My name is Hannah and I recently emigrated from the United States where I first moved to from my native Zimbabwe. I arrived in Canada in July 2015 to join my husband who was living in Alberta. After a short period of rest, I decided I would begin job hunting. Being a newcomer to Canada, I had no idea where to begin my search. I wanted a position in human services where I felt I could use my education and work experience in my professional field. In my pursuit, I learned that there were Newcomer Centers in most cities and that would be a good resource to commence my job search. I enrolled at the nearest Newcomer Center and attended job search workshops with BGS. I sent out numerous resumes and cover letters and got discouraged when those did not yield any leads.
During a web search on the employment website one day, I saw an ad for a mentorship program. It was the Career Mentorship Program (CMP) run by ERIEC. I applied and was accepted into the program. From the first interview with ERIEC, I learned that I was going to receive guidance in knowing more about the Canadian workplace.
Through the program, I was matched with a mentor who has proved to be the most invaluable resource for me since I landed on Canadian shores. Shion has coached me on the finer points of writing resumes and cover letters. Shion has taught me interview techniques and together, we plotted out a career path for me.
What I particularly enjoyed were the workshops and events that ERIEC organized and facilitated. These sessions turned out to be very informative and educational and provided me with the confidence that I needed for my job search.
Today, with my confidence at a good point in my job search and having Shion on my side, I have now landed a job in my desired field. Thanks in part to the immense support and encouragement from the ERIEC Mentorship Program, I have no hesitation in recommending this awesome program to anybody who is new in the country and who might need guidance in their career.
The ERIEC Mentorship program is an awesome resource and I wholeheartedly recommend it to all newcomers to Canada.
Thank you Shion and all the great staff at ERIEC!
Hannah Mpofu, CMP Graduate