I am Tsegay, a former university Lecturer from Ethiopia. I had frequented Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, several times during the last decade. However, my longer stays were during the years 2003-2004 and 2015-2016. Due to the then nature of my student life, I cannot say I experienced very much during my first arrival.
Now that I have come again as a skilled immigrant, my career objective was to obtain a job in a sector related to my professional expertise. I secured credentials assessed by IQAS and which were rated and compared to a Canadian equivalence. I was able to find transitional jobs a couple of times. However, much effort still remains to be done in the future to land something at my appropriate professional level.
It gives me great pleasure to commend ERIEC’s services. Through the Career Mentorship Program, I was matched with Ryan, a lecturer from one of the local universities. We have had several meetings and candid discussions about the Canadian job market, diverse job search strategies and networking with fellow professionals. He helped me a lot in terms of designing, updating and refining my resume and cover letters, more tailored for different institutions, human service agencies and consultancies.
He also became a referee in my job search attempts. In addition, he helped to set up mock interviews with himself and his colleagues. I received constructive some feedback which helped me to move forward. Now I feel I am confident to tailor and produce precise resumes for different jobs that require my professional, transferable and communication skills. I am grateful both for ERIEC and my mentor for all the commendable inputs.
The workshop experiences I had at NorQuest College were also quite inspirational. I picked up crucial messages and tips about intercultural communications both in work places and across multicultural communities. I would recommend these workshops for skilled immigrants. I have attempted to utilize these experiences in my interactions and with connecting with professionals.
I believe these tools are vital in accessing and maintaining professional jobs in Canada. I can see myself land in my area of professional expertise in the near future. Once again, I extend my sincere thanks for ERIEC and its staff for all their passionate efforts in matching immigrant professionals with mentors who are well acquainted with the Canadian labour market.