Canada through the lens of a Bangladesh-born Canadian
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2023 16:37:21 +0000
The pandemic taught us to reinvent ourselves. We are not who we used to be. The same concept could apply to new immigrants. It’s quite natural that immigrants have to deal with a range of emotions, especially during the first few days/months. Moving to a new country is not easy; especially if you have already made progress in your profession back home.
Leaving a well-established career in Bangladesh was one of the most significant decisions I have made in my life. My boss at one of the top banks there decided to keep my resignation letter with him for at least three months and to send it to HR only if I gave him the nod from Canada. If you ask me now, it’s probably better to cut your ties you so that you can fully commit yourself to building your career in Canada.
Overcome the language barrier
We need to address the language barrier and conquer it. Sooner, the better. I signed up for a continuing education program, ten years from my last certification back home. . I had four professors with three different accents! Reminded me the 1980s’ classic movie ‘Airplane’. At one moment of the movie, Dr. Rumack asked the co-pilot if he could fly the plane and land it. He got the reply, “Surely, you can’t be serious’. Dr. Rumack replied, “I’m serious and don’t call me Shirley.” See the issues with accents!
Also, if possible, try to acquire bilingual skills. In addition to English, knowing French (if Bill 96 comes into fruition, you may be in a good position if you’re in Quebec), will be helpful. Also, it might not be a bad idea to work at a call/customer support centre for a while to better your communication skills. Also try to familiarize yourself with gender-neutral language.
Adjust your expectations!
‘Adjust your sail’ and put your best effort towards your desired life. You may experience few teething problems, but everything will be ok. Have a positive attitude. If you’re new, spend time to work on your resume and cover letter instead of being stressed out about not hearing back on your applications.. Take the time to explore the job market. Skills development, bridging programs, mentorship programs and career events are always happening in Canada.
See if you can carve out a niche for yourself; look for an area that still requires significant number of people and that more or less aligns with your goals and past experience; and if needed, try something new, take a risk. Sometimes in our professional career, we try the same thing over and over again but expect different outcomes which is insanity (over to you, Einstein!). After landing a job, try to understand the organization’s mission and direction. Managing relationships at work may not be all ‘rainbows and unicorns’, but it is a very important skill.
Remember, your experiences (school, work, life) abroad are an advantage for you, even though some people in Canada may not see that right away. Never underestimate your transferable skills; don’t short sell yourself. You are unique, even if it may take a while to establish your identity as a ‘hyphenated Canadian’ (for example, I’m a Bangladeshi-Canadian).
A note to policymakers
A number of globally credentialed experienced professionals end up having to restart their careers. How can Canada better support immigrants?
For instance, during the pandemic, we saw a shortage of doctors to deal with the increasing number of patients while there were hundreds of internationally experienced doctors available right here. In cricket, if a batsman on crease gets injured, they can take ‘runners’ to run between the wickets without interrupting the game. This type of concept could be well applied during that time (or it was applied when it was too late). We saw doctors working non-stop, who couldn’t take the mental stress (seeing patients dying in front of their eyes) but had to remain on duty; they couldn’t take ‘runners’. I have heard a saying floating around in Toronto, “If you have a heart attack while in an Uber in Toronto, you might be lucky because your Uber driver might be a doctor.” The truth is that if we want to hit the target, sometimes, we may need to take a few steps back to shoot our arrows. But there needs to be a threshold or ceiling for that. Many of the challenges faced by immigrants are universal. Acknowledging and talking about them could help bring the challenges out of the shadows so they can be addressed.
Link to original version of the article available here.
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