July 10, 2017 Leave a Comment

CanPrep Webinar: How to excel at a job search in Canada

A panel of leading experts answer your questions on how to excel at a Canadian job search

Learning how to conduct a job search in Canada and how to be successful in the workplace is an integral part of finding employment in Canada. CanPrep, a leader in providing pre-arrival programs for internationally trained professionals, hosts a webinar with employers representing some of the largest companies in Canada.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:

Hiring Practices
Workplace culture
Diversity & Inclusion
Tips on job searches, resumes & cover letters
Open positions / industry trends
Effective interviewing tips
Getting a job through staffing companies

Learn how to apply at these participating organizations. Expand your professional network in Canada!

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March 22, 2017 2 Comments

CanPrep Webinar: Using LinkedIn To Build Your Canadian Professional Network

Building professional connections is a great way to find opportunities that could lead to employment – especially when you are a newcomer to Canada. Networking with professionals in your field for information and career growth should be an important aspect of every newcomer’s job search strategy.

Using LinkedIn to build your Canadian professional network

The good news is that you can start building your professional network even before you arrive – for example – by using LinkedIn as a professional networking tool.
This was the topic of discussion for CanPrep‘s webinar.

This interactive webinar shares insights on LinkedIn’s professional profiling techniques and how to maximize this tool to further your job search and market your skills in the Canadian job market. This webinar recording will provide information on:

Why using LinkedIn is important for job search in Canada
LinkedIn profile guide: what’s expected in Canada, tips to make your profile standout
Current hiring trends using LinkedIn
Starting a network from scratch
How to connect to the industry in Canada

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December 12, 2016 3 Comments

Success story: Mark found a job 3 days before arriving in Canada!

JVS Toronto’s Canada InfoNet program is designed to guide internationally trained professionals through the challenging aspects of the Canadian job market. Many Canada InfoNet participants find jobs in their field shortly after they arrive, and sometimes even before they have left their home country!

Mark is a Test Automation Engineer from Philippines who was able to secure a job offer in a similar position, 3 days before he arrived in Canada!

He believes a strong resume helped him find employment faster. He was able to build this resume with the help of personalized employment counseling, online learning modules and tools offered by the Canada InfoNet program.

We asked Mark to tell us how Canada InfoNet helped and to share some tips. This is what he had to say:

How has pre-arrival program helped ease your transition into Canada?
Canada InfoNet pre-arrival program has helped me gain better understanding of the Canadian job market.

What aspects of the program did you find particularly helpful?
Resume building is one of the best aspects of the program. Without it, I would not have been able to get a job because my earlier resume wasn’t tailored to the Canadian job market.

What did you think would be your biggest challenges before arriving in Canada?
Finding a job, a place to live in and other settlement things to do during the first few weeks of arriving were certainly things I worried about.

What do you feel about the challenges post arrival?
Good research and preparing well for these challenges helped us settle much faster.

What are the various strategies you used that helped you find your job?
I did 3 main things which helped me find employment:

Tailored my resume to suit the Canadian job market with help from Canada InfoNet program
Targeted jobs that match my skill set
Persistent in my job search

Any pre-arrival job search tips that you would like to share with other Canada InfoNet participants who are looking to immigrate to Canada soon?
Prepare early, tailor your resume to the Canadian job market and specific to the industry as well. Apply to jobs even if only one or two of your major skills match.

Would you recommend Canada InfoNet program to others, why?
Definitely! I feel that 70% of my success in landing a job before landing in Canada is because of the Canada InfoNet program. Remaining 30% is on individuals to research companies, look for jobs and prepare and perform well in interviews.

Has Mark’s story motivated you? Are you ready to enrol in the Canada InfoNet program? Register here!

October 17, 2016 Leave a Comment

CanPrep Webinar: Harnessing the Power of Networking for Professional Success

When you’re a Newcomer to Canada, building professional connections is a great way to find opportunities that could lead to employment. Networking with professionals in your field for information and career growth should be part of your job search and is a great way to build your personal brand.

This interactive webinar is Presented by JVS Toronto (CanPrep) in partnership with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). The webinar will help you gain insights on how to network and build social capital through specialized groups and volunteerism for professional integration and success.

You will learn about:

Increased awareness of specialized programs and how these programs can help with successful networking.
Gain greater knowledge on how skills-based volunteering can assist with achieving professional goals.
Hear an Internationally Educated Professional share how networking helped to grow his personal brand and successfully settle in Canada.

Click on the “Play” button to view the webinar.

Our Panelists:

Monina Febria, Program Coordinator, Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs), TRIEC
Paula Speevak, President and CEO, Volunteer Canada
Renan Orquiza, P.Eng. Project Manager, Watters Environmental Group Inc.

Facilitator:

Irene Vaksman, Director, Newcomer Services, JVS Toronto

To register for more informative webinars and other services offered by CanPrep, click here: https://www.jvstoronto.org/pre-arrival/canprep/#canprep-registration

October 3, 2016 Leave a Comment

How online mentoring (CanPrep) can help you find a job in Canada

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”
– John C. Crosby

Potential new immigrants who are in the process of immigrating to Canada soon have many things on their mind – A new life, new work environment, new world. They have all these questions they want answers to – What kind of job opportunities should I be applying to? Do I have a resume that is right for the Canadian job market? How do I write an effective cover letter that can get me results? What are the expectations from me in my new Canadian work place? Our program participants have shared with us that they just want someone to listen to them, direct them and validate them. They need a mentor.

A ‘mentor’ is usually a more knowledgeable or experienced person who guides the less knowledgeable or experience person often referred to as the ‘mentee’.

At CanPrep, we offer online mentoring as part of our pre-arrival employment services to Canada. Our mentoring program – Canada InfoNet connects Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) to experienced professionals in Canada who act as mentors.

Who are our mentors?

Our mentors are passionate and motivated professionals who understand the challenges of immigration, many from personal experiences. They are investing their time to give mentees a better understanding of their industry in Canada. They want to help build their confidence which is essential to setting and achieving personal goals.

The primary motivation of Mentors of our online program is to provide guidance and support. They share their knowledge of industry standards and practices, certifications, training and education, and the job search itself through a safe and easy online format. This has helped mentees formulate strong job search strategies which has a huge impact on how soon they can find employment.

Why online mentoring?

There are many ways that a Mentor’s time and effort can have an impact. Mentees will:

Gain insight into Canadian work and values
Understand current workplace and industry trends
Receive critical feedback on resumes and interview techniques
Get help with self-marketing techniques and confidence building
Identify skills required by market demands, and guidance on licensing processes in their province of landing
Gain access to professional networks
Understand how to present themselves in the best possible light to potential employers

What is the impact of mentoring on program participants?

Nitesh is a professional who is in the process of immigrating to Canada. He applied to CanPrep and started working with his Employment Counsellor on the different components of the program. Since he had optimal time for a 10 week partnership with an online mentor, his Counsellor connected him to Rick who has been a star mentor with Canada InfoNet for many years now. Nitesh (mentee) and Rick (mentor) used the online mentoring system to discuss various topics that Nitesh had concerns about. Towards the end of the partnership, Nitesh felt:

It was a wonderful experience to interact with a working professional who has been living in Canada for many years and who knows the complete ins and outs of the labor market there. For a new immigrant like me, the most important part is to get guidance on how I can get a job in a competitive market. I am glad that I was connected to an experienced and knowledgeable mentor through CanPrep and I really got a very good insight on how things work in the Canadian job market.

His online mentor had contributed to building his confidence to start a new phase of life for him and his family.

How does online mentoring work?

Mentors and mentees are usually signed up on Canada InfoNet which is an online, interactive, mentoring platform. Each mentoring partnership lasts for 10 weeks long. The partnership goes through 5 different stages of Orientation – Relationship building – Learning Conversations – Building Networks – Moving On.

The online discussions occur on a secure private discussion board at a time of convenience for the mentor and the mentee. The program requires at least a weekly 1 hour communication in total. This gives enough opportunity to build a relationship between the two and also to move through the various phases of the program.

How to sign up for online mentoring?

Internationally Educated Professionals with a permanent resident visa, still living in their home country and planning to arrive in Canada in the next 3 to 6 months are eligible for online mentoring. To begin with, they can sign up for the CanPrep program here. Once their eligibility has been established, a CanPrep Employment Counsellor will get in touch with them for the next steps.