The Career Mentorship Program (CMP) matches newcomer immigrant professionals (mentees) in the Edmonton region with established professionals and local business leaders / employers (mentors) who share a similar occupational background and creates networks through real-life connections and experience.
Oluwadamilare is a financial industry service professional with 10 years of experience in the field. “I already had all the necessary professional qualifications. At least so I thought!! Here was I, four months in and I had only had two interviews and of course both turned out negative results. I was getting worried and it was taking its toll on my mental state adding which compounded the stress I had brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“I was connected with Kanwal Lali through the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC) mentorship program. Perhaps I might not have taken the connection seriously at first but the process that ERIEC undertook to connect us coupled with Kanwal’s professional profile convinced me to think otherwise. And thank God, I did.”
“After the initial mentorship meeting, where we first got to know one another and to determine what my expectations were, Kanwal’s review of my resumes and cover letters (Yes, that’s right, you may need to have a variety of them!) was clear and explicit. We discussed application techniques and the interviews. Within six weeks, I had my first professional job with one of the top commercial banks in the bag.”
“That first job with the bank was however going to be the catalyst and Kanwal had told me that this would be the case. She would continually tell me how well I had done to get a role with the bank, especially in such a challenging year. That first successful experience boosted my confidence while searching for what would be my preferred role. Kanwal kept applauding my successes and kept me motivated to continue to refine my work search skills and that success would come soon. It was difficult and challenging but looking back on all of this, I now know these were the steps that I had to take to arrive at this point in my life.”
“Just 3 months into my bank job, the company moved quickly to make my position a permanent one. I was getting calls from both private companies and the government offering me interview f or roles in my field of expertise. In one particular month, I was being interviewed for six positions! Kanwal just kept telling me how I was well positioned and that she was sure I would end up with one them. At one point I had to turn down an interview.”
“By my tenth month as a new immigrant and six months working with Kanwal, I received an offer for a job in my field. The position offered a fair salary, I was in a role that I truly enjoyed and above all, I had joined a company that I have come to love. I have gone on to share this knowledge to help others and I am hoping that others will get their breakthroughs as well.”
“I thank God for bringing me in contact with Kanwal through the ERIEC Career Mentorship program. It was indeed an amazing breakthrough!”
If you are an immigrant professional, Permanent Resident, currently in Edmonton, and interested in ERIEC’s Mentorship and / or Connector Program, please contact the Program Assistant- Gustave Gatabazi at [email protected]
If you are an established professional or business leader looking to volunteer as a mentor or establish corporate partnerships, please contact the Program Director- Azumme Degun at [email protected]