We all have dreams don’t we? Just like you, I’ve had a dream too – to make a better life for myself in Canada. The first step was Permanent Residency which gave me a foot in the door in late 2018 through the celebrated Federal Skilled Worker Program that I’m sure everyone is aware of.

I’m an early-career marketer with a focus on the hospitality industry internationally. However, when I began my research on the hotel marketing opportunities available in Canada, I realized how strikingly limited they were and this was daunting. Now fortunately, marketing comprises skill-sets that are transferrable, so I decided to expand my horizons, being open to gaining experience in other industries.

 

As every newcomer does (and trust me, you’ll read tons of articles, blogs, and news pieces about this), I had my fair share of challenges here, especially with finding a job that matched my background or viceversa. Having worked across countries in different regions of the world, I’ve always been a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) person when it comes to job searching in an unknown territory, ie., following the mundanity of applying online with my resume, unaware at the time, of the fantastic Mentorship Program and Job Search Workshops available at practically every Immigrant Services Welcome Centre there is in this country. Keep in mind, hunting for a job in Canada is tearfully incomparable to the process in other parts of the world. It mostly involves having the strongest mindset because you might find yourself lost, often wondering if you’re good enough or if the consistent hard work over the years has really paid off. Despair not though! For at the end of every dark tunnel, lies a bright road ahead and this only comes through optimism, positivity, and most of all moving out of your comfort zone.

 

So through extensive research, and by looking for every nook and cranny that could help me find, not just a job but a career in Canada, I discovered the Welcome Centre through a post on LinkedIn (great source of invaluable information). This is a haven for all newcomers, yet sadly, I made my presence felt only after an overwhelming 3 months of my landing, when I should have been there on my very first day.

 

My experience was nothing short of a ‘warm welcome’ in every sense of its meaning. I was fortunate enough to meet and interact personally with Sandra Colaco, Alam Yim, and Phoebe Boreland-Grayson – 3 incredulously wonderful souls – who made me feel like I wasn’t an outcast any longer in Canada. They gave me their most valuable time, advice, and guidance on breaking barriers here. Needless to say, I received a job offer for a local family business as a Communications Coordinator within a week. This news was not celebrated alone, but by all of them equally.

 

I wholeheartedly recommend every newcomer to visit the Welcome Centre wherever you can find one, because each person at the centre was once in our situation and the help you receive, is one that will have a ripple-effect for as long as you can remember.

 

** I met Sandra, Alan and Phoebe at the Welcome Centre in Pickering, ON.