New Beginnings: Chronicles of Newcomers Across Canada

New Beginnings: Chronicles of Newcomers Across Canada shares six stories of immigrants starting new lives in six different provinces across the country. These chronicles highlight the journeys of individuals who came to Canada seeking a fresh beginning from various countries across the world. Each of our clients has their unique challenges, striving for a brighter future. Through these short stories, we celebrate their resilience, adaptability, and the rich cultural diversity that enriches Canada. Join us in reading these inspiring narratives of hope, courage, and the boundless opportunities that come with embracing new beginnings. Thank you for letting us share your beautiful stories!

Saskatchewan

Olusegun Lawal from Lagos, Nigeria, has worked in Sales, Marketing and most recently Business Development and Campaign Activation for British American Tobacco. He looks forward to a career in Business Development and subsequently a Business Analyst in Saskatchewan.

Before arriving Olusegun registered with the SOPA program and participated in Employment Counselling, Job Search Strategies (facilitated), Soft Skills: Complex Conversations, Soft Skills: Workplace Communication, Soft Skills: Social Interactions, Soft Skills: Working with Others, Canadian Workplace Integration, Working in Canada, Introduction to Business In Canada, Intake Counselling.

Olusegun is actively job searching and hoping to land a few interviews. “The 2 key strategies I have employed are using targeted resumes & cover letters and networking through LinkedIn & connecting with other established professionals already in Canada.”

“The biggest learning for me was the development and deployment of resumes. Previously, I practically used the same copy for all job applications but having gone through the SOPA courses, I now understand and practice the use of targeted resumes & cover letters for each job application. I’d advise newcomers to be very open-minded.”

Ontario

“My name is Adil Aarab, and I recently embarked on an exciting journey to Canada, filled with dreams and aspirations for a brighter future. With seven years of work experience in finance and customer service back in my home country, I was eager to contribute my skills and knowledge to the Canadian workforce. However, like many newcomers, I faced the daunting challenge of finding employment in a new country. That’s when I discovered the Settlement Online Pre-Arrival (SOPA) program.

The SOPA program became my trusted companion in the early stages of my journey. It was the beacon of hope that illuminated my path to a successful job search. SOPA provided an array of invaluable courses designed to help newcomers like me integrate into the Canadian job market effectively. Among these, the ‘Job Search Strategies’ (JSS) course was a game-changer.

The JSS course, offered by SOPA, was an absolute revelation. It provided me with all the skills and tools I needed to embark on my job search with confidence, building upon the foundation of my seven years of work experience in finance. From crafting a standout resume to mastering the art of interviews, JSS left no stone unturned in preparing me for the Canadian job market.

In just a week after arriving in Canada, I had the immense privilege of securing a job that perfectly aligned with my qualifications and aspirations. I was able to find rent and secure a job in the first week as a customer service representative with CIBC, thanks for the help and guidance of Andreaa Glavan. I credit this incredible success to the JSS course, which not only equipped me with practical knowledge but also instilled in me the self-assurance I needed to make a remarkable first impression.

SOPA’s JSS course was not just about finding a job; it was about finding my footing in a new country and realizing my dreams. The support, guidance, and resources offered by SOPA were instrumental in my rapid job placement, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Thank you, SOPA, for being my guiding light, and helping me make my dreams a reality.”

Atlantic Canada

Grace Cheung is a registered nurse from Hong Kong.  As a palliative care nurse, she has provided care for many people with serious illnesses. With her experience, expertise, and good personality, Grace is a valuable staff member for any medical institution that needs someone who treats their patients with love, patience, and endless professional care.

“My name is Grace. I am a registered nurse and would like to continue my profession as a registered nurse in Canada. I registered with SOPA before coming to Canada. I took several online courses and attended employment consultations.  The pre-arrival online course ‘Job Search Strategies’ was extremely useful and practical, it helped me to familiarize myself with Canadian job culture and resume format. My facilitator was truly helpful and always gave constructive feedback and recommendations to help me equip myself with essential skills in job hunting.

SOPA helped me to learn how to prepare a targeted resume and get ready for interviews.  I think it is also very important to reach out to different resources and engage in networking.  I would like to recommend SOPA to my family and friends who are preparing to immigrate to Canada.”

Manitoba

Fatma Aouani is a new resident in Winnipeg who recently arrived here from Turkey. She has been a Territory Sales Lead for Power Generation Projects for 7 years having international sales and business development experience for technical products and energy projects.

At the end of September 2023, she registered with the SOPA program, afterwards Fatma had an assessment and action plan session with Albina Bushueva, an employment specialist with SOPA Manitoba. Later on, Fatma and Albina did some follow-up activities working on her resume. She took part in the ‘Job Search Strategies’ course and ‘Soft Skills: Complex Conversations’ course. Fatma also participated in the networking event “People First HR: Landing a Job in the Current Labour Market”. She landed in Manitoba in November 2023. In January she contacted Albina to share that she got a very good job just 3 weeks after landing.

Fatma attributes part of her success to SOPA. She applied for many jobs in her field finding opportunities on LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. She got three interviews with different employers. The two first interviews were from Manitoba companies for positions offering up to 60,000 a year. She even had an interview with one of the companies using AI. Although Fatma didn’t get the job after the first few interviews, she kept positive. The next interview was with a Vancouver company where remote work with frequent travel across Canada was expected. The company, The Core Energy Recovery, is a manufacturer of HVAC components and requires a specialist with exactly Fatma’s experience. They hired Fatma offering to pay her 95,000$ to start with. It has been the second month for Fatma in the company now. She loves the company and her colleagues and says the manager is very nice, too.

Alberta

Dana Bukarum completed all of our 4 self-guided courses. She is one of our star students, as she not only completed all of the courses but also left detailed testimonials on how these courses helped her in her journey! This is a great example of not only gaining knowledge but also reflecting on what she has gained. Thank you Dana for letting us share your feedback so that new immigrants understand what they can learn before coming to Canada from our self-guided courses.

Job Search Strategies Express | The course has been an invaluable learning experience, equipping me with a wealth of knowledge that has significantly enhanced my skills and understanding. Particularly, the insights and tips shared on conducting effective interviews have proven to be immensely valuable. Moreover, it has helped me understand the importance of creating strong resumes and cover letters and has given me more confidence in applying for jobs and knowing how to make a good impression with my application materials.

Canadian Workplace Integration | I have gained a wealth of knowledge from this course on how to integrate into the Canadian workplace. The most valuable skill I acquired was the comprehensive set of 28 strategies for workplace integration. These strategies have equipped me with the tools and insights necessary to navigate and succeed in a professional environment, including adapting to new work settings, understanding communication styles, effectively working with differences, and mastering workplace English.

Working in Canada | I have acquired knowledge regarding employment agreements, the tax structure in Canada, the probationary period, and organizational culture. The comprehensive information on the intricacies of employee compensation has proven to be particularly beneficial.

Introduction to Business in Canada | Having a well-developed business plan is of utmost importance as it provides a roadmap for the company’s future and helps in resource allocation, risk management, and decision-making. Financial skills, market research, strategic thinking, effective communication, and adaptability are some of the key skills required for creating a strong business plan.

Thank you, SOPA, for providing such a fantastic learning opportunity!

British Columbia

“I was happy to provide feedback, this is the least I can do to support your team with creating such great content!

Apart from what I have shared in the post-course questionnaires, I can say that the course has changed my views about the importance of targeting the hidden job market. Though I’m still learning to do that because it is a new job search format for me, I feel like it will definitely help me not only to find a job but generally improve my networking skills and get more knowledge about the field I’m working in. Also, I loved the practical interview preparation, something I underestimated and was relying on my work experience and general intelligence too much. Now I can see how important it is to practice predicting and answering specific questions of different types and the course has helped me to learn to do that effectively.

Finally, I think that the facilitator’s feedback was really helpful and also helped to stay on track with the learning process. Moving to Canada has many other quests that were trying to absorb all my time, but having a submit-review-proceed loop helped me not to postpone the assignments too much and avoid cramming the material.”

Stories prepared by Albina Ziatdinova, Online Community and Social Media Monitor

Albina Ziatdinova is based at the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) in Halifax, Nova Scotia and currently monitors SOPA’s four self-guided courses for all of the provinces where the SOPA program is offered. She also manages, curates, creates and coordinates content for SOPA’s blog and social media channels. She is an immigrant herself and she knows just how important is to get timely and reliable information. She immigrated 12 years ago to Halifax, NS and since then has been working at ISANS. Albina is passionate about helping clients tell their SOPA story and helping clients arrive better prepared.