Minto Roy - Career - Recruitment Blog

After becoming an active member with Board of Trade, I was surprised to learn that 80% of the B.O.T. members are made up of small businesses and their employees—that is, fewer than 250 employees and the majority of companies with fewer than 25. Maybe that’s why I haven’t run into any salt-and-pepper-hair-grey-power suit-types lounging in high-backed leather chairs whirling crystal shots of premium scotch with trails of cigar smoke wafting around them. That world may exist – maybe even somewhere in Vancouver – but the Board of Trade I have come to know is about advancing the progress of business and business owners, and most of them, even those with offices in skyscraping towers, actually work pretty close to the ground.

If you’re reading The Sounding Board however, you may already be way ahead of me in figuring this out. My work with PCMG and Careers Today has me talking to small business owners looking to recruit new staff. I also speak with many talented professionals seeking a career change or advancement. The Board of Trade represents a great opportunity for them. However, when I talk to non-members about attending Board of Trade events to meet potential new hires or to develop relationships which could lead to future career opportunities, many question whether the Board of Trade is really for them… that they not ready for "that level".

I try to constantly reinforce that "that level" is where they are missing their opportunity. That level is ground level. It’s even, if I may humbly try to extend a sometimes overused metaphor, the farm.

The Board of Trade is well understood as a unique and properous farmland. Within in its land many farmers and sharecroppers (businesses) grow crops and community members support each other’s growth.

Most of us are familiar with the instructive juxtaposition that good networking, positive networking, should have more in common with farming than it does with hunting. The idea, of course, is to slowly cultivate long term relationships which keep growing and bearing yield season after season instead of killing random prey, eating for this season, and then moving on to the next at the risk of eventual partner or client extinction. Seems logical, right? But, as the local purveyor of 20 kinds of pumpkins and squash and 14 recipes for each might say, “Wait, there’s more!”

At a Farmer’s Market, the whole town and half the region comes out to celebrate what everyone has accomplished that year. It’s a place where bragging is enjoyed and expected, and where encouragement and support are subtle yet ubiquitous (everyone’s produce is given a place and properly admired; no one’s pie is left unconsumed). Everything from the rawest of raw materials (milk directly from the cow) to the strangest things which may be made from them is on display (a cow carved out of hardened butter is always a sight to see). Of course people come there to buy and sell and trade their goods and services. But they also learn and exchange tips and inspire one another to keep going through good times and bad. The scattering seeds from one field to another are relationships and ideas which ensure growth for all. And that is where the metaphor really bears fruit. The Farmer’s Market brings the community together, gives them not just a place but also a standing invitation and a framework in which to build relationships and solidify their community connection. And you don’t have to be a landowner to contribute to or benefit from the experience. Everyone brings something and what grows is so much more in volume and flavour than the seeds which planted it.

The Board of Trade aggressively engages to assist all its members through a stream of community events. The Board lobbies to ensure the least resistance and build bridges with government. Expert speakers consistently offer new advice on how to businesses can grow more effectively. Board of Trade events offer a dynamic forum to make partnerships, strike deals, and develop support networks.

If you moved to a new town and you wanted to become a part of it, the Farmer’s Market would be the first place you’d go to connect. And if you wanted to show that you were generous and community-minded, joining a heritage committee or volunteering to judge the chili cook-off would be a great way to demonstrate your commitment. So, to you small business owners looking to expand, if you are looking for talented hands to help grow your business, I suggest among the questions you ask them about skills and qualifications should be a few questions about their networks and their community service. A distinguished speaker luncheon or Business After Business event is fertile ground for recruitment. People who come out to the Board of Trade and Spirit of Vancouver and the many other networking, professional and service associations around town are saying, “I’m in. I’m one of you.” They have demonstrated the farmer’s work ethic, patterning the behaviour of networking and professional development which shows they will deliver results for you. They are value-added employees, who will help everyone on your team to grow. They get it. And they deserve the growth and advancement which comes from stepping up and chipping in. And to those of you looking for transition, you need to get on board. It’s not about an old boys’ club. It’s more like Our Town. And success is about showing up.

The Board of Trade keeps growing, in large part because it is such fertile ground for community relationships and collaborative opportunities to flourish. As 2005 comes to a close, I’m looking forward to next year’s crop.

Minto Roy is the founder and principal of PCMG Canada and co-host of the popular radio show "Careers Today". To reach Minto Roy you can e-mail him at mroy@pcmgcanada.com.

Posted by minto at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My wife and I began considering the idea of emigrating from the Philippines in 2001, amid worsening political and economic conditions. Even though we had a good chance of living comfortably there, we felt we had to put the long term future of our children first.

Upon obtaining the application forms from the Canadian Embassy in Manila, we immediately began gathering all pertinent documents. Upon submission, which took us some months to accomplish, we waited three long years before finally getting a letter of approval. In between those three years was a lot of uncertainty. We held back on any major investments back home that needed our direct supervision, as we constantly convinced ourselves that ‘it’ was just around the corner. We were not about to quit 5 minutes before the miracle happened! Those three years were also a time of big dreaming – if many things in the present were on hold, we had huge expectations for how life in Canada would quickly make up for it.

We packed up and shipped out in less than two months and arrived in Vancouver in June of 2005.
Our major concerns as immigrants, which the Canadian Immigrant Magazine so aptly outlines, were housing, communication, transportation and employment. As soon as we had a place to stay and telephone and internet connections, we began searching for jobs. I have advanced degrees and a pretty successful career track record so I thought I would find work with relative ease as I always had. I sent over 150 applications without result and was becoming both concerned and discouraged.

Then I chanced upon PCMG and began a comprehensive career management program with Minto Roy and Alanna Fero. At first I was a little resistant to all the assessments and homework – I kept saying that I just wanted a job, not a career education. Alanna told me I did not come halfway around the world for a job – I came for a new life which would need the foundation of a real career, and if I could be patient for a few weeks of strategic career development work, it would pay off. It was hard to hear her. Interviews were scarce in the beginning and when I did get a foot in the door, my lack of Canadian work experience would most certainly swing it back shut. But I kept doing what PCMG told me to do, even when it didn’t make sense to me, and soon interviews started trickling in. At one point, I had to do 4 interviews in one day!

By then I had developed the focus and confidence to handle my strengths, and my weaknesses, and I could tangibly demonstrate the direct relevance of my international experience and the value I could offer a company – a skill taught to me by my career manager.

By mid-September, I had 3 standing offers for posts in my field of expertise – marketing. Even though they were not quite at the level I had reached in Manila, all were good jobs which could give me stable and adequate income to meet my family’s needs, and all had opportunities for advancement. After tough but careful deliberation, and some coaching in how to negotiate a better offer, I accepted a job at a strong Canadian company with promising room for growth.

I continue to see PCMG as my ever-reliable career guide. I know I’ll be calling Alanna when I have my performance reviews. And, it makes me feel a lot better knowing I have PCMG to fall back on… just in case.

Posted by minto at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good reference checks are crucial to landing the job you want. As a long term career strategy, never miss an opportunity to get someone to say something nice about you in print. Ask in the moment of them giving you the compliment or acknowledging your work – they may not remember a year later when you need it; indeed, neither may you. Reference letters are like money in your savings account, there to help you advance or to get back on your feet again if you find yourself unemployed. You also need to keep in regular contact with anyone who is a key reference for you – as important as the letters are, employers will need to do a telephone check as well. There is no worse feeling than having a reference for the great job for which you just nailed the interview but not being able to reach them, so keep your database up to date.

In general, DO:

• Use a clear format for your list of references. Have a header which matches your resume and clearly identifies you, as in the following example:

References for Caitlyn Candidate, MBA

Sally Superreference, Director of Marketing, IBM Western Canada
Formerly Director of Marketing for Business Objects
Direct Supervisor for 4 years
Tel. 604.234.5678
Cel. 778.987.6543
Sally.jonas@shaw.ca

• Provide 2-3 ways to contact each reference to make it easy for employers to follow up on a tight timeline. Hiring is a lengthy and onerous process and there is a temptation to just get it over with by the end. If your references are the first to respond, that might just give you the edge.

• Prepare your references to help you effectively. Call them when you have had an interview where you expect a reference check. Email them your most recent resume, along with the cover letter you submitted for the position. Busy people may not open your attachments, though, so also give them 3-5 one line bullet points on the position, the company, and the impression you were hoping to leave. The more specific you are, the better your referees can help you.

• Choose 360 degree references: one-two direct supervisors, the more recent the better; one colleague; one direct report; and possibly also a client. Show employers that you “work and play well with others” at all levels of an organizational culture.

And DON’T:

• Do not put references on your resume unless you are only sending it to two or three select companies. Show respect for your referees’ time and privacy. If you are emailing applications in response to dozens or hundreds of postings, know that your referees will not appreciate having their contact information broadcast that far and wide. Offer to provide references on request and have multiple copies in hand for every interview.

• Don’t hand out ratty, torn, folded, or otherwise mangled old copies of reference letters. Neither should you pull a crisp original out of a protective case and ask the interviewer to make a copy. Keep originals in a portfolio and make clean, new copies you can leave behind.

• Don’t use personal or character references, or family members as references, if you have any alternative at all. Employment references are best. Senior staff members or senior volunteers in organizations to which you donated your work or teachers/professors with whom you took a relevant course are next in preference.

Posted by minto at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dear Alanna:

I keep seeing the same jobs posted on three or four different websites, month after month. I’ve even applied for a couple of them but never gotten a call. A friend told me some companies keep postings up all the time but they are not really hiring. I’m just as concerned that maybe it is an indicator that the company is not the kind of employer I would want if they have a lot of turnover. How can I tell?

Kelly

Dear Kelly:

That’s a very common question and the short answer is that you probably can’t tell for certain – at least not as an outsider. But there are ways to learn what you can. First I want to say that you and your friend should not assume that a company is not really hiring or has problems with retention because of continuous postings. Many companies are growing so fast and/or so consistently that they are always actively recruiting, and top managers in stable companies would rarely refuse to meet a very suitable candidate even if they do not have a pre-existing opening. Some companies do have trouble hanging on to good people but regular job postings are not necessarily an indicator of that.

Your best source of information on a company is someone who works there and is in a position to know whether or not the company is growing and seeking talent expansion. Use your networks or research business news on the company to find someone on the inside and ask for a few minutes of their time to ask them a few questions about their work. Look up the company in the “Top Employers” and “Best Companies” guides and see if they made the cut. If they do not appear, read what is said about related or competitor companies to get a better idea of the evaluative criteria used to decide who is a good employer in that field. Send your resume to a few recruiters, ask for a meeting with them, and while you are there pitching yourself, ask if they know anyone who has worked for that company. One way or another, you can probably improve your knowledge before applying in most cases.

When you either can’t find the information you seek or don’t have time for the search, my call would be to apply, say yes to an interview if you get one, meet them and judge for yourself. If you are interested enough in the position to be wondering what they are like to work for, it is probably worth your time and effort to pursue the opportunity. And if you are just idly curious but not strongly drawn to the job or you have a nagging feeling that something is not right for you – before or after an interview or offer – trust your gut.

Posted by minto at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

March is the month of St. Patrick’s Day in Canada and the U.S. Brought to North America by Irish immigrants, this originally introspective and religious holiday in Ireland has evolved here into a much more secular celebration of luck and good fortune. The sight of so many people of every ethnic background wearing shamrock green and glittering gold and sidling up to a bar to tilt a pint o’Guiness beer is enough to get anyone thinking about luck, and getting us thinking about how you can create your own.

Alanna Says:

Luck, it turns out, is primarily about belief – in yourself and in the world. Research conducted by Dr. Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire in England suggests that lucky people think and act differently than unlucky people, and offers tips on how to replicate their thoughts and actions to change your luck for the better.

First of all, lucky people are more conscious of opportunity than unlucky ones. They routinely see things other people don’t, from prize draws to job postings. They are also very open to new experiences and they tend to enjoy community connection, often having two to three times as many contacts as their unlucky friends.

Part of why they see more opportunities is that lucky people are optimistic and simply expect good fortune. They believe the world has much to offer them so they are alert to and accepting of every offering. Lucky people also follow their intuition and make rewarding life decisions by following a gut feeling to take a calculated risk.

Finally, lucky people make a habit of turning even bad luck into good, finding the learning experience or positive outcome in any situation, and quickly rebounding from setbacks to proactively move forward in a new direction. If that sounds like you, you’re lucky! And if that doesn’t sound like you… you’re still lucky because right here, right now, you are alert to opportunity, connecting to a positive message, and you can choose to make a change for the better.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Minto Roy Says:

I understand this luck research involved studying several hundred people who self-identified as either extremely lucky or extremely unlucky, monitoring their day-to-day lives and observing their responses to controlled experiments. Maybe the science is what will convince some of you, but not me. For me, it’s experience. I’ve always known that the more 14 hour days I put in grinding it out at the office, the luckier I get. The more I network and educate myself and do the right thing instead of the easy thing, the better my results turn out to be. You can call it luck if you want to. I call it a pattern of behaviour that, consistently implemented, has no choice but to succeed. You can’t do the right thing the right way in a consistent pattern and not get results. Hard work gets rewarded eventually.

As immigrants, sometimes you have to work harder than your Canadian-born counterparts and many people would say this is a hardship or an evidence of an uneven playing field. I think it’s actually lucky. Your hard work will give you drive and experience and new skills that people who have it easier will take much longer to develop – and they may never get there. I’m glad I started with next to nothing, growing up hard in a rough neighbourhood, hearing my parents slip out the door after putting us to bed to work graveyard shift in a factory. It made me hungry. It forced me to set goals and keep my commitments to myself even as a teenager. It continues to give meaning to what I am building every day.

If your life is hard right now, be glad. Bring it on! What you work for is so much richer than what is handed to you. That’s why immigrants are the luckiest people I know.

Posted by minto at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

We get calls every week from reporters and researchers looking for a quote or seeking some insight on business and career-related topics – more and more often, those queries relate to “workplace diversity” and “tapping into new Canadian talent.” Minto has been asked to speak to CEOs, Directors, MPs and MLAs on this topic, and their interest increases the more they learn. It’s a sign of the times – and a very good sign for today’s immigrants.

Minto Says:

We have seen a staggering rise by media and corporate Canada in discussing issues related immigrant workplace integration. Industries are screaming "we have jobs to fill." Provincial, Federal politicians regularly debate the best ways to assist professional immigrants. And Immigration Canada is increasing its immigration quotas more and more every year. This is not the flavour of the month. This is and will be a steadfast menu item on Canada’s table. Businesses are learning how they butter their bread, and hiring immigrants, it turns out, is profitable. The public volume is loud on this topic. Corporations have long been focused on how to strategically position themselves as a company of choice to attract immigrant consumers. It’s so exciting to see that they are now concerned with how to attract immigrant employees as well. It may be the most opportune time for new professional immigrants. Now, there is no magic pill or quick fix coming. People will still ask you about your Canadian experience and your English language skills are as important as ever. However, with the rise of media and spotlight will come a greater reception by companies to embrace talent. There is an obvious social benefit in helping newcomers but corporations have now felt some of the pain and consequence of ignoring such mass social change. And they’re responding. Companies cannot ignore that as much as half of their products and services are brought by consumers who came to Canada from another country. And best practices in marketing and branding have always advocated putting your consumer’s face in your marketing and sales. Companies now have figured out that they also need to put those faces – and those languages, and that intellectual capital – in their offices.

It’s a great day to be Canadian.

Alanna Says:

I never feel more proud to be Canadian than when I see examples of tolerance, community outreach, generosity of spirit, excellence of enterprise. When those things all happen together, so much the better.

The tide IS turning, and slowly-yet-suddenly, as these things often go, everyone is paying more attention. And as we write more on this subject and Minto gets asked to give more presentations on “diversity,” I’m noting an increase in questions about what “other people say” about my sharing this column with Minto. The asker is somehow never asking for herself as she says, “You know, I mean, of course I think it’s fine, but do some people wonder about you, you know, writing for the immigrant paper, writing about diversity, you know because you, you know…” “What?” I ask as their voices trail off into a sheepish silence. “Because, you know, you’re… you’re… not an immigrant.”

It’s true – I’m not. I’m second generation. But the people inquiring don’t know that. They have an idea of what an immigrant looks like or sounds like, and I don’t seem to them to fit. Not so different, really, from “other” people who have an idea in their head of what a Canadian looks like or sounds like, huh?

Asking me whether “some people wonder…” begs so many deeper, likely unconscious, questions on the diversity question. Whom do we ask? Who is allowed to speak? Who is supposed to care? Who is expected to act?

So today, as we note the sweeping changes made and coming in business views on the importance of integrating immigrant talent, I add a special message to the many readers of this magazine who were born here, or who’s parents or grandparents were born here, and also to those readers whose companies, as far as they know right now, have no trouble attracting all the talent they need: Great news! Diversity means YOU, TOO!

Posted by minto at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

Canada Day, for many Canadians, is a day for barbecues and beach volleyball. But for immigrants and the professionals who are privileged to serve them, Canada Day can mean so much more.

Minto Roy Says:

I look forward to Canada Day every year. Like most immigrants, I experience Canada Day as a reflective time – not only reflecting on my experiences but those I have seen and heard through the eyes and voices of other newcomers to this great country.

I am reminded of how our family came to Canada and how I watched Canada Day celebrations with those close to me. As a child from India coming to Canada, my parents daily reiterated how fortunate we were to have sponsors providing us the opportunity to move. As textile labourers generally working late night shifts, my parents did not enjoy all of the advantages that attracted them to Canada, yet they were grateful every day, and they instilled that gratitude in me. Now I do enjoy everything that Canada has to offer, and I experience it not as a birthright but as a gift never to be taken for granted. A gift that keeps on giving to my children, and to my employees and clients.

I hope you all feel that way this Canada Day.

Alanna Says:

I don’t know if I looked forward to Canada Day as a kid, but I definitely experienced a range of intense emotions and enjoyed a well-rounded civic education each July 1st: my parents came through the Depression and the Second World War. Going to the parade and waving our flag is, I was taught, both a privilege and a responsibility – something handed down to me by those who had sacrificed so I might enjoy this day. Canadians are not typically effusive in their patriotism, but I knew better than to be embarrassed by my father’s bold displays of national pride – it was obvious how much it meant to him, as an Italian-Canadian, to have worn a Royal Canadian Navy uniform in “the Service,” as veterans to this day call military duty in any of the land, sea or air branches.

I was raised to believe that the good fortune being Canadian is something that must be shared. Though we didn’t have a lot, our holiday table was routinely filled by guests from all around the world, new to Canada, learning about Hallowe’en treats, Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas stockings, and teaching us about love, family and courage. My parents also tried to help people meet one another, make friends, find better jobs, move into new homes – no doubt playing a large part in how I came to do what I do today.

On Canada Day, I’m grateful to my grandparents, none more than 13 years old when they left their families behind to board a ship for this new land, each the first in his or her family to do so. I’m also thankful for my parents who worked every day at jobs that wore out their bodies and dampened their spirits so they could give me a better life. For me the fireworks celebrate my life in a place where compassion has a place in government, where education encourages young people to question, where people of different races and religions and now also sexual orientations have the same rights as others, and where, as the first person in my family to complete high school, I could earn a graduate degree and do the work I do.

There are many reasons to be grateful to be Canadian – for me the greatest of those is the intertwined opportunity and obligation to share. We’re all in the Service.

Posted by minto at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

Happy New Year! Many countries have far more community-driven and deeply held beliefs and traditions around the New Year than Canada does, but most Canadians have two things in common at this time of year. We make wishes for what we would like life to bring to us, and resolutions for what we would like to bring more of to our lives.

Minto Roy:

A new immigrant to Canada might dream up a wish list something like this one:

1. Foreign Credentials Recognized
For some of you it can happen – check out a credential evaluation service such as the one at BCIT www.bcit.ca/ices).

2. International Work Experience Accepted
Another tough one. But if you have been paying attention to some of our resume tips, you are learning how to communicate your record of achievement and transferable skills.

3. HRSDC Counsellors Are People Like You
Wouldn’t it be cool of the government hired people who had immigrated to Canada 7 – 15 years ago, secured stable private sector employment, been promoted and enjoyed the success you are seeking to advise you? Might be too much to hope for.

4. Global Banks Treat Credit Histories as Truly Global
How is it that we have multi-national companies and multi-currency accounts but an outstanding credit rating in almost any other country (even, believe it or not, Great Britain and the United States) is almost meaningless in Canada? Vancity has a better track record on this than some other companies – give them a call and maybe this wish can come true.

5. Corporate Commitment to Immigrant Recruitment
Companies are only too willing to target their marketing and sales efforts on various ethnic communities to attract immigrant dollars. I think it’s time they made a commitment to hiring the same fraction of employees from a culture as that culture represents in their customer demographics. If 3% of the buyers of X make of cars in Canada are from South Asia, then 3% of their employees should be South Asian.

Keep dreaming big and working hard. 2006 promises to be a great year.

Alanna:

A new immigrant’s resolution list should probably include some of these items:

1. Let go of whatever pre-conceived ideas you had about Canada before coming here and embrace the experience you are having. The majority of immigrants we meet and work with who succeed quickly do this intuitively. Those who encounter major disappointments and setbacks do so at least in part because they struggle so hard with the gap between their expectations and the reality of life in a new country.

2. As you choose new friends and communities in which to network, choose based not on similarity of experience but instead on positivity of attitude. Immigrants can support one another to learn and engage and move forward in their new land, and that kind of outreach is beautiful to see and productive to offer and accept. Too often, however, small immigrant groups who band together fail to support one another to get beyond culture shock and instead focus so much on their own hardship that they bring each other down and hold each other back. If people are telling you how hard things are, how bad they have it, how disappointed they feel, you must have compassion for them, of course. You must also move away from them to seek a more positive influence and improve your own state before you can help them. You do not pull your friend out of a hole by jumping in with him. You go get a rope.

3. Resolve to learn about Canadian work culture. Canada is often juxtaposed to the U.S. as a mosaic versus the American melting pot. The contrast holds with respect to food, drink, spiritual practice, weekend hobbies and the like. At work, however, there is a cultural literacy that you must demonstrate as a prerequisite to an employer’s willingness to consider your skills or experience. Seventh generation Canadians must demonstrate cultural fit; so must you.

Wishing you happier, healthier, wealthier lives in 2006.

Posted by minto at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

Happy New Year! Many countries have far more community-driven and deeply held beliefs and traditions around the New Year than Canada does, but most Canadians have one thing in common at this time of year. We make resolutions for what we would like to bring more of to our lives.

Alanna:

A new immigrant’s resolution list should probably include some of these items:

1. Let go of whatever pre-conceived ideas you had about Canada before coming here and embrace the experience you are having. The majority of immigrants we meet and work with who succeed quickly do this intuitively. Those who encounter major disappointments and setbacks do so at least in part because they struggle so hard with the gap between their expectations and the reality of life in a new country.

2. As you choose new friends and communities in which to network, choose based not on similarity of experience but instead on positivity of attitude. Immigrants can support one another to learn and engage and move forward in their new land, and that kind of outreach is beautiful to see and productive to offer and accept. Too often, however, small immigrant groups who band together fail to support one another to get beyond culture shock and instead focus so much on their own hardship that they bring each other down and hold each other back. If people are telling you how hard things are, how bad they have it, how disappointed they feel, you must have compassion for them, of course. You must also move away from them to seek a more positive influence and improve your own state before you can help them. You do not pull your friend out of a hole by jumping in with him. You go get a rope.

3. Resolve to learn about Canadian work culture. Canada is often juxtaposed to the U.S. as a mosaic versus the American melting pot. The contrast holds with respect to food, drink, spiritual practice, weekend hobbies and the like. At work, however, there is a cultural literacy that you must demonstrate as a prerequisite to an employer’s willingness to consider your skills or experience. Even seventh generation Canadians must demonstrate cultural fit; you must do the same!

Wishing you happier, healthier, wealthier lives in 2006.

Minto Roy:

Some other useful resolutions would include:

4. Make a point of meeting successful immigrants who have secured new positions in their field of expertise, ideally people who have really integrated into Canadian society, not just people who have also arrived quite recently or who share your cultural or linguistic background. Your network will therefore be made up of role models who have a proven track record of career success from which you can learn and improve your own life.

5. Prepare to network by taking inventory of what you have done in your past and drawing comparisons to Canadian companies of similar industry and size. For example, if you worked for a telecom in India, then when asked what you do, say; "I am a telecom professional. I managed large wireless projects for South Asia Telecom for 3 years. They are a telecom solution provider much like Bell Canada. My projects involved supervising 20-30 staff and managing budgets exceeding 5 million dollars". Make it easier for people to relate to your skills and experience. Get ready to discuss your skills with Canadian conversions and analogies well practiced.

6. Get Help! Correction, get the right help. Too many new immigrants rely on family, friends and government to create job search strategies for them. Respectfully, these sources are not going to help most people secure professional level employment. You hired an immigration lawyer to help you get here. You will hire doctors, lawyers, and financial experts throughout your professional life – you also need an expert to help you launch that professional life in Canada. Don't wait until you are frustrated or desperate to get help. Working in partnership with expert professionals will save you time, money, frustration.

Make your number one resolution for the year to Just do it! and have a prosperous 2006.

Posted by minto at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

February is the month of Valentine’s Day in Canada and the U.S. It’s kind of a funny holiday manufactured by flower shops and chocolatiers, no doubt, to help them rebound from the post-Christmas retail slowdown. But the mythology behind Valentine’s Day, the story of Cupid, is not just about romance; it’s about match-making. And that’s really what employers and jobseekers are trying to do, isn’t it? Make a good match.

Minto Roy:

A good plan for choosing an employer match is to select companies whose products and services sincerely interest you. By that I mean, regardless of where you work, you would be using their products or services and interested in business news about their organization. Think about activities you enjoy and subjects you love to talk about. Chances are, many of those things are represented by companies. And the leaders of those companies covet employees who share their interests and values and sincerely believe in their products and services.

For instance, if you love sports, invest time in learning about sports and fitness-related companies. With a little research, you can develop a list of 20-30 companies that directly match your interest. Personal identity linked to your professional identity provides the perfect foundation for an exciting career. Your career shouldn't be about what you do for your job, it should be a reflection of who you are as a person.

It's also critical to feel you have a match with the people who populate these companies. Remember you will be spending 8-10 hours of day with them. A popular metaphor asserts that we become the average of the 5 people with whom we spend the most time. If that’s even partly true, you need to be very careful about who those people are as they will directly influence who you become. If you don't know people at the company, do some research. Check news articles about their community activity. Pick-up the phone and call a department manager and ask him/her for 15 minutes of their time based on your interest in their products and services.

Invest in research and relationships and the right match for you is out there.

Alanna:

Making a good match also means making yourself attractive to the employer. You want the company you choose to choose you – and in the best case scenario, they should feel like it’s their idea. I’m not suggesting that you be manipulative – on the contrary, I think the most attractive qualities are virtually always the most authentic. But sometimes we have to take time to reflect and reconnect with what is authentic in ourselves, and also to do a bit of a polish to make sure we are seen by others in the best possible light.

Minto nailed the most attractive quality when he suggested you focus on employers in which you are genuinely interested. Companies are run by people, and people are subject to human nature. And we humans like nothing better than to know someone likes us. Don’t flatter or gush. Just take care to display the knowledge, experience, passions and values you have in common with decision-makers in the organizations to which you are drawn.

Another attractive quality is generosity, even selflessness. That doesn’t mean you have no needs or interests, but it does mean that you are willing to first consider the company’s interests before communicating your own. There is nothing appealing about, “What’s in it for me?” and everything appealing about “What can I do for you?” Take time to learn what the companies needs are and to communicate how you will add value to meet those needs.

Also pay attention to the finer details of appearance and speech: understand the culture and etiquette of the organization and present yourself in how you dress, act and speak as one of them. Don’t tell them you are a fit: show them. In fact, BE THE FIT. Then you’ll have a career match which would make Cupid proud.

Posted by minto at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HE SAID / SHE SAID
Featuring Career Development Experts, Minto Roy & Alanna Fero

When we were considering a holiday-themed column, we wondered which of our Canadian traditions would be most accessible to immigrants experiencing our holiday season for the first time. The internationally recognizable icon of Santa Claus, of course! And we got to thinking… WHAT IF SANTA IMMIGRATED TO CANADA? AND WHAT IF HE WANTED TO CHANGE CAREERS?

Minto Roy:

Though he was a successful entrepreneur with 1000s of elves working for him, Santa wouldn’t have enough points on his immigration application to enter Canada under the regular rules. (Paul Martin will avoid getting a lump of coal in his stocking by wisely making a special exception.)

As Santa arrives at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, its crisp winter air reminds him fondly of home. Fortunately, like so many talented immigrants, Santa fluently speaks 17 languages, English among them, so he will communicate easily.

Scanning the newspaper as he sits in the “landing” room reserved for immigrants waiting to be processed, he sees the real estate section and gets his first shock: his North Pole bungalow would be worth $5.3 million on Vancouver’s North Shore! His second shock comes a few days later in his settlement class where, although the room is full of many professionals, most with advanced degrees and extensive work experience like his own, again and again they are told it is a problem that they do not have Canadian experience. “But,” Santa protests, “I delivered presents from BC to Prince Edward Island! I worked all around the world! I have international experience!” His cries fall on deaf ears.

Seeing so many people in his group -- engineers and software developers, doctors and professors, even lawyers and bankers -- being encouraged to take the first available job in service or labour, Santa begins to wonder whether these classes teaching how to “settle” in his new country have more than one meaning. And he does not want to settle for a dead-end job.

Santa is like everyone else who comes to Canada: he has a big heart and a huge dream. Getting here, it turns out, is the easy part. Succeeding here takes strategic hard work.

Alanna:

Like every other immigrant, if Santa wants to enjoy a professional career in Canada, he needs an expert evaluation of his transferable skills followed by a translation of those skills into Canadian language which highlights their transferability.

For example, Santa has flown a sleigh pulled by 9 reindeer (all the usual suspects plus Rudolph and his shiny red nose up front) to deliver presents around the world. Re-languaged, it becomes a profile in leadership and team-building: “Harnessed drive of experienced transportation team to deliver top results. Gave leadership role to star performer and delegated balance of responsibilities to ensure every team member collaboratively pulled their weight. Navigated complex logistics processes across multiple borders and time zones to ensure goods delivered on time year after year.” On paper at least, Santa is a now man people would hire.

But the resume is not enough. Santa also needs to present himself professionally in person. His red velvet suit might have been perfect at the North Pole, but it won’t fit in here. Appearance is a language, too – one which speaks of cultural literacy. Santa’s new uniform should be a well-pressed dark suit with a crisp white shirt and a new tie. He’ll need a hair stylist, too. Grey hair around the temples is attractive in a job applicant; it may not be politically correct to say so, but a bushy head and long beard of white hair is just not. It’s time for colour as well as a cut and a shave if Santa wants to inspire confidence in a potential employer.

If Santa were my client, I would tell him to look around at the people who are in the jobs he admires and, while respecting his culture at the same time, try to emulate their speech, body language, and clothing. In short, take your advice from someone who is where you want to be.

Posted by minto at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)