CANADA: Strong and Free Those fellow members who want their family, kids and their kids future immigrate to CANADA click this site: cic.gc.ca or contact me for some advise: See below success story (Engineer): ‘If you like your field, don’t give up’, says engineer Paul Frasie Posted on July 18, 2013 “In my life I’ve learned not to have big expectations in the beginning,” says Paul Frasie, a designer engineer from Romania. “Because I don’t want to be disappointed later. So the only thing I thought about on my way to Canada was that since you leave everything in your country [when you emigrate], you have to somehow succeed in the new place. If you come to Canada and in six months return to your country, you will have nothing left – just frustration.” However, Frasie did have plans – he intended to find a job soon after his arrival to Canada, to work and to buy a house. He had no idea of the challenges internationally trained engineers face when they come to Canada and start searching for professional jobs. Frasie didn’t know anything about the highly competitive job market, the “Canadian experience” requirement and the specifics of applying for jobs in Canada. He had prepared a Curriculum Vitae (which is used more often in Europe) and when he arrived he found some resume templates. So Frasie started sending his resume to companies he assumed would be interested in his qualifications and skills. “The first six months I sent tons of resumes and didn’t receive any feedback form anybody,” he says. “So at this point it was very tough and disappointing.” To make matters worse, the global recession had impacted Canada as well and many engineers were losing their jobs. Frasie had already felt the recession in Romania, but he didn’t expect to find a similar situation in Canada. It was hard to stay positive and to figure out what the right thing to do was. He didn’t want to change careers or do survival jobs as many professionals did at that time when they faced unemployment. He loved his profession and wanted to work in his field. What helped him stay optimistic was a meeting with the founder of the Association of Romanian Engineers in Canada (AREC). He introduced him to other engineers from his country and Frasie started building a network of acquaintances and friends with similar backgrounds. “Everybody helped me somehow,” Frasie says. “They didn’t find a job for me, but they gave me some sources, some useful information and shared their experiences with me.” Since he couldn’t find a job, Frasie searched on the Internet and found the Civil Engineering website of the University of Toronto (U of T). He started emailing the professors mentioned in the site and one of them replied and agreed to meet him. “He was honest with me,” Frasie says. “He told me, ‘I don’t know you. It takes time…’ So I tried to work with him and do things for him.” At the beginning of 2010, the professor offered Frasie a grant and he became Assistant Researcher at U of T. The professor also encouraged Frasie to earn a Master of Engineering degree. Frasie held a master’s from Romania but decided to follow his supervisor’s advice. He realized he had to compete at the job market with Canadians and a degree from U of T would be an asset. Also, to be more competitive, Frasie attended English as a Second Language (ESL) courses to improve his language skills. After he graduated from U of T in 2012, he started looking for a job again. He felt lucky that he joined the Intercultural Mentoring Network program offered by AREC. This group mentoring program, co-sponsored by theToronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), was a unique form of support where over a period of five group meetings mentees were matched with professionals (mentors) working in their fields. “They helped me make connections, give me materials and taught me how to write resumes, how to behave at interviews, how to look for companies…,” Frasie says. “Some of these things I knew already because I used the resources of U of T. But other things I learned there. Not all the information was applicable at that point, but I remember that when I went to job interviews I followed the advice of the people from the program.” Frasie is convinced that “small things” are very important in a job search. “The ‘big things’ like education, experience and skills most applicants for a position might have,” he says. “It is the small things that can make the difference. For example, there is a computer program called AutoCAD which is used in my profession. I knew it, I have worked with it in Romania, but I thought it would be a good idea to refresh my knowledge and at the same time boost my resume. So after I graduated from U of T, I attended an AutoCAD course at George Brown College. Since I did that, more companies started calling me for interviews. Some people would stay with a degree from U of T, but I decided to be different.” “It is the small things that can make the difference.” All Frasie’s effort paid off – he is working now as an engineer in Toronto. “One of my recommendations to newcomers,” he says, “is to be positive, to be optimistic. And if you like your field, if you make a real assessment and you believe that what you have done in your county can be done here, you have to try – you might have to do many things towards your goal, but don’t give up.”
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 11:23:30 +0000
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