay for my necessary professional exams in order to obtain a Canadian Medical Practicing License.”

Dr. Olamipo continues to share her positive experience with IAF with fellow immigrants. She shares with others the way that IAF helped her to achieve her career goals by allowing her to stress less on the financial aspect.

Dr. Olamipo is currently practicing as a family physician and resides with her family in Davidson, Saskatchewan.

The post Physician brings her expertise to Saskatchewan appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Abiodun Adebayo Lawal is fulfilling his lifelong dream to live in Canada and practise his profession as a pharmacist. His path in pursuit of the dream started in Nigeria, traversed three continents and tested his ambition. There were times when he despaired.

“Sometimes late at night in the library, coming to Canada seemed like an adventure that should not have been taken,” Abiodun says.

In Nigeria, Abiodun worked for an international pharmaceutical company. He applied to immigrate to Canada, but the process proved difficult and long. He and his wife went to England where Abiodun studied for his Masters of Drug Delivery Science. While there, their immigration papers came through. Abiodun completed his studies and in October 2009 the family, expanded to include two children, headed to Calgary to begin their new life.

“We fell in love with Calgary,” Abiodun says. His wife had a job waiting for her; Abiodun took a part-time position as a customer service representative at Walmart and began pursuing his Canadian credentials. He found a bridging program for internationally trained pharmacists that he knew would be helpful to his Canadian career. But it was expensive and because his wife worked, Abiodun only qualified for partial funding.

“Even if you have a clear idea of how you can proceed on your path, if you have no funds you will not move from where you are” Abiodun muses. “And it is very difficult getting funds when you are new to the country. You have no credit history, no job and no guarantee you will pay back the loan.”

He heard about IAF through the bridging program. After meeting with a loan facilitator, setting his budget and determining the funds required, Abiodun secured the loan, which he used for living expenses, books and other training-related costs.

“The loan allowed me to focus on my studies without the distraction of a second job and financial stress,” Abiodun says.

The post Pharmacist realizes dream appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Elena Kumar was just making ends meet as her husband, Amit, completed his residency in South Africa. The couple immigrated to Edmonton in 2009 and survived on Elena’s income as a clinical aid at a Medicentre. Then Elena had an opportunity to write a critical professional exam, which required that she reduce her work hours in order to study — and shell out a hefty exam fee of $2,000, too much for the couple’s tight budget to accommodate.

“Sometimes it becomes really tough,” Elena says. In Russia, she had already completed her residency and a Masters degree in internal medicine, but those credentials are not recognized in Canada. “You don’t know how much hope you have of succeeding. And you don’t need financial stress on top of the stress going through exams, dealing with the licensing issues and unpredictable changes in rules about qualifications, and all of the other obstacles that block your way.”

IAF came to Elena’s rescue — and not just with the loan that covered the exam fee.

“I’m very glad IAF exists,” Elena enthuses. “All of the people I met there were so friendly and welcoming to international medical graduates, like me. They helped me with every step of the application — writing it, figuring out income and outputs and presenting it. I really appreciate the welcome I received there.”

Now, Amit is working as a doctor in Edmonton and Elena, having passed her exam, is working as a clinical assistant in the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Because of the long waits and intense competition for residency positions in Alberta, plus the time and expense, Elena plans to assess carefully whether she will pursue her doctor’s license, or whether she will stay on in her current position. “It’s a very good position,” she says. “I feel that I’ve already accomplished a lot. We are settled and I want to keep working in Edmonton and buy a house. Then, hopefully, having children will be the next step.”

The post Doctor finds welcome at IAF appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

By Andy Radia

Immigrating to a new country as a single person or even as a couple is difficult at best.

Coming with young children, however, brings a whole other set of challenges: On top of having to find jobs and upgrading their skills, couples with children are faced with the task of finding affordable childcare, often in the midst of financial strain and without the help of grandparents.

That is the experience for thousands of immigrants to Canada every year.  It was also Jorge and Pamela Villanueva’s experience, in 2002, when they immigrated to Canada with their one-year-old son Paolo.

Shortly after they were married, the couple left their high-level managerial positions in the Philippines for a better life in Canada.

“We decided that Pam could look for a job with normal (8 to 5) hours while I should go for swing shift (mid-afternoon to midnight) or graveyard shift (midnight to early morning hours).  This will allow us to save on babysitting expense and at the same time ensure hands-on care for our son,” Jorge says.

“At the start it was difficult to find a job.  We sent out so many resumes for various job openings but seldom received a response.  Hiring companies would usually look for Canadian experience which we did not have since we were new immigrants.”

The couple, however, persevered and in 2003, with the help of new friends in Canada, they found ‘survival jobs.’ Pam was hired as a full-time inventory clerk at a publishing company in Vancouver while Jorge was able to secure a weekend front desk/night auditor job at a hotel.

They both held those positions until 2006 ensuring that one of them was always home with their son.

Concurrently, the couple went back to school.   Pam pursued her Certified General Accountants (CGA) designation and Jorge took part-time courses in bookkeeping and accounting.

The hard work paid off. They both now work in their field of choice: Pam is a finance manager and Jorge is development associate; both of them work at the same B.C. university.

“Looking at our experience, the pattern at the time was to first, get into the field you want even at an entry level position.  Once in, find out what knowledge and training are needed to qualify for a higher position,” Jorge says.

“It may be pursuing the CGA for finance and customer-service and finance training for a development position.  Once equipped with the necessary knowledge and training, we were able to qualify and eventually get the jobs that we wanted.”

In just over a decade, the Villanuevas had not only successfully rebuilt their careers, they’ve also expanded their family. They now have 3 happy and healthy boys aged 12, 9 and 8.

You might say that the Villanuevas are living happily ever after.

The post Determination propels success for immigrant couple appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

The post Success Story: Ndumiso appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Want to know the secret rules to Canadian workplace culture before you make a career mistake? Adapting to a new culture can be challenging enough, but with patience and the right attitude, it doesn’t have to be. Andrew Zheng was determined to succeed in Canada from the moment he arrived as a student. He took the right approach and started to prepare himself for a career in Canada right from the word GO!

Andrew is an excellent example of how you can do everything possible to increase the chances of you finding a job in Canada that you will be proud of!

As an international student from China, Andrew started to think about being employable from the beginning of his Masters of Chemistry program. He knew his job options were narrow to begin with, so instead of following the usual route of focusing only on his studies, Andrew strategized early to maximize his employability.

1) English Skills

Andrew knew that one of the greatest barriers that immigrants to Canada face is that of their English language ability. He decided to do everything he could to improve his English communication skills. Andrew joined Toastmasters and practiced giving presentations and speeches every week to get comfortable speaking English in stressful situations. He also made a conscious effort to make friends who were not Chinese so he could practice English in natural conversation, and sought out friendships with some of the more advanced graduate students in his program, making connections with future colleagues and paying attention to tips about Canadian culture at the same time.

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Andrew stands out among other newcomers in that he really ensured that his friendships were as much, if not more, with native English speakers than Chinese speakers. While other students were immersing themselves in video games and seeking cultural comfort with people they felt relaxed with, Andrew gained communication skill and intercultural competence by actively seeking opportunities to engage with English speakers and make real friends. In addition to his chemistry studies, he watched English movies and listened to the news in English. Andrew’s determination to “get comfortable” in English was truly exemplary.

2) Keep an eye out for opportunities

When a conference application from another province in Canada was forwarded to his department, it occurred to Andrew that he might be able to work outside of Edmonton in another province. With another student, he presented at a conference in Eastern Canada and looked up potential companies in the area to find out where new employment options might be. He was ready to move if need be and steeled himself to accept work wherever it was to be found.

As luck would have it – and Andrew is convinced that luck played a large part in his success – a job opportunity with a chemical manufacturing company in Edmonton was sent to his department, with the announcement that they were hiring for 5 positions. A number of graduate students from his department applied.

3) Upgrade your resume

To improve his chances of getting an interview, Andrew worked full time for a week perfecting and rewriting his resume and cover letter. He went to resume writing workshops and had his resume proofread. He asked his doctoral student colleagues to mentor him and to conduct mock job interviews, racking up over 20 hours of interview practice between several mentors.

When Andrew received a notification that he had been selected for a phone interview, he was more than ready.  With his toastmasters background, strong English preparation, combined with constant mock interview practices under his belt, Andrew approached the phone interview with confidence and was asked to come in for the next round of in-person interviews. He rigorously researched the company in advance, and through LinkedIn connected with employees who worked there.

As Andrew expected, the interview with the manufacturing company was much like an academic interview. It consisted of a panel interview, a demonstration, a luncheon and another round of interviews in the afternoon. He knew that everyone he met throughout the day was somehow part of the evaluation and that he should be cordial and show interest in others during the lunch, but not be overly familiar and let his guard down.

“Be brave to embrace the real world instead of accepting inaccurate information online or from inexperienced friends.”

Andrew’s advice for newcomers to Canada is that they should not be influenced by exaggeratedly negative online information from jobless people, and should not be influenced by best friends who had no job application and work experience.

Looking for more ways to build your career?

Check out the Canadian Workplace course suite and get the skills you need to create the career you want.

Marie Gervais, PhD, CEO Shift Management is a business-to-business entrepreneur who specializes in helping employers train their middle management to lead, get their workplace learning online and interactive, and conduct team assessments to figure out who to promote and how. She has a background in integrating internationally-trained individuals to the workplace and has supported many businesses in their efforts to hire, retain, support and promote immigrant and diverse employees.

Get in touch – Marie would love to hear from you: marie@shiftworkplace.com

The post Success Story: Andrew Zheng appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

By Lucy Slavianska

Although he was a professor at Sharif University of Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in Iran, and had a prosperous private consulting firm in Tehran, Mahdi Zangeneh decided to move to Canada. He was attracted by the peace and quality of life found in the North American country, so in 2009 he came to Toronto.

With a PhD in mechanical engineering and more than 10 years of valuable work experience, Zangeneh was convinced he would easily find a job. Without previous knowledge of the Canadian job market, however, Zangeneh found it challenging.

He started sending his resume to different companies, government institutions and organizations. In fact, he sent about 300 resumes without getting a reply. That was an unexpected and an extremely frustrating experience for him.

“Such a thing had never happened to me before,” Zangeneh says. “Spending nine or 10 months with no job, nothing — just looking for employment, applying … In fact, searching for a job was a full-time job. And when you are new immigrant, after nine months without working, you worry how you can survive economically, because your financial recourses are limited and here everything is expensive.”

Zangeneh was fortunate that after nine months of unemployment he still had savings, but he felt for other internationally trained professionals who had to do survival jobs to support themselves and their families. “I’ve met highly educated people doing survival jobs,” he says. “This can be helpful — temporarily — but I think it is not a solution. It’s like a painkiller — it might be good for a couple of months, but doesn’t heal. Because we come here as skilled workers looking for a better life, and if we are not satisfied with what we work, what is the point of living here?”

One of biggest challenges skilled immigrants face in finding professional jobs is Canadian licensing regulations for regulated professions. Zangeneh found out that despite his doctoral degree and engineering experience, in Canada he was not allowed to say he was an engineer without having a Canadian professional licence. So he had to apply for a P.Eng. (Professional Engineer) designation, which was a long and complicated process. Zangeneh needed credential assessment and had to have at least one year of Canadian experience as an engineer. To gain this experience, he had to find a job in which he would work under the supervision of a licensed P.Eng.

Despite all these challenges, Zangeneh was determined to succeed in his new life. He turned to organizations like Acces Employment, Microskills, COSTI and TRCA, which help newcomers, and attended resume-writing and interview preparation lectures and workshops. He also enrolled in several English as a Second Language courses to improve his English communication skills and took a special six-week training program for engineers. “Every opportunity I saw to learn things, I took it,” says Zangeneh.

The first thing he learned from the workshops was why all the resumes he had sent didn’t result in interviews. “I was sending general resumes and they just didn’t work,” he explains. “You have to customize according to the position and to the company you are applying for. And it is not enough to spend one or two hours — you have to do research on the company, on its product and even on the company’s competition. You have to find out about the position and the expectations of the employers. Only after doing that you can write a targeted resume and a cover letter.”

Resume writing and other job-searching skills were not the only things Zangeneh gained from all the courses he attended. Meeting other immigrants in situations similar to his own helped him overcome his frustration and stay motivated. “Listening to those people was very encouraging,” Zangeneh says, “because they had strong motivation and many of them got positive feedback from employers, or were invited to interviews, or found jobs. These experiences were bright things for me that were telling me, ‘It happens, so it will happen to you, too — you should be patient and keep trying. Don’t give up!’“

And, indeed, Zangeneh’s effort and patience paid off. After signing up with Career Bridge, an internship program run by the Toronto-based nonprofit Career Edge Organization, he was invited to a couple of interviews and got a paid internship at a government office. When he heard he was hired, he was thrilled. He was assigned to working under the supervision of a P.Eng., which allowed him to gain the one year of Canadian experience required for his P.Eng. designation.

Zangeneh says that he was very lucky to have found a great mentor in his supervisor. “He taught me what was going on in the industry in Canada and he also helped me promote things that I knew, but I didn’t know how to implement. The problem lay in some of the cultural differences. For example, in Canada, communication at work is considered a very valuable thing, so soft skills are as important as hard skills. And, if you are applying for a manager’s position, soft skills are even more valuable than technical skills. So my mentor told me I had very good technical skills, but I had to learn more about the soft skills inCanada.”

After his internship finished, thanks to the acquired knowledge and experience, Zangeneh got an offer from a private company. He also became a college instructor and taught courses related to renewable energy. Then he searched again for a government job. He succeeded and after several months met all requirements to obtain his P.Eng. licence. He is now senior noise engineer at the Ministry of the Environment.

When Zangeneh talks about his experience, he points out that in Canada it might take time until you find your first job, but once you gain some experience, things get easier.

The post Patience pays off for engineer appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

To make a reasonable decision on immigration and to be better prepared for the Canadian job market, Maziar Taheri, an Iranian electrical engineer with a background in sales and marketing, made two short trips to Toronto before moving to Canada with his family. During these two-week trips Taheri met with friends in Ontario, talked to them about the job opportunities in the country, asked them how they managed their businesses, spent time at their work places and gathered as much information as possible about the standard of living in Canada.He says these two trips helped him get a realistic idea about his chances in the job market and saved him a lot time, money and struggles when he finally immigrated to Canada.

“Some people decide to move to Canada without knowledge of the requirements of the job market here,” he says, “and when they come, they have to spend a lot more energy – and there is also a big risk of spending much more money than necessary. It can be a great pain for some of them and it can also reflect on their families. In fact, they could have done something in their countries to be better prepared and save time, funds, spirit, everything. To me, these two short trips helped me to have a better start in Canada.”

It took seven months for Taheri to find a professional job he likes. The first two and a half months in Canada he attended two courses for internationally trained professionals through ACCES Employment Services. The first one was Sales and Marketing Connection at Humber College,Toronto. In addition to presenting the specifics of sales and marketing in Canada, the program included resume writing and interview skills. The other course Taheri attended was Leaderships in Project Management at Ryerson University. There he received useful information on the management concepts in Canada, as well as on team building, conflict management and leadership styles.

We have prepared a Pre-Arrival Checklist of valuable information that will make arriving in Canada as smooth a process as possible.

Immediately after finishing the two programs, Taheri started working for a small company in Toronto. Unfortunately, the company was not in a good financial situation and couldn’t pay him the salary he deserved, so two and a half months later Taheri was unemployed, looking for a job.

That was his the most difficult time in Canada. “I heard from my friends that looking for a job was a full-time job and I realized that it was true,” he says. “Sometimes I was working 12 hours a day – writing resumes, reading job postings and companies’ websites, going to job fairs and to interviews. But I had made the decision to come to Canada and start my life here, so I was determined to get a good job and I am happy that I found it.”

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“I tried to socialize with immigrants, who had started years ago and have succeeded. I tried to learn about their experiences, to hear how they solved their problems, what their approach was and this helped me a lot.”

To cheer up and to stay motivated during his job search, Taheri decided to avoid talking to negative people and instead to socialize with successful friends and acquaintances with positive attitude. ”Everywhere we can find people with low spirit and pessimistic views,” he says, “but it doesn’t help to communicate with them – focussing only on problems and difficulties doesn’t help. So I tried to socialize with immigrants, some of them already Canadian citizens, who had started years ago and have succeeded. I tried to learn about their experiences, to hear how they solved their problems, what their approach was and this helped me a lot. I realized that all of them started with many challenges but they tried to keep a balance and to make realistic plans and solve things step by step. It took them time and energy but they have succeeded and I really enjoyed listening to their stories.”

Being an electrical engineer with experience in EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) projects, oil and gas, and sales and marketing of industrial equipment, Taheri found his current job in Calgary and is now working for one of Canada’s leading engineering companies.

“When I was planning to move to Canada,” he says, “most of my friends were landing in Toronto, and we also had relatives in Vancouver. So I had just two alternatives in my mind –Toronto and Vancouver. I decided to land in Toronto because of my close friends there. At that time I didn’t know much about Calgary. But little by little I understood that something very interesting was going on there – related to my experience and my education. And I decided to move to Calgary. Now I am happy to live here. If I knew about Calgary before coming to Canada, I would have moved here directly, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough information.”

Taheri thinks Calgary has a more relaxed and harmonious society. There is a reason for that. “The weather is not very nice,” he explains. “Winters are very cold and very long. For that reason non-professional people won’t come to Calgary. Very few newcomers would land here – most of the immigrants go to Toronto and Vancouver, which has resulted in the existence of many different societies, appearances and behaviours there. As for Calgary, mainly professionals who have jobs move here. Those who come have very clear ideas about their career goals. They also earn enough income to meet their financial needs. This makes the society more balanced and steady. Also, there are fewer crimes here. I like Vancouver– it is very beautiful and has good weather, it is nice to visit, but I prefer to live in Calgary.”

Although he found a professional job and stability in less than a year, Taheri thinks skilled immigrants should be patient and prepared for not having in the first two or three years in Canada the same life standards they have had back home. Also, he advises newcomers’ spouses to be understanding and all family members to remember why and what for they have left their own countries, relatives and friends. Taheri also recommends new immigrants to carefully spend their savings and to avoid taking financial risks in their first years in Canada.

By Lucy Slavianska

The post Job opportunities are not only in Toronto and Vancouver! appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Watch how IAF micro loans are helping build brighter futures for internationally trained professionals like Eva Hadzima, Dapo Bankole, and Ionela Cristina Popescu!

The post The future is bright: Three success stories! appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Abraham Ogidan arrived in Canada in March 2012 from Nigeria, along with his wife and son. They came to Canada because they saw an opportunity for a new beginning in a country that celebrated multiculturalism and presents everyone with the opportunity to grow and excel.

In Nigeria, Abraham had been working as a Supply Chain Specialist and was hoping to return to his field in Canada. Although he had previous work experience, Abraham needed Canadian qualifications in order to re-enter his desired profession. Upon researching educational opportunities, Abraham came across the Supply Chain Management Diploma at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary. In order to enter this program, Abraham needed financial assistance. He was told by a friend to contact IAF.

IAF was able to help Abraham by providing him with the financial assistance required to complete his diploma program. Abraham feels that IAF presents a new immigrant with affordable financing to obtain the Canadian qualification needed to obtain a professional job which in turn could lead to building a career in their chosen field.

Abraham has found employment at Shell Canada as a Supply Chain Specialist, and he is happy to be back in his professional field. Abraham and his family continue to reside in Calgary.

The post Finding opportunities in Canada appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Dr. Olamipo Bamigboje and her husband Kay were both physicians in Nigeria before coming to Canada. They both saw coming to Canada as a chance to explore more diverse opportunities for advancing and developing their careers.

The couple along with their son made the journey to Canada in 2013 and moved to Saskatchewan in 2015. Coming to Canada and experiencing the weather changes were a bit of an adjustment, specifically the dipping -40 degree days.

As the family was building a home in the Saskatchewan, they ventured to the Saskatoon Open Door Society where they were told about the Immigrant Access Fund of Saskatchewan. Olamipo saw IAF as a funding option to help alleviate the costs associated with her professional exams and she made the decision to apply.

Dr. Olamipo found the IAF process to be very useful and supportive in her path to being a physician in Canada.

“IAF contributed immensely to my entering my professional field by giving me the necessary funds I needed to write the required professional exams in a timely manner. Through the IAF loan I was able to pay for my necessary professional exams in order to obtain a Canadian Medical Practicing License.”

Dr. Olamipo continues to share her positive experience with IAF with fellow immigrants. She shares with others the way that IAF helped her to achieve her career goals by allowing her to stress less on the financial aspect.

Dr. Olamipo is currently practicing as a family physician and resides with her family in Davidson, Saskatchewan.

The post Physician brings her expertise to Saskatchewan appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Abiodun Adebayo Lawal is fulfilling his lifelong dream to live in Canada and practise his profession as a pharmacist. His path in pursuit of the dream started in Nigeria, traversed three continents and tested his ambition. There were times when he despaired.

“Sometimes late at night in the library, coming to Canada seemed like an adventure that should not have been taken,” Abiodun says.

In Nigeria, Abiodun worked for an international pharmaceutical company. He applied to immigrate to Canada, but the process proved difficult and long. He and his wife went to England where Abiodun studied for his Masters of Drug Delivery Science. While there, their immigration papers came through. Abiodun completed his studies and in October 2009 the family, expanded to include two children, headed to Calgary to begin their new life.

“We fell in love with Calgary,” Abiodun says. His wife had a job waiting for her; Abiodun took a part-time position as a customer service representative at Walmart and began pursuing his Canadian credentials. He found a bridging program for internationally trained pharmacists that he knew would be helpful to his Canadian career. But it was expensive and because his wife worked, Abiodun only qualified for partial funding.

“Even if you have a clear idea of how you can proceed on your path, if you have no funds you will not move from where you are” Abiodun muses. “And it is very difficult getting funds when you are new to the country. You have no credit history, no job and no guarantee you will pay back the loan.”

He heard about IAF through the bridging program. After meeting with a loan facilitator, setting his budget and determining the funds required, Abiodun secured the loan, which he used for living expenses, books and other training-related costs.

“The loan allowed me to focus on my studies without the distraction of a second job and financial stress,” Abiodun says.

The post Pharmacist realizes dream appeared first on Prepare For Canada.

Elena Kumar was just making ends meet as her husband, Amit, completed his residency in South Africa. The couple immigrated to Edmonton in 2009 and survived on Elena’s income as a clinical aid at a Medicentre. Then Elena had an opportunity to write a critical professional exam, which required that she reduce her work hours in order to study — and shell out a hefty exam fee of $2,000, too much for the couple’s tight budget to accommodate.

“Sometimes it becomes really tough,” Elena says. In Russia, she had already completed her residency and a Masters degree in internal medicine, but those credentials are not recognized in Canada. “You don’t know how much hope you have of succeeding. And you don’t need financial stress on top of the stress going through exams, dealing with the licensing issues and unpredictable changes in rules about qualifications, and all of the other obstacles that block your way.”

IAF came to Elena’s rescue — and not just with the loan that covered the exam fee.

“I’m very glad IAF exists,” Elena enthuses. “All of the people I met there were so friendly and welcoming to international medical graduates, like me. They helped me with every step of the application — writing it, figuring out income and outputs and presenting it. I really appreciate the welcome I received there.”

Now, Amit is working as a doctor in Edmonton and Elena, having passed her exam, is working as a clinical assistant in the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Because of the long waits and intense competition for residency positions in Alberta, plus the time and expense, Elena plans to assess carefully whether she will pursue her doctor’s license, or whether she will stay on in her current position. “It’s a very good position,” she says. “I feel that I’ve already accomplished a lot. We are settled and I want to keep working in Edmonton and buy a house. Then, hopefully, having children will be the next step.”

The post Doctor finds welcome at IAF appeared first on Prepare For Canada.