Career Mentorship provides clients with an ideal match
In the words of Malou Sibbaluca, Options © Employer Relations Coordinator, many more newcomers are “arriving prepared” for job search. Malou oversees the Career Mentorship program, which matches newcomer professionals with a mentor who is established in the same field in Canada, based on interests, needs, and professional background. Thanks to the rise of an increasingly interconnected world and pre-arrival services such as Planning for Canada (previously CIIP) and the Active Engagement & Integration Project (AEIP), many newcomer professionals arrive with a good understanding of job search skills specific to the Canadian market, such as Canadian-style resumes and the importance of networking. “Mentoring helps clients feel there are opportunities.” Many newcomers are highly driven professionals, experienced in their field and proactive in getting integrated in the Canadian job market, notes Malou. “It’s common now for newcomers to reach out to me via LinkedIn, while they are still abroad. The newcomers I meet are eager to know more about industries here and they are aware that it is only through professional connections that they can get the insights they need.”
But beyond bridging newcomers with professional connections - and for some mentees, their mentors are their first such connection in Canada, the Career Mentorship program brings a key ingredient for success: confidence. "Get t ing your foot through the door as an immigrant i s i tsel f an accompl i shment ” “Getting your foot through the door as an immigrant is itself an accomplishment,” says Malou. “I see many highly skilled newcomers who have to return to school, as well as experienced people struggling to hear back from entry level positions. Some are worried about English. When they meet with their mentor and talk with them, they recognize the things they have in common - that they are both fellow professionals. This rebuilds their confidence and strengthens their sense of professional identity.” Malou has heard numerous clients say that mentoring has helped them feel that there are opportunities for them to integrate into the Canadian workforce. She adds, “I believe that helping [newcomers] unleash their potential to the fullest allows them to find success in their careers.”
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