Keep the Fire in You: Luis Sandoval’s Journey to Career Success in Canada

Before Luis Sandoval arrived in Canada, he was already preparing for the career he wanted to build here.

For Luis, the journey from Mexico to Vancouver, British Columbia, started well before his plane landed.

When he received his Confirmation of Permanent Residency, he also discovered information about per-arrival services — and that introduction led him to SOPA.

Luis approached his move to Canada with curiosity and determination. He wanted to understand not only how to find employment, but also how the Canadian job market worked, what employers expected, and how he could position his international experience effectively.

That preparation paid off. Just one month after arriving in Canada, Luis secured his dream job as a Supply Chain Specialist in Vancouver.

Preparing Before Arrival

As a SOPA client, Luis took an active role in preparing for his Canadian career.

Before arriving, he completed the Job Search Strategies course and participated in Soft Skills workshops. He used these opportunities to learn more about the Canadian job market, workplace culture, networking, and effective job search strategies.

Luis was also willing to ask questions and learn from the people supporting him. Working with his employment advisor helped him strengthen his approach to applications and better understand how to target his résumé.

As Luis explains:

“SOPA helped me target my resumes and have effective job applications that landed me interviews. The sessions I had with my employment advisor (Josephine) were beyond valuable. She was thorough in her feedback, and her experience made a difference after her recommendations.

Special thanks and a huge recognition to Josephine Wang for being so professional and sharing the best of you.”

The Power of Networking

One of the most important lessons Luis took from his preparation was the value of professional connections.

His successful job search is also a powerful example of why newcomers should not limit their search to opportunities posted publicly on job boards.

When asked what strategies helped him find work in his field, Luis shared:

“Networking is gold. A friend who is also my LinkedIn connection told me about this job opportunity before it was published on the careers website and job boards. I targeted my resume and cover letter, got an interview, and a week later, I got hired.”

SOPA also helped Luis look at networking differently and understand how professional relationships can become an important part of a Canadian job search.

“SOPA widened my perspective on how to search for jobs that are not published and not visible to the public, by networking and connecting with the right people with the right questions.”

For Luis, preparation, networking and a targeted approach came together at the right time. Within a month of arriving in Canada, he had taken an important step forward in his career.

From SOPA Client to Newcomer Mentor

Finding his dream job was not the end of Luis’s connection with SOPA.

After settling in Canada, Luis returned to share what he had learned with newcomers preparing for their own journeys.

He was invited as a guest speaker at a SOPA My City online event, where he spoke openly about his settlement and employment experience and answered questions from other SOPA clients.

His experience gave participants something especially valuable: the opportunity to hear directly from someone who had recently gone through the same transition they were preparing to make.

Luis continues to support SOPA and encourage other newcomers to stay positive, keep learning, ask questions and make use of the resources available to them.

Luis’s Advice for Newcomers

Luis encourages newcomers to be intentional about their job search and invest time in understanding the opportunities they want to pursue.

“Do your homework, arrive prepared, do research, ask questions, don’t be afraid and focus on the jobs that you would like to pursue. Invest time in crafting the most adept resume version for the job you’re applying to. Focus on quality not quantity.”

He also knows that a job search does not always move as quickly as we hope. His advice is to keep going, remain open to different opportunities and recognize that every experience can help you discover something new about yourself.

“Don’t be upset if you don’t get a call back. Keep on looking, and the door will be open. For those who seek, find. It might take a while to land that job you have experience in. Meanwhile, work in other fields and occupations that might spark new ideas and help you discover how capable you are of developing skills you didn’t think you had.”

“Keep the fire in you!”

There is one message from Luis that captures his approach to the newcomer journey:

“Keep the fire in you!”

It is a simple reminder of something that can matter enormously when starting again in a new country: stay motivated, continue learning, ask questions, build connections and keep moving toward your goals.

Luis arrived in Canada prepared to take that next step. Today, he is building his career as a Supply Chain Specialist and giving back by sharing what he learned with newcomers following a similar path.

His journey shows the value of beginning early — before arrival — and using that time to learn, connect and prepare for the opportunities ahead.

Thank you, Luis, for continuing to share your experience and encourage other newcomers preparing for their own journey to Canada.

Together, we grow.

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Settlement Online Pre-Arrival (SOPA) is an Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funded program that delivers free pre-arrival services for job readiness, success and retention.

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