Smita I., Accountant
Before I came to Canada, I was working as an Accountant in the health services sector in India. When I applied for Canadian permanent residency, my plan then was to continue practicing my profession and work in the same sector as I did in my home country.
Just like other immigrants, I have applied for so many jobs online and through recruitment agencies. I’ve had some telephone interviews, but received no responses from employers. I came to the conclusion that my lack of the Canadian work experience was a huge barrier, as evident in my résumé.
When I came to see the WSC-PF’s Program Manager and told her that I was considering other jobs unrelated to my field, she encouraged me to stay focused in pursuing an accounting job. That encouragement boosted my confidence and helped me realize that I needed to strengthen my skills set to be more competitive. I decided to enrol on an accounting diploma course at the Working Skills Centre. After completing my diploma, I went back to WSC-PF with my newly acquired certificate.
How WSC-PF helped me
At WSC-PF I was able to perform the full cycle of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, and payroll too. I was even trained as an SAP end-user in finance. I am thankful to them for giving me this hands-on experience. Their program boosted my credentials and helped me stand out from other applicants.WSC-PF also arranges workshops such as Employment Rights, Health and Safety in the Workplace, and Social Media Networking. These sessions proved to be very beneficial in understanding Canadian workplace and job searching in general.
One of the most useful and interesting experiences of WSC-PF was the weekly meeting where participants share their job search and interview experiences, which helped me prepare for my future interviews. I also learned about informational interviews, which also became a very helpful tool in my job search. The most important part for me was the mock interviews prior to the actual job interview. I got constructive feedback and useful tips that helped my confidence level to ace any job interview. One thing that I’ve learned from WSC-PF staff is to always think positively!
After the Program
Even after completing the program, WSC-PF continued to help me in my job search by sending me job postings. My supervisor helped me tailor my résumé, and suggested keywords and phrases to better fit the job posted. I’d sometimes call my ex-supervisor before interviews to get some tips. I was eventually able to find a job as an Accountant in Accounts Payable for a mining company.
Finding jobs would have been much harder had I not joined WSC-PF. As a newcomer I will always be thankful for all the support. I feel fortunate to have acquired the Canadian experience I needed through their help and proud to be a member of the WSC-PF family.