IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT GUIDE

Immigrant Settlement Guide2015

To list your agency in the “Immigrant Settlement Guide,” please contact:

ONTARIO LISTINGS

Ricky Bajaj: 905-273-8170 or John Zhang: 416-803-3931

WESTERN CANADA LISTINGS Alla Gordeeva: 778-558-3397 or alla@canadianimmigrant.ca

Are you a newcomer to Canada? You no doubt have many questions. Immigrating can be a challenging process, with many unknowns, but the good news is that there are many resources available to help you. Seeking help at an immigrant settlement agency is going to be your most important first step in Canada. And many services are free, from English as a second language programs to settlement counselling to career help, including mentorship and retraining opportunities. The services are all aimed to help you overcome the challenges you’re facing and succeed in Canada.

Here are just some of the agencies ready to serve you in the Greater Toronto Area:

Agency

Brampton Multicultural Centre (BMC)

197 County Court Blvd. Suite 303 Brampton ON L6W 4P6 Phone: 905-790-8482 Fax: 905-874-6100

India Rainbow Community Services of Peel

3038 Hurontario Street, Suite 206 & Unit 1, Mississauga, ON L5B 3B9 Phone: 905-275-2369

Job Skills

Employment & Business Programs & Supports

Locations in York, Peel and North Toronto Phone: 1-866-592-6278

Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto

2737 Keele Street North York ON M3M 2E9 Phone: 647-776-2057

National Association of Career Colleges

44 Byward Market, Suite 270 Ottawa, K1N 7A2 Phone: 1-866-981-6863

Welcome Centre Immigrant Services

7 Locations in York and Durham Regions Phone: 1-877-761-1155 General Services and Specialty Programs Not for profit, registered charity providing multilingual, culturally sensitive free programs & services to help clients enhance their community engagement while integrating into Canadian society. Programs: Initial settlement support, resumés & employment readiness workshops, advocacy with solution-focused counselling, interpretation & translation, services for youth and youth at risk, volunteer opportunities, seniors program and mental health support services in multiple languages. Reference to instructor-led LINC classes with child-minding & transportation subsidies, violence against women program and community engagement programs.

Email: services@bmccentre.org www.bmccentre.org

Settlement Services, Family Counselling, Senior Services and Volunteer Opportunities. Specialty Programs: English Language Training & Citizenship Classes, Job Search Workshops, Adult Day & Seniors Wellness program, Services for Women, Children and Youth, Supportive Mental Health Services

Email: info@indiarainbow.org www.indiarainbow.org

Languages • English • Hindi • Punjabi • Tamil • Gujarati • Urdu • French • Arabic • Spanish • Farsi

• English • Hindi • Punjabi • Tamil • Gujarati • Urdu • French • Arabic

Find out how to: get the skills you need to find work quickly! — Job Search Workshops Program! perfect your resumé, practise interview skills and more — Job Find Club for Internationally Trained Individuals job search effectively — with Employment Ontario Employment Services. Access Bridge to HR — a bridging program for internationally educated HR professionals

Email: info@jobskills.org www.jobskills.org

Settlement Services, LINC Classes (level 1-6) with child minding, Counseling, Job search, Citizenship & Immigration, Groups for Youth, Seniors & Women and Volunteering. Specialty Programs: Bridge Training Program for International Mental Health Professionals, Community Engagement Program, Community Mental health Program and Anger management. Additional locations at Scarborough and Toronto.

Email: northyork@mnlct.org www.mnlct.org

New to Canada? Looking for a job in your field? Need career and training options? We can help Get free advice on how to use your skills and find a meaningful career in Canada. Contact us today to speak with one of our experts. We’re a national organization and serve all of Ontario. Contact: Elena Rakitskaya or Jim Lamarche

Email: acp@nacc.ca www.nacc.ca/acp

Settlement Services: assist immigrants to integrate and become established and contributing members of Canadian society. English Language Classes are instructor-led, and supported by a computer lab. Job-specific, advanced-level Enhanced Language Training available. Supports to assist in developing the skills needed to find work: resumé/cover letter preparation, interview readiness and information about accreditation, workplace practices, Canadian employer expectations. Other services available.

Email: info@welcomecentre.ca www.welcomecentre.ca

• English

• English • Spanish • Mandarin • Bengali • Turkish

• English • French • Russian • Farsi • Spanish

• English

| CAREER COACH | At the top

Begin your resumé with a compelling top one-third

Agrowing notion among recruiters is that the “Career Objective” statement found at the top of a resumé is becoming more and more outdated in today’s job market. They feel instead of focusing on his or her objective, the primary responsibility of the candidate should be to quickly impress upon the recruiter what he or she can bring to the table in the organization. And so an ideal resumé today replaces the “This is what I want” objective statement with a “This is the value that I offer” branding statement today.

Brand yourself A bold entry with a strong personal brand within the first five seconds, framed around your unique value and strengths, can open more doors for you.

Here are a few examples that could go right under your name. • dynamic customer service representative • passionate marketing sales head • seasoned mechanical engineer • experienced QA/QC analyst

The combination of a powerful job title headline followed by a positioning statement that connects your experience to the position, telling a potential employer what you can do for them, can literally make you unbeatable.

Because recruiters and employers generally spend most of their time looking at the top portion of a resumé, you must be strategic with the content you place at the top — it should excite them to move beyond the first few lines.

When drafting your personal brand statement, highlight the key areas of expertise, insert keywords and definitely sizzle with personality.

Here are a few examples: • Accomplished business sup plies and equipment profes sional with proven record of training teams and leadership development. • Energetic, passionate IT networking technologist with demonstrated skills in hard ware software applications. • Passionate and dynamic sales specialist with a focus on building effective relationships and driving clients to action. • Performance-driven and self motivated banking profes sional with high integrity. • Accomplished marketing, business development spe cialist with tested experience in diverse markets.

Sharp extras Think of your resumé as one of the arrows in your quiver. If it’s dull at the tip, you’re less likely to hit the mark. To make it sharper, it is also advisable to add a QR Code or a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio website link or any professional social media page — right at the top along with your email and phone number. I recommend opening the resumé with your name, the coveted job title that indicates the position you are looking for, followed by a well-defined brand slogan that sets you apart from others.

Indian-born Murali Murthy is owner of Vantage Copy, as well as a speaker, coach and best-selling author of The ACE Books — The ACE Principle and The ACE Awakening. He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. See poweroface.com. is owner of Vantage Copy, The ACE Books — The ACE Principle and The ACE Awakening. He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. See

Are you new to Canada and starting your own business?

The Entrepreneurship Connections program is designed for newcomers who plan to start a business in Canada. If you have owned or operated a business outside Canada, or would like to launch one here, call today for more information!

www.accesemployment.ca 416-921-1800

| HIGHER LEARNING |

School choices

Confused about where to study in Canada?

When you ask students why they are attending college or university, you don’t hear “For the love of learning” as an answer often. You hear mostly about jobs and money.

Beyond this motivation, the decision to attend post-secondary studies in Canada involves many factors including personal development, academic preparation, career goals, finances, location, family expectations, culture and opportunity. This is a life-changing decision and given the financial cost and time commitment, you will want to have as much information as possible about the school and program before you decide.

For some, going back to university may seem like the right option; others might choose to amplify their degrees with a practical college diploma, or continuing education or bridging programs.

Considering university Depending on your choice of program, university can either prepare you for a specific career or provide you with a strong foundation to think and adapt in a fast-changing world. Studying at university typically takes longer than at college, with most undergraduate degrees requiring four years of full-time study. The time you can dedicate and the funds available may be strong factors in your decision to attend university.

There are university programs that are geared for specific careers, such as nursing and engineering. Many of these programs are competitive and admission requires specific courses, primarily in math and science.

Those with broader educational goals or unsure about their career path in Canada may choose university and take a variety of subjects. They will have a concentration in one or more subjects, but courses will not necessarily lead to a specific career.

Some professions such as law and teaching prefer students to have a broad educational background prior to entering the specific graduate degrees required in order to work in the field. These professional programs are very competitive and you typically require an undergraduate degree, often in any discipline, with a strong academic record prior to being admitted.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree from your country of origin, you may be interested in pursuing your master’s or PhD in Canada. But like your original degree, this can be a significant investment of time and money, so if your ultimate goal is to get a Canadian credential to get a job, then a shorter, more practical college or bridging program might be a better choice.

College choices Most programs at college prepare students for specific careers. They may be a one-year certificate, a two-year diploma, a three-year advanced diploma, or an applied degree. Therefore, you will choose your college program on the basis of the kind of work you want to do.

College programs vary widely from skilled trades such as occupations in construction to health care workers and legal assistants. Generally they represent areas of the economy where there are employment opportunities. Tuition fees tend to be lower at colleges except for the applied degree programs, which are more in line with university tuition.

Given the focus on skills training as well as its shorter programs, college can be a good option for: • newcomers and foreign-trained professionals who need some additional Canadian-based training • people who already have university degrees but want more specific training or want to change careers • business owners who are interested in gaining additional skills and training

Continuing education and bridging programs If you already have university or college training, but are interested in adding to your skillset, there are continuing education courses at both colleges and universities that can help with being competitive in the job market. For instance, in our multicultural world, having knowledge of more than one language is useful. Courses in accounting, marketing and interviewing may give a competitive edge in business, social service, hospitality and other fields.

Many universities and colleges, as well as professional associations, also offer bridging programs specifically tailored to newcomers and foreign-trained professionals. These programs are designed to help a newcomer in a specific occupation to adapt their knowledge and skills to the Canadian environment, rather than redoing all their training.

The availability of such bridging programs in a variety of fields, especially licensed professions, has exploded. One example for internationally trained lawyers is the Osgoode Professional Development program at York University, a prep program that helps immigrant lawyers get ready to take the accreditation exam in Ontario. The program is flexible and offers extensive faculty support and resources.

There is a similar program offered for accounting professionals called the CPA Bridging Program at the University of Lethbridge. This program enables you to complete the business and accounting courses needed for entrance into the CPA Professional Education Program (PEP), while you continue to work full time.

For a list of many other bridging programs in various occupations, please see canadianimmigrant.ca under “Work & Education > Bridging programs.”

Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.

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Come to the fair

Immigrant expos landing in Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver this fall

CCanadian Immigrant magazine is coming to Halifax to present its signature

Career, Education & Settlement

Fair, on Sept. 8, at the World

Trade and Convention Centre (1800 Argyle St.). While this is the first time the fair has been held in the Atlantic Provinces, the innovative event for newcomers to Canada is built upon the successful track record of similar events in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary for the past five years.

Just this past June, more than 1,000 Canadian newcomers attended the 5th annual Career,

Education & Settlement Fair in

Toronto. Then, after the Halifax fair, the event will return to Calgary for the second time (Oct. 15) and Vancouver for the third year in a row (Nov. 16).

“Halifax’s history is steeped in immigration to Canada, boasting the famed Pier 21 Canadian Museum of Immigration, and our goal is to ensure that today’s new arrivals get the information and inspiration they need to succeed in Canada,” says Sanjay Agnihotri, group publisher of Canadian Immigrant.

Guided by local advisory boards of immigration experts, Canadian Immigrant magazine is now calling all interested tradeshow participants to get involved, including employers, recruiters, immigrant and refugee settlement providers, language schools, educational institutes, immigration law firms and professional associations.

For information on taking part in these events as an exhibitor, sponsor or speaker, contact

Ricky Bajaj (Halifax fair) at 905-273-8170 or rbajaj@metroland.com Alla Gordeeva (Vancouver/Calgary fairs) at 778-558-3397 or alla@ canadianimmigrant.ca