Looking for a job? Some firsthand advice for new Canadians on the value of networking

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This is a story of a young marketing graduate coming out of school and joining a global advertising agency as a junior executive in the early 2000’s.  In a small country with an emerging economy in south-east Asia, called Bangladesh, he worked for 18+ years.  He became the Chief of the organization in which he started his professional career and worked for many other global organizations and industries in the interim. Along with his corporate success, he became a popular personality due to his media presence as a judge for a couple of top-viewed television business reality shows, similar to Dragons’ Den, with young professionals.

A New Life Begins

One fine morning he decided to fly 12,434 km to Canada for a second life, a second career. Of course, finding himself in the middle of nowhere, it took a bit of time for him to reorganize the entire experience of a paradigm shift. He carried a bunch of misperceptions about the labour market in Canada such as the ample availability of skills and resources, the difficulty of finding and launching a career, and the specific strategic specialties that employers look for.

He also did a couple of things right: maintaining his self-esteem and networking skills. Becoming heavily involved with volunteering proved to be helpful. Completing a few certifications from the University of Toronto served to complement his education. Next, he took a step back and roamed around Ontario the very first summer he arrived.  All he wanted was to learn, settle down and fit in.

The Importance of ACCES Employment

He then became involved with ACCES Employment who provides support and resources to job seekers or entrepreneurs seeking to start a business who have obtained legal status to work in Canada or have been approved to immigrate to Canada.

Next, he proactively set up connections with local Community Leaders, Public Servants, Private Sector Business Owners, Corporate Professionals, and so on. Reaching out and diving deeper into the local community gave him a better understanding of Canadian culture.

Now he is involved with a couple of organizations, working mostly in the capacity of communication, relationship development and management. He is a proud member of AMA Toronto. He believes that AMA Toronto is one of the major catalysts for transitioning into his new life.

So, just who is this newcomer? It’s me!

My Advice to New Canadians

If you’re a newcomer who relates to my story, I would say that life comes full circle. Hold on to it. If you ask me, I will agree that I haven’t got that dream job. Not yet. But I haven’t given up on my dreams, either.

If You Persist, You Exist

Perseverance is as important a skill as knowledge. I’ve always believed in being “wise or otherwise.” I mean, you can’t float in life. Either you sink or swim. The choice is yours!

But Where Do I Find a Job?

And lastly, I found the easy answer to the toughest question for newcomers: Where do I find a Job? It lies in only one key word – Networking! And I believe the mantra is not “how many people you know,” but rather, “how many people know you?”Written by Taslim Ahmed, a volunteer at AMA Toronto. You’re welcome to connect with Taslim on LinkedIn or visit https://taslimahmed.ca For more information on ACCES Employment, please visit https://accesemployment.ca/

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