CAREERS AND EDUCATION

Tips for being successful in school

Helpful advice from former and current students

University or college comes with its own challenges, especially if you are travelling abroad or away from home during your studies. It could be useful to hear from others who are on the same journey.

We asked former and current excellent students for their advice on being successful in school. Their names are fictitious, but the advice is real. Some emphasized being organized, some offered advice on how to study and another suggested asking yourself about your reason for being in school. We hope you will find these tips handy!

Organization is key

Elora has been a successful student both in terms of grades as well as having an abiding interest in her field of study. She says that staying organized and aware of upcoming deadlines is a big part of success in school.

Keep your class and reading notes organized and up to date and figure out what kind of monthly planner works best for you, whether it is paper, on your phone, or on your computer. Sometimes all of your projects and exams will fall in the same week, so it helps to plan in advance. At the beginning of every academic week, look at your goals and deadlines in the coming days so nothing takes you by surprise.

Esme’s good grades seem to come naturally to her but, in fact, she actually works hard. She suggests looking at your notes from class and rewriting them in a clear and organized manner. She says it helps to build a sort of muscle memory, and an opportunity to review them while you rewrite. Plus you can access them easily when you need those notes again. She also suggests finding a study partner, as long as you know you’ll get something done and not get sidetracked.

Get going and stay on task

Suzi’s tip may help the procrastinators. She says that if you are having trouble getting started, committing to a small task will get the ball rolling and then you may end up doing much more than you planned. Even if you only do a little, you’ll still feel good. Her current job also involves producing written work and she finds that her “trick” continues to help her.

Rustum listens to music while he studies but suggests avoiding music with words that will distract you. He suggests treating your studies as you would a full-time job. Devoting the same number of hours to your studies should be, by and large, sufficient time. Keep a regular schedule and try not to let the rest of your life be compromised. Rustum has many interests, and he finds that using a designated time to focus on academic work ensures that he doesn’t sacrifice his other interests.

Leyanda has many friends and is constantly in the throes of one political activity or another but when it is time to write essays and study, she disappears. She finds somewhere no one can interrupt her. She stays away for as long as she needs to write her papers and study for exams. She turns her phone off until she is finished in the evening and only then answers the most important messages. She says her friends accept this about her.

Why are you at school?

Sunny, a recent graduate from a professional school, suggests that you question why you are at school. He says marks often don’t matter, but how you feel when learning does. If you’re able to feel confident and invigorated by what you’re learning, you’ll succeed, no matter what your marks are. According to him, school is an opportunity to grow, not to impress someone else.

It can be helpful to hear what others do to be successful as it can help you determine what might work for you. Many academic institutions have peer mentoring programs where you can chat with a student who can tell you what works for them. With solid advice, patience and persistence, you will find your way and develop your own strategies for success.

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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.

The ‘power of 3’ in communications

An effective way to convey your message

Communication is an important skill in any environment that involves human interactions. However, when it comes to communication in the workplace, good communication is absolutely essential for personal and business success. It can instantly boost morale, engagement, productivity and satisfaction.

Good communication is key for better team collaboration and cooperation. But without a proper structure, most conversations in the workplace including business presentations end up rambling and are ineffective. Here is a proven strategy to unleash the full potential and enhance communication in your everyday interactions in the workplace.

The ‘power of 3’

The human brain absorbs and remembers information more effectively when it is presented in threes. This is a surprisingly simple, but effective principle captured neatly in the Latin phrase “Omne Trium Perfectum”. It means that everything that comes in a set of three is perfect and complete. The power of three in communications can simplify, clarify and make your information stick.

The rule of three also dictates how we communicate with each other in daily conversations. Yes, when it comes to written and verbal communications, the power of three is an impactful technique that you can (and should) indeed learn, practise and master. In most cultures, the structure of threes is deeply embedded as an easy way to remember things.

For instance, in oral communications the outline of an effective speech should have three sections: an introduction, body and conclusion. Have you noticed that all good stories have a beginning, middle and end.

The power of three is the secret of effective communication anywhere. People find it easier to follow when messages are broken down and structured in sets of three. Using the power of three helps you simplify, provide balance and engage your audiences.

Establishes logic and

simplicity. Messages in threes are easier for your audience and you to stay on track. It provides balance and order. And there is a clear expectation of how much they need to listen and how you are progressing.

Keeps your audience engaged. The audience stays engaged because the communication flows like chapters in a book. People pay attention as it signals that something memorable is coming.

Repetition is easy. By using the power of three, you can share concepts more thoroughly, highlight key points, and enhance the prominence of your message. Plus, repetition is easy, making your message more memorable and persuasive.

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immigrant-education.ca/employment Three steps to make the power of three work for you:

• Start with a simple, benefit-laden headline for your presentation. A strong headline expressed with clarity makes your audience aware of your idea, message, product or service.

• Follow this up with three key messages supporting your primary theme. When you have more than three, you can still classify them into three categories.

• Summarize by creating three supporting points for each message. You can use a combination of facts, statistics and anecdotes.

From one-on-one conversations to elevator pitches to board meetings to full presentations, you can use the power of three in almost any scenario. This will also inspire your peers and even leaders to develop their messaging in the same way.

Comprise your message in three significant points – and repeat your key points to give your presentation the maximum impact. Go ahead, inform, inspire and engage your audiences effectively. The power of three is one of the most simple and effective ways to make them remember you and your words!

Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED!. He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic at unleashyourwow.com.

IMMIGRANT VOICES IN THE MEDIA

Integrating internationally trained immigrant journalists in Canadian newsrooms

By Tazeen Inam and Ramya Ramanathan

I pitched stories to many newspapers in mainstream media, but they never got back to me,” says Pradip Rodrigues, who worked as a journalist for over a decade with the English newspaper Times of India before he arrived in Canada in 2000. But questions about his English writing abilities came up when he shared work samples with editors. “They asked me if I have translated these stories,” he says.

It was then that Rodrigues realized that the editors were “clueless” about Times of India being among the top 10 English newspapers in the world. He said that coming from a country where English is not the first language, “they just assume I don’t have fluency in English.”

Rodrigues took on a job in the insurance sector, but his love for journalism never died. He found a job with an ethnic newspaper in 2012 and continues to take on other freelance opportunities.

But despite all his efforts, Rodrigues says he experiences the “imposter syndrome”, a feeling that he’s not fit for the industry. (Loosely defined, this syndrome involves feelings of self-doubt that persist despite your education, experience and accomplishments.)

The numbers tell the story

Rodgrigues’ story is just one of many. A study released in 2022 by the New Canadian Media (NCM) Collective on the socioeconomic conditions of first-generation immigrant and refugee journalists found that while many immigrants come with years of experience in the media from their home countries, and quite a few have gained international recognition, above Pradip Rodrigues

The report, “Breaking into the Canadian media industry: economic and social barriers for first-generation immigrant and refugee journalists,” revealed that less than one-third of immigrant and refugee journalists work in the Canadian media industry. And over one-half of these journalists make less than $40,000 a year.

The study also found that only two out of five immigrant and refugee journalists work as freelancers in the media industry or other “gig” economy sectors.

Another survey released in 2021 by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) found that white journalists tend to hold more senior positions – with 82 per cent in supervisor roles and 80 percent in top three leadership positions. In addition, 90 per cent of outlets that participated in the study have no Latin, Middle Eastern or Mixed-Race journalists on staff.

In a press release following the study, CAJ chair and survey lead Zane Schwartz acknowledged the gap. "The typical Canadian newsroom is not representative of the Canadian population," says Schwartz. "Almost half of all Canadian newsrooms exclusively employ white journalists. Where journalists of colour and Indigenous journalists are on staff, they tend to work in a handful of very large newsrooms."

As the diversity of Canada grows, these studies are a wakeup call for mainstream media to incorporate the unique perspectives and experiences of new Canadian media professionals.

Creating their own niche

A number of immigrants journalists are also finding their own paths.

Broadcast journalist Gerard Keledjian who immigrated from Dubai is a living example of someone who did exactly that. Keledjian launched his own TV show and web-based series, New Canadians, offering information to newcomers to help with their settlement in Canada.

He does say that the media industry landscape is in transition worldwide, including in Canada, with the emergence of livestreaming platforms. This is leading to more opportunities for collaboration and outsourcing.

"With technology becoming accessible and affordable, internationally trained immigrants with a background in media can come up with creative solutions," says Keledjian.

Another example is New Canadian Media (NCM) which has tapped into the reservoir of immigrant journalists with various backgrounds. Over 200 individual contributors known as NCM Collective produce multimedia news coverage to a professional standard. Through relationships with mainstream media and a creative commons license, the stories on the portal

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are being picked up by mainstream media. A number of journalists have also be able to find jobs, thanks to their work with NCM.

And then, last not but not the least, there’s Canadian Immigrant magazine. (Yes, the one you’re reading right now). This was founded by Indian-born immigrant Nick Noorani working out of his basement and paying for the magazine printing bills on his credit card. He painstakingly grew the magazine for seven years, at which point he felt it was time to leave “his baby” behind in the hands of dedicated staff and move on to new adventures.

What the future holds

So how can immigrant journalists be better integrated into the Canadian media landscape?

Recommendations from the NCM study include opening up more permanent staffing positions for ethnic reports (83%), mentorship opportunities (76%), and more internships geared toward international students and immigrants. Some of the journalists also mention that the Canadian government should invest in concrete financial and language support to facilitate their entry into the media industry.

In a conversation on First Generation, Canadian Immigrant’s 2021 Podcast Series, journalist, news anchor and Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winner Ginella Massa, says that there is a lot of work that needs to be done, not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes and in management positions. But she is “seeing a willingness to shift.”

“Any kind of change takes time – if a certain way of thinking is entrenched in the institution, it can be difficult to unlearn and undo some of the things that have been done a certain way for decades,” says Massa, who made history in 2015 as the first Afro-Latina Muslim news reporter in North America to wear a hijab on air in 2015.

Massa acknowledges the barriers caused by being foreign educated, with different accents and ethnic sounding names but asks immigrant media professionals to continue to create contacts, advocate for themselves and remain persistent.

Massa says she had to be her own advocate. She recounts her experiences of looking for her first on-air job and being rejected three times over a period of two years before she succeeded. She says it was persistence, building relationships with the hiring managers and asking them, “what can I do better next time?” that landed her the position.

“It’s not always the most talented who get the job but a lot of the time it’s the ones with the most gumption, the ones who are the most persistent and the ones who are just the gogetters,” she says. above Ginella Massa

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