You’re brand new to an area or field and looking to get started. What do you do? All the advice says to start networking and gathering information but how do you do that? One great way are informational interviews. An informational interview is an informal conversation where you can talk …
Yelena Petrukhina – Dream Job
Yelena Petrukhina registered for the SOPA program in February 2018. Back in Kazakhstan she worked as an internship coordinator at a local university. She arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba in May 2018 and 3 months later she landed her dream job! Yulia Savchuk, Yelena’s Job Search Strategies Workshop Facilitator: “Yelena was …
SOPA Q&A with Miracle Edohasim
We asked Miracle Edohasim to answer some questions about SOPA and share some insight on his priorities and expectations for his arrival in Canada. Q. Can you tell us about your background? A. My name is Miracle Edohasim. I arrived in Atlantic Canada in April of 2018 from Nigeria. Q. …
Keshav Kumar – from India to bustling Toronto
My name is Keshav Kumar and I flew from India to the bustling city of Toronto in the latter part of January 2018 (apparently the coldest month of the year) to become a permanent resident of Canada. When I first got off at Toronto Pearson International Airport, I was both …
Be Proactive, Ask Questions, Stay Positive and Never Give Up
“I feel because I wanted to integrate into Canadian society and get a job in my field, I armed myself with a lot of resources while in Nigeria and upon arrival in Canada. The key is to be proactive, ask questions and stay positive and never give up. It’s not …
New Year’s Eve in Canada
New Year’s Eve is here! There are many traditions all around the world for the holiday. Here is some information about New Year’s Eve in Canada. Canada, like many other countries, loves to celebrate the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, just as the clock strikes midnight, people burst into …
Yelena Petrukhina: From Kazakhstan to Winnipeg
Yelena Petrukhina registered for the SOPA program in February 2018. Back in Kazakhstan she worked as an Internship Coordinator at a local university. She arrived in Winnipeg, MB in May 2018 and 3 months later she landed her dream job! Yulia Savchuk, Yelena’s JSS Facilitator: “Yelena was one of those …
Information Makes All the Difference
An excited Philip Akpoesiri Mike-Ifeta moved to Edmonton, Canada, with his family on December 21st, 2017. In Nigeria, he had worked in the banking and financial services industry and had developed extensive experience in retail, small business, insurance, pension, asset management and customer service. His decision to move to Canada …
Volunteering: Why and How
Why should you volunteer? Volunteering has many benefits. You can make connections that will help you in your job search. Through volunteering you can; gain Canadian experience and Canadian references that can vouch for your work. You can expand your community, create an employment network, attain references etc. It will help develop your network of people who can point you or recommend you to jobs. You can have references who can vouch for your work in a Canadian workplace. Not only suitable for employment it can also be a way to meet people and create friendships in a new community.
Destination Canada: My SOPA Story
After just few months of waiting, we had our long-desired passport request email and we were advised by IRCC to go through with some pre-arrival sessions. Honestly, we attended sessions of few organizations, but SOPA was the best among all. SOPA has a very structured process, outstandingly helpful facilitators and amazing online resources.