Building Resilient Careers and Organizations.™
I/O Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour in the workplace.
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Nuanced Career Advice for Professional Newcomers to Canada
The valuable education and training that you have acquired have made you eligible to immigrate to Canada. When you’re a professional newcomer (e.g., physician, nurse, academic, lawyer, engineer, etc.), it’s essential that you are strategic while re-establishing yourself in Canada. I’ve assembled some preliminary thoughts and resources on this webpage that are especially useful for professional newcomers who plan to work in meaningful roles in Canada.
Before you arrive, consider taking the following actions:
- Update your resume, or collect all the information that you’ll need to write one
- If feasible, create or update your LinkedIn profile. It doesn’t need to be perfect, even a strong profile is a work-in-progress that will evolve as your career evolves
- If possible, set yourself up to be able to do video or audio interviews via Skype or FaceTime. That way, if a potential employer wants to interview you, it will be much easier to arrange
- Start reading career and Human Resources (HR) websites and blogs so that you can get a sense of how things operate in Canada, and how the Canadian workplace is similar or different from the workplace in your country of origin
- By all means, use the internet to find other relevant resources, but also consider reading my Career Development, Career Management, and HR blog. It’s searchable and there are over 150 searchable articles
- In addition, you may wish to read past issues of my bi-monthly newsletter (you can subscribe here)
Once you’ve arrived, I recommend the following actions:
- Do what’s necessary to get yourself and your family settled
- Try very hard to find ways to get yourself integrated within the broader community; this is called ‘networking’
- Avoid accepting work roles that are too far below your capacity, you may face trouble getting yourself wrongly categorized or stereotyped in this lower ability role
- Consider strategic volunteering and/or self-employment as tactical ways to gain local experience
For more details, read these articles:
- Career Challenges for Newcomers to Canada
- Are You a Newcomer with Career Drive? Find Out How Not to Crash.
- Why are Some Newcomers More Successful than Others?
- Networking For Resilience
- The Art Of Incidental Networking (For Busy People)
- Incidental Networking and the Hidden Value of a Diverse Network
- Mentorship: A Predictor of Success
- Encore Entrepreneurship – It’s More Common Than You Think
- Encore Entrepreneurship: The Gray Edge Of The Wedge
- Pros And Cons: Buy A Franchise Or Build A Business From Scratch?
- What’s Riskier For Your Career? Getting Hired For a Job … Or Becoming Self-Employed? (Part One)
- What’s Riskier For Your Career? Getting Hired For A Job or Becoming Self-Employed? (Part Two)
After reading these articles, if you would benefit from some help to get yourself re-established in Canada, I offer Career Coaching and Leadership/Executive Assessments and related coaching. Although there is a cost to my services, you will avoid a potentially long period of unemployment or underemployment where you’re not earning what you are worth.
Do you need help navigating the world of work? Contact me today for a free and confidential initial consultation by phone, email, or via direct message on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
More than career coaching, it’s career psychology®.
I/O Advisory Services – Building Resilient Careers and Organizations.