From Pre-Arrival Support to Early Success: Lauren’s SOPA Story
New Beginnings in BC
Lauren arrived in Vancouver, BC with a clear purpose: to continue her work as an ESL instructor while preparing for the next step in her academic and professional journey. As she describes it, “I teach English as a second language to adults. I have been teaching for three years. I hope to return to school in Canada to pursue higher degrees in order to teach at the university level.”
Originally from the United States, she brought with her both experience and ambition, and immediately began searching for the right supports to help her transition into the Canadian labour market.
Discovering SOPA
Before her move, Lauren researched pre-arrival services and found MOSAIC and the SOPA Program, While planning her move, Lauren researched pre-arrival programs to better understand her employment options. “I found SOPA after researching my pre-arrival services option and finding MOSAIC in Vancouver.”
This led her to register for:
- Intake Counselling
- Employment Counselling
- Working in Canada course
Career planning and job search strategies quickly became her focus. Together with her SOPA employment counselor, she developed a tailored approach to entering the ESL field in BC.
Landing Her First Canadian Job
Lauren’s early success was remarkable. “I found a part time job as an English teacher within a few weeks of landing and only one week after meeting with my employment counselor. I am still pursuing full-time employment.”
Her quick transition into the workforce reflects both her professionalism and her willingness to apply strategies learned through SOPA as soon as she arrived.
How SOPA Supported Her Transition
According to Lauren, SOPA provided a “comprehensive overview” of her employment landscape in BC—Lauren emphasizes how transformative the program felt during an otherwise overwhelming period of resettlement. In her words, “SOPA provided me with a comprehensive overview of my career options in Canada, including relevant agencies, websites, tools, etc to aid my job hunt.”
A key part of her learning came from mastering new tools. “One particularly useful tool was Jobscan, which my employment counselor trained me to leverage for the optimization and organization of my professional materials.”
Most importantly, she found the human support invaluable. “I found my employment counselor especially helpful – she compiled for me information that would have taken me much longer to find. She made an overwhelming process more tangible by giving me steps toward my larger employment goal.”
Through SOPA, Lauren gained not only knowledge but confidence.
“SOPA helped me to better understand my field in the Canadian market and how to best market myself. I always learned future steps post-arrival and different options to reach my long-term professional goals in BC. I was educated in a host of resources I can access to support my professional transition and growth.”
Strategies That Helped
Lauren attributes her job search success to:
- using the resources compiled by her employment counselor
- understanding how the Canadian system evaluates qualifications
- applying consistently and intentionally
- staying open to part-time roles as stepping stones
These efforts helped her build momentum early in her settlement journey.
A Highlight from Lauren’s Employment Counselor
Her employment counselor shared heartfelt praise:
“I can’t express in words how pleased I am when I work with a true professional. Lauren was incredibly easy to work with—smart, educated, appreciative, and quick to understand every step of the process. She only needed a little guidance and direction; the rest was entirely her own excellent work. I wholeheartedly wish her success in her new home – BC, Canada!”
— Anna Romaniuk, Employment Services Advisor, SOPA BC
Lauren’s Advice to Other Newcomers
Her message is clear and encouraging:
“Take advantage of pre-arrival services ASAP!”
She wholeheartedly recommends SOPA to newcomers preparing to settle in Canada.
A Final Note of Gratitude
Lauren closes her story with heartfelt thanks to SOPA, and we extend the same gratitude to her. Her dedication, professionalism, and positivity made her a joy to support. Her path in BC is only beginning, and we are excited to see the bright future she is building here.
Story prepared by SOPA BC Team, Anna Romaniuk, SOPA BC Employment Services Advisor