By Jonathan Bauer | Employment Solutions for Immigrants Inc.
At Employment Solutions, newcomers often ask: How long will it take me to find a job in my profession? There is no one answer to this question, as everyone’s circumstances are different. However, experience has shown that newcomers who focus less on a specific time frame and instead invest more time and energy in uncovering employer expectations and building their network succeed faster at entering and advancing careers in their profession.
Sid is a newcomer who arrived in Manitoba in April 2014. Sid was an IT Project Manager in his home country and is now successfully employed as an analyst with one of Manitoba’s leading financial institutions. We asked Sid to share his top four tips for successfully discovering employer expectations and integrating into the labour market:
1.Set targets: Set a target to meet at least one professional from your field every day. This sounds difficult because of the busy schedules of company representatives, but it is possible. Contact human resources, staff, and management (whether supervisors, directors, or vice-presidents) on professional networking sites, by email, or at other networking events for informational interviews. Always provide a brief overview of your expertise; then explain how your skills can benefit the company, and request an opportunity to meet them to discuss your professional background in detail. Let’s say you send a request to 50 professionals and receive a response from 30 individuals. By following up, you will reach your target of meeting one professional every day. Building these connections also helps you when you are looking for your next career step.
2.Diversify: Don’t put all your effort towards one job opportunity and waiting for the outcome. Instead, channel your actions towards all relevant jobs available in your field of expertise. Researching job requirements and networking with professionals who confirmed that I had the ability and right skills to succeed in my field (and gave me tips on targeting my resume and cover letters) gave me confidence that I could succeed.
3.Volunteer: In May, I joined the Project Management Institute (Manitoba Chapter) as a volunteer with their Membership Committee and started attending their monthly meetings. This gave me the opportunity to meet project managers and other senior executives from the industry and initiate conversations with them. I gave the executives an overview of my profile and asked them what they were looking for in hiring someone for a position in my field of expertise. I got some really positive responses and incorporated this feedback in future job applications.
4.Persevere: Staying focused on your professional goals is of utmost importance. This focus gave me strength to persevere in spite of challenges. Networking is the key to success in the Canadian job market. I utilized professional networking sites to connect and meet professionals in my field, which helped me to set a baseline for current and future job opportunities.
Successful newcomers, including Sid, will be sharing their stories as a part of Career and Workforce Development Month events hosted by Employment Solutions during November 2014. For more information please visit: www.manitobastart.com/careermonth.
