Securing An Exciting Opportunity In Time Before Landing in Canada

Ahesan, originally from India, started his Canadian journey in May 2023 when he relocated to the vibrant Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Armed with a bachelor’s degree in management studies and an impressive eight years of experience in accounting and auditing, Ahesan had previously held the position of Audit Senior with a prestigious Big 4 consulting firm in India. Seeking a seamless transition to the Canadian job market, he wisely chose to register with the pre-arrival program offered by SOPA (Settlement Online Pre-Arrival) for his career support.

What sets Ahesan’s story apart is not just his successful integration into the Canadian workforce, but his proactive approach that led to securing a fantastic job offer even before setting foot in Canada. How did he achieve this? Ahesan invested time and effort into improving his job-seeking skills through SOPA’s employment counselling service and the Job Search Strategies course.

Working together in one-on-one sessions with SOPA employment specialist, Ahesan carefully crafted a Canadian-style resume that showcased his expertise effectively. Furthermore, Mar, his employment specialist got him engaged in a mock interview session, simulating real Canadian job interview scenarios. This preparation, along with guidance on typical Canadian interview questions, proved instrumental in boosting his confidence and readiness for the job market.

Taking full advantage of the resources SOPA offered, Ahesan didn’t stop there. He initiated the creation of a local professional network from his home country, strategically optimizing his LinkedIn profile with guidance from the SOPA employment specialist. The result? A well-rounded and comprehensive strategy that resulted in a job offer.

Reflecting on his experience, Ahesan expressed gratitude to Mar, his SOPA employment specialist, for the meticulous preparation and constructive feedback provided during the mock interview. He emphasized the professionalism and dedication exhibited by Mar, recognizing the session as a valuable learning experience that contributed to his success.

“Firstly, I would like to express my appreciation to Mar, my SOPA employment specialist, for requesting the job description and proactively preparing me for the mock interview. I found this to be a positive indication of Mar’s professionalism and dedication to providing a thorough and meaningful assessment.

Furthermore, I greatly appreciated the detailed feedback provided by Mar regarding my responses to each of the interview questions. This level of attention and specificity demonstrated a commitment to helping me understand my strengths and areas for improvement, which will undoubtedly prove invaluable in future job interviews.

Overall, I was impressed by Mar’s approach and expertise, and I feel that the mock interview was an extremely useful and productive experience. Thank you again to Mar for his time and effort in facilitating this session.” – Ahesan, SOPA Ontario client

Mar Smaili, the SOPA Employment Specialist in Ontario who worked with Ahesan, shared insights into their work. Mar highlighted Ahmed’s stellar qualities, describing him as a proactive and socially intelligent individual. From the very first employment counselling session, Mar sensed Ahesan’s potential for success in the Canadian workplace. Ahesan’s ability to establish professional rapport and navigate challenging questions during the mock interview impressed Mar, reaffirming his belief that Ahmed would find success sooner rather than later.

“I get the opportunity to work with stellar, proactive, and socially intelligent individuals as part of the SOPA program. From our first employment counselling session, I knew Ahesan would be a success story and model newcomer. I was impressed by Ahesan’s ability to build professional rapport immediately and so smoothly that I knew he would find success in the Canadian Workplace sooner rather than later.

His commitment to the employment counselling process was indicative of his work ethic and exceptional critical thinking skills. I was particularly impressed by Ahesan’s ability to navigate challenging behavioural questions during our mock interview session. Soon after working together, I was thrilled about receiving an email from Ahesan clearing a couple of rounds of interviews and receiving a great job offer from a Canadian employer, before landing in the country.” Mar Smaili, SOPA Ontario Employment Specialist.

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Story prepared by Mar Smaili, SOPA Ontario Employment Specialist

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Story edited by Albina Ziatdinova, SOPA Online Community and Social Media Monitor