That is very good question and one that never seems to go away. Before I wade into an answer I would like to give my standard disclaimer “There is no black or white in career transition, but there are lots of grey areas.

The short fall for Internationally educated professionals is not that they lack experience in their field of expertise. I have noted that it is common for IEPs to have more experience and are often better educated.

The short fall isn’t a lack of credentials or Canadian experience but rather the ability to articulate what they can do, in a way that a Canadian hiring will manager will understand.

Some cultures will not smile at an interview. Rightly or wrongly I would not hire one of them, thinking that they may have behaviour problems. Others out of modesty will not tell me what they are good at, leaving me uniformed about what they can contribute to my organization. I am not going to take that chance if I do not have to.

Back to students – the first thing I am going to ask a student or an IEP is, what do you want to do? Without that answer I am helpless to help them.

We have be hearing a lot recently about how sad it is that university and college students are ill prepared for the job market. Success boils down to effective strategies yet there are no concerted efforts to provide that kind of training. Most of us enter the job market for the first time clueless.

The key to effective strategy is to put yourself into the shoes of a hiring manager. What are there needs of the hiring manger of any particular company. If you can address them then you are a contender for the position. Even better if your long term objectives are the same as an employers then you have a match that is hard to ignore

I am sure you have seen a resume that begins with : Looking for a position that blah blah blah. This stated objective is all about the applicant and has nothing to do with the employers needs.

Another factor, and for me the most important, is competency. Throughout my career I have continued to hire people who I feel are the most competent rather than have the most years of experience. Do I hire someone with 10 years of experience who wants a job, or do I hire someone who is passionate about the position I have to offer even if they have little or no experience. I will have to manage one of those candidates, the other will take contributions more seriously.

The answer to your question hinges on two key ingredients, in-depth research and fit.

I ask my clients to research their Sector Council websites first to determine what the health of their particular expertise is. If a graduate has a Bio Science degree then targeting Calgary or Charlottetown makes more sense.

Particularly with the onslaught of the present labour shortages in many industries, accountability for the failure to find employment seldom lays with the employer, rather it is a lack of a clear objective supported by in-depth research. Everyone is unique and the problem with traditional career coaching is that it provides a cookie cutter approach such as; this is how you write a resume or this is how you network. This approach guarantees failure. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise, show me the results.

Failure to find a job lays with the one applying for the job. If you send out 300 resumes and do not get a response than clearly resumes do not work.

Being able to Look back at a wonderful career, is due to a candidate taking accountability and making informed choices. Experiencing constant failure in the job market and then transferring that failure to the labour market is telling about a candidates strategy. I hope this will provide some insights.

Sincerely Bruce

Yes I remember you, and we were in cubs and scouts together. I just threw out my cub and scout pictures about a week ago, so I wasn’t able take a look however I can picture you in my mind and I still see the resemblance in your LinkedIn profile pictures. Thanks for your email, and comments on the article. Glebe/Old Ottawa South is a great neighbourhood. Great neighbourhoods are made out of more than brick and mortar.

Cheers, and thank you again!

Bruce

I work for a Terry Matthews company called Magor in Kanata. Yet I live in Burlington. I agree we must make decisions beyond marketing. Today’s decisions must be made with reference to the fabric of the community.

Great story, thank you. Steve Anderson Hopewell, Glebe and Queens Grad 78

For those days, I have seen your blog posts and people’s responses. It is interesting to see how differently people comprehend each topic.

As an IEP in Canada, I understand who is accountable for the failure to integrate into Canadian workplace is – us, IEPs. At least part of the accountability is on us. I believe we, IEPs, have to understand our true value without compromising the career dream, without fear or doubt, and to learn and research how our expertise fits into which the right organizations.

The problem is there are some misconceptions among immigrants. IEPs tend to think that they are not good enough to get what they want, or it is simply impossible to do so because they are new to this country. I was told by other immigrants that I was supposed to start as a casher or a waitress in a restaurant. I used to believe this until I participated your mentoring program. I believe this situation has been created by — Employers, immigrants, and probably some career coaching organizations or NGOs who urge us to find a job even though it means underemployment. I understand that those organizations have good intentions for us, and I appreciate all the work they do. However the question comes to me and I guess it comes to you all the time – is this a real solution? Are IEPs or Employers happy? The answer is very clear to me…

I totally understand, admire, and support your dedication to solve those problems by not encouraging us “foot in a door” strategy ( easy solution) , but by being persistent to find out what we deserve and what makes us happy. It is never easy, but worth it big time. At least you changed and saved my life for sure.