Beat the odds: Cruising through COVID-19 in Calgary (Part 1)

While the entire world was (is) panicking about COVID-19, we were preparing for our travel to Canada. A lengthy travel, with overnight stays at empty airports and multiple transits. Yet our hearts were full of hope and positivity. Till this day, I believe that our journey was a miracle, orchestrated by the almighty. In spite…

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Soft Skills in the Canadian Workplace

Are you are planning to move to Canada? Are you are looking for work? Do you have an up-to-date resume and have you practiced answering interview questions in front of your mirror? Great start! However, keep in mind that Canada is a very multicultural country. Because of that, you will also need to be aware…

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Finding Relief in Preparing to Find a Job

As soon as my family submitted our Canadian Permanent Residency application, we became somewhat nervous and anxious at the thought of moving to a new country. Before the approval of our application, we were already on the look-out for pre-arrival settlement programs. The morning our application was approved, we went straight to the SOPA website…

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The Value of Preparedness

Moving to a new country is never an easy decision and that too with family. I hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science and over 9 years of industry experience. With no relatives or friends in Canada, I was a bit tense and wanted to prepare myself as much as I could before even getting…

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How to Manage your Job Search Stress

Job searching can be a long and stressful activity. I have often heard it referred to as a full-time job in itself. This really is true! With the amount of time you take to search out opportunities, do research and target your resumes and cover letters, you’re already looking at a significant time investment. That’s…

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Anna Antropova: Newcomer Engineer in Canada

In this guest post, our client Anna Antropova talks about her SOPA experience and her journey as a newcomer engineer in Canada. Anna is an engineering professional from Russia who knew that preparation would make her transition smoother. She found SOPA and knew we would be able to help. She landed in Ontario in February…

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Olayemi Olaleye: A CPA’s Journey

We talked to Olayemi “Yemi” Olaleye, from Nigeria, about how SOPA helped him in his journey to getting his CPA accreditation in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Yemi first landed in Canada on the 21st of February, 2018 and made his final arrival on the 24th of September, 2018. Let’s read his story: Q. How was your employment…

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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 dedicated SOPA participants that took…

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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 was stirred by a desire…

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Experience of a Lifetime

Carla Mariano, an IT professional from Brazil, was over the moon with excitement when she received the email informing her that her application to immigrate to Canada had been approved. However, leaving the relative comforts of the familiar for a destination fraught with many uncertainties was a truly daunting experience.

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