CIM - December Issue - Minto Roy
Featuring Career Development Expert Minto Roy
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.
Minto Roy
President
CareersToday Canada
www.careerstodaycanada.com
www.mintoroy.net