Indian-born Dweep Mehta credits professional success to patience and relationships he forged along the way
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 12:42:28 +0000
Though life in Mumbai was comfortable, Indian-born Dweep Mehta’s daily commute to work — the traffic, the crowded trains and the endless chain of buses — had started to take a toll on his health.
Reluctant to leave family and friends behind but desperate for “a peaceful life,” he took a leap of faith and moved to Canada, drawing inspiration from a cousin who had found success there.
Now a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a leader in his community, he credits his professional success to his patience and the relationships he forged along the way.
Embracing opportunity
Carrying little more than big dreams and a few suitcases, Dweep was “overjoyed to begin a new life” when he and his wife landed in Toronto in 2015. With just enough savings to last him six months, he initially stayed with family. “We had to get acclimatized to the changing weather conditions, especially the winter, with all the snow,” he remembers.
A referral from a family friend allowed him to join the Toronto Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in October 2015, which gave him a profound sense of belonging and community that he hadn’t felt since leaving India.
When some of his Chapter colleagues invited him to “Networking 4 Success”, an event hosted by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario), he seized the opportunity. “I decided that the best way to kickstart my career in Canada would be to achieve my CPA designation,” he says. After passing the CFE on his first attempt, he landed a permanent job just a few months later and was able to buy his family a new car.
But Dweep didn’t stop there. He started a CPA Helpline to offer guidance to Indian Chartered Accountants (CAs) who were aspiring CPAs.
“I shared my experiences because I didn’t want them to make the same mistakes I made. I always say: becoming a CPA is not difficult, it’s different.”
In 2017 his wife gave birth to their first child, and he was determined to find a home for his budding family. He began visiting houses after work each day for two months, hoping for a breakthrough in the GTA’s competitive real estate market. “With the newborn and the snow, it was challenging, but we were determined to start living our dream. As soon as we liked a house and decided to put an offer, it would be gone,” he remembers.
Dweep and his family finally became homeowners in March 2018, and they were overcome with joy. As he recalls the events of that day, four years on, his sense of wonder and excitement is palpable.
Satisfaction from helping others
Dweep Mehta says he owes his success to family and networking.
Dweep continues to serve the Indian CA community as Chair of the ICAI’s Toronto Chapter, a role he says is primarily about building relationships: “It’s helped me a lot in getting to where I am now,” he says.
At the Chapter’s annual gala in November 2018, Dweep got the chance to meet and connect with successful professionals, businessmen, and politicians. But the most satisfying moment of the evening was the chance to speak in front of almost 400 people, which he credits to the “recognition and respect” that being a CPA brings.
Despite his accomplishments, though, he doesn’t see success as a one-way street: “My relationship with CPA Ontario has given me the opportunity to be a mentor and a keynote speaker at events. Networking is a give-and-take relationship that benefits others as well as you.”
That give and take has been central to Dweep’s accomplishments. Looking back on his journey, Dweep says that, in addition to his wife’s enduring support, he credits his success to the small ways he keeps in touch with acquaintances: “Just a simple text or a message helps and goes a long way.”
Now fully settled in Canada, Dweep is keenly awaiting the results of his application for Canadian citizenship — but he’s not done yet. Next on his list is earning the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation, which he hopes to achieve later this year.