Welcome to Canada: Nimisha & Anirudhya
The BCCA Integrating Newcomers program (BCCA-IN) program helps immigrants before they arrive in Canada. Our specialists will help you assess skills, find information about working and living in BC. We will help you connect with employment services and supports.
We always look for ways to support newcomers to Canada, so we teamed up with the SOPA (Settlement Online Pre-arrival) program to deliver complementary pre-arrival services. SOPA program provides free tools, resources and courses. It helps immigrants develop skills for the job search in Canada and improve communication skills for the Canadian workplace. The teamwork between BCCA-IN and SOPA proved to be successful. Success, first and foremost, for the clients.
Nimisha and Anirudhya came from India. Before arriving in Canada they signed up for the SOPA program. While still in India, they went through some of SOPA’s online courses to ensure they were job ready before landing. They worked closely with SOPA BC staff: Sam Seo, Intake Counselor and with *Soraya Etminan, Job Search Strategies (JSS) facilitator. During personalized one-on-one session with Sam among other things they were referred to BCCA-IN.
“SOPA’s JSS course was indeed a very helpful course to learn about various job search strategies in Canada. I learnt how to effectively target my resume as per the job description and identify my soft skills as well as accomplishments. This course has equipped me with all the additional tools like cover letter, calling card, thank you note, 30 seconds summary, interview process, etc. That will aid me during the job search process. I would want to thank Soraya for effectively giving me feedback and supporting me throughout the journey I hope to be able to use all these learning to practical use now and highly recommend this to all newcomers,” says Nimisha
“I have learned how to make a targeted resume and also cover letter which is not a mandate in India. I have also learnt some of the dos and don’ts about/during interviews in Canada. I have learnt various ways of networking with people in Canada. Looking forward to putting my learnings here to practical use.”Anirudhya
**Daniel, Regional Employment Placement Specialist (REPS) at BCCA_IN stepped in to help further. He helped with job leads and more tactical online profile improvements. “I follow the same process with every client. It begins with a questionnaire. I need to know more about their career goals and skills,” says Daniel. Then it goes on to resume review and a LinkedIn profile “makeover”.
“For many clients, their LinkedIn network is contacts from home, wherever home may be,” says Daniel. “But now they need to focus on making Canadian contacts and build their network. I tell them to join LinkedIn groups and have a voice. Don’t be just an observer, have something to say.”
Nimisha and her husband, Anirudhya, arrived in Canada on August 13, 2017. They arrived prepared and more confident thanks to the SOPA program and BCCA-IN REPS, Daniel.
“To begin with, Daniel gave me feedback on my resume and helped me fine tune my LinkedIn account. Plus, via LinkedIn he sent me a lot of job descriptions and employer connections,” says Nimisha
Nimisha has a professional background in HR, administration, and management. And a proven track record of increasing employee satisfaction, productivity and employee retention. Anirudhya has years of experience as a Business Development Manager in the product and services industry. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Pune University. And a Master’s in Business Administration from Symbiosis International University.
They are both highly experienced. Yet, connections in the Vancouver area are important. As well as a better understanding of employers’ expectations.
“Daniel helped me understand the Vancouver job market and study what employers were looking for,” says Nimisha. “Overall the pre-arrival assistance that I got from BCCA-IN was useful and helped in building my confidence a great deal before stepping into the Vancouver job market.”
Employment came quickly for Nimisha, who found work in the HR field shortly after landing. Anirudhya secured employment not long after his wife too. These employment connections were found through pre-arrival program support.
Welcome to Canada, Nimisha and Anirudhya. Looks like a great start to a successful future!
Soraya Etminan, Job Search Strategies Facilitator with SOPA British Columbia.
*Soraya loves assisting immigrants through the SOPA program as they prepare to arrive in beautiful British Columbia. She has 15 years of experience at MOSAIC working with immigrants in a variety of roles. She worked with over 500 immigrants throughout her career to help them integrate in Canada. Soraya has a degree in general sciences and a certificate as a Career Development Practitioner, and completed additional training in order to ensure each client receives the best possible support.
Daniel, BCCA-IN’s Regional Employment Placement Specialist (REPS)
**Daniel came to Canada from Taiwan in 1996 with 11 years of experience in marketing and sales, a Master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri and enough determination to move mountains. “My goal as a Regional Employment Placement Specialist with BCCA-IN is to build a participant’s confidence and motivate newcomers.”
