An adventure on the other side of the world – this is what Winnie Law and her family are calling their move to Canada. They moved from Auckland, New Zealand, to Calgary, Alberta, this summer. A supply chain management professional, Winnie found out about the SOPA program while looking online for a job and registered right away. Just four weeks after arriving in Canada, Winnie was invited for a job interview that landed her a job in her field.

“Before I joined SOPA I had little confidence in what job search strategy I should use to find a job in Canada.” said Winnie. That changed once she enrolled in the Job Search Strategies course. She learned about Canadian-style resumes and the importance of tailoring her resume to match each job she applied for. “I had an awesome facilitator who provided me with lots of feedback," said Winnie. "The course helped me to boost my confidence. I became more prepared, with an understanding of the best job search strategies in Canada.” 

Besides working on improving her job searching strategies, Winnie also enrolled in the Soft Skills: Professional Communication course to learn about Canadian workplace culture. She felt supported and already immersed in the new culture every time she met with SOPA staff through the online platform.

According to her Soft Skills facilitator Rubirose Ong, “Winnie was very diligent and resourceful.”

After Winnie and her family arrived in Calgary, she followed-up on the referrals she got from SOPA and reached out to immigrant settlement services, attended workshops, volunteered, and all the while kept applying for jobs. Although not everything she tried resulted in a job interview, she did connect with people in her industry and learned about alternative career paths.

“I found that the best approaches during my job search were following up after each job application and attending networking events.” added Winnie. She and her SOPA facilitators credit her successful job search to her determination and a positive attitude.

Winnie's advice for newcomers: “Be open-minded. Be ready to explore various opportunities, and make sure you reach out to people.”

A version of this article appears at https://arriveprepared.ca/news/. 

“Calgary bridges" by davebloggs007 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Thinking of immigrating to Canada? Have you recently arrived and are looking for a job? Or are you thinking about changing careers?

When you move to Canada, one of your most important concerns is finding a job, often the same position you had in the country you've come from. To accomplish this, you need to apply effective job search strategies. One way is to speak to people who are working in positions you’d like to have or for companies you're interested in. These people may be aware of changes in your field, employment opportunities, and things you need to do to get a job. They may be willing to share their knowledge and give you advice, and suggest other people who can give you the additional information you need.

Many professionals are aware of the value of research and networking in the job search process. One of the best ways to connect with professionals is through informational interviews. 

What is an Informational Interview?

An informational interview—sometimes called a coffee meeting—is a short meeting with a potential employer or someone in your field of work. It’s most effective if it’s a face-to-face meeting, but it could be by phone or email. Informational interviews are a great tool for expanding your job search network and getting valuable information about a company or organization. They can also help you find information about occupational and educational requirements.  

It might sound awkward especially if this is not a common practice in your own culture, but this is something you need to do in Canada. Some people will feel flattered that you’ve asked them. But remember, if you’re asking for an informational interview, you need to have a plan before you make the request.

Arranging an information interview

Arranging an informational interview takes time and planning. Employers who agree to speak with you are usually able to share 15-20 minutes. Follow these 3 steps when arranging an informational interview:

Step 1: Identify the companies that interest you:

Assess your own interests, abilities, and skills and where they fit/match with the companies' needs, projects and values.

Step 2: Identify people to interview:

Start with your list of people you already know—people from your own community and settlement organizations, friends, relatives, neighbors, teachers, and employment counselors. Ask them to suggest people for you to meet. Use LinkedIn to get connected with professionals in your field or a related one.

Step 3: Arrange for the interview:

Ask someone you know to refer you to the person you want to interview.

Contact the employer yourself to arrange for an interview.

Requesting the Interview

You can contact employers in person, by phone or by email. Whichever way you use, remember these points for setting up the meeting:

• Introduce yourself
• Tell them why you're are contacting them
• Tell them briefly about your skills and abilities
• Ask if you can meet with them for 15 or 20 minutes
• Arrange a convenient time.

Although contacting potential employers for an informational interview is challenging, try to remember that the information you can get is well worth the time and effort.

Tips for any information interview:

• Do your research
• Dress professionally
• Arrive on time
• Pay for coffee
• Don’t ask for a job
• Don’t forget to ask for or exchange business cards
• Send a thank you note
• Keep in touch

Where to Meet

You’ve got to propose a location for the meeting, which can be tough. Do you meet at a coffee shop or lunch spot down the street? Finding the right answer isn’t hard, just present the options to the other person and let them choose what they find most convenient.

At the end of the day, you never know what doors could open for you as the result of an informational interview.

Find out more about informational interviews and job searching in Canada by registering for free online courses at http://www.arriveprepared.ca/.

The Job Search Strategies course provides clients who are overseas with access to relevant and up-to-date information and resources on how to find a job in Canada (self-assessment, resume & cover letter writing, networking tips, and interview preparation). Clients learn and practice skills which make them more competitive for positions in the Canadian labour market.

Read on for feedback from SOPA Alberta clients about their experience with Job Search Strategies:

Kazeem is an experienced project scheduler/planner from Nigeria who arrived in Calgary in the beginning of August.

“I’ve learned so much from the JSS course; it equipped me with the necessary knowledge. I strongly believe that the course will help me to find a job in Canada and to integrate in the Canadian workplace. In addition, the course better prepared me to communicate with potential employers and my co-employees. In a nutshell, I’ve learned effective communication skills which are vital to the job search".

Winnie is a supply chain professional from New Zealand. She and her family chose to move to Alberta for its natural beauty, job opportunities, and diversity. 

“The JSS course helped me a lot in clarifying what is required to write a Canadian-style resume, and how important it is to tailor your resume to match with the job advertised. With all the topics that were covered in the course, I liked the Targeted Resumes & Cover Letters section the most. I had the opportunity to create my own targeted resume to a real job advertisement and instead of it going to a potential employer—from whom I'm unlikely to receive feedback on whether it’s done right—I had an awesome facilitator in this course who provided me with lots of feedback. The course helped me to boost my confidence with writing resumes as well as steering me in the right direction in job searching”.

Oladotun is originally from Nigeria and he'll be arriving in Alberta in mid-October. He’s a geologist planning to work in the construction sector. He took the Job Search Strategies course to get a better understanding of the format of Canadian job interviews and to learn how to approach employers.

“I feel very delighted to have completed the course. This wouldn't have been possible without my JSS facilitator. Now, I’m familiar with the difference between soft skills, employability skills, marketing skills and interview skills. I can articulate each of the skills clearly. The most important skills I’ve learned are definitely the interview skills, because I had zero interview experience before taking this course. Now, I’ve a very good understanding of what to expect in an interview, how to make a good first impression, and how to give an effective response during the interview".

To learn more about Job Search Strategies and to arrive better prepared in Canada, register for free online courses at http://www.arriveprepared.ca/