When Adil, the Senior Director for an international financial institution in India immigrated to Canada in 2011, he found it very hard to adapt to life in Canada. His narrow social network, lack of Canadian experience and credentials as well as the current economic climate were all reasons for his inability to find a job in the financial industry.
When I met Adil at a networking event at the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP), he was on the verge of depression. After months of really working hard at getting a job in his former industry, he couldn’t even get interviewers to invite him for a meeting. He was on the verge of giving up even trying to find a job in his profession and was starting to think about working with his cousins laying carpets in offices to pay his new Canadian bills.
Luckily, Adil was smart and he asked for help. Clearly what he was trying wasn’t working and continuing to keep trying the same things would get him the same results. When we started to coach together, in order to help him regain his confidence and find a job in his field, we developed an Educational plan to help him come up to par with his Canadian counterparts.
Here are 4 things Adil had to consider before getting his dream job:
Step 1: What am I missing? – As soon as we started working together, Adil and I looked at the educational requirements for a senior level job in Finance. Adil enrolled in the Canadian Securities Course (CSC), which is required by many employers. CSC has helped him with the industry Canadian jargon. Adding the course to his resume has gotten him interviews.
Step 2: How Do I Stand Out? –Adil stands out by his positive attitude to life. His attitude is reflected during interviews and is valued by employers. Adil’s experience goes beyond technical skills and he displays excellent interpersonal abilities. Since he worked in a multinational bank in India, he had a broaden global experience. These traits made him stand out from other financial experts in commercial banking.
Step 3: Building On My Existing Qualifications – In today’s increasingly global marketplace, many Canadian employers are looking for professionals from diverse backgrounds that can connect with leading multinational corporations. I helped him identify his transferable skills and add those skills on his resume . We used his 10 years of management experience in India and transferred it into communication skills.
Step 4: Building a Network – Adil learned how to build a network through people he already knew. Since he had his elevator pitch down to a t and his credentials as well as his personal brand which made him stand out from others, people he was meeting easily remembered and recommended him to others.
The result? Adil found a Senior Manager position for an International bank in the wealth management division. Since then he has been promoted to a Director position for a private wealth in a management institution.
What is it that you have to do so that you NEVER have to give up on your dreams of finding a job in your profession?
If you’re a former executive immigrant looking to transition your career to Canada and would like more tips on how to do this, follow me on LINKED IN, tweet me on TWITTER, like me on FACEBOOK.
