Picking a job over a career: The woes of immigrants

By Alison D’Cruz 

As a newcomer immigrant, the first thing on my mind was to get a job as quickly as I could so that I could afford to live a decent life in Canada. I had heard the stories of immigrants finding it hard to secure appropriate employment. So, without much understanding of the Canadian labour market, I had but one goal: to get “A” job! I had silenced the nagging voice in my mind, telling me that although I was a newcomer to Canada, I was not new to the workforce and instead had spent years building my skillset and career. Was I really willing to let go of it and settle for a job I didn’t want?  

Canada welcomes thousands of immigrants like me each year to meet its demand for skilled labour and population growth (IRCC, 2020). However, many immigrants face difficulty in gaining suitable employment owing to their lack of Canadian work and educational experience, proficiency in either of the official Canadian languages or familiarity with Canadian culture (Sinacore et al., 2011). Depending on their needs and ability to remain without employment, many take up jobs not commensurate with their experience, thereby finding themselves in a state of underemployment (Kennedy & Chen, 2012). Underemployment is particularly problematic if the existing job starts to become the focus of subsequent job interviews on account of being the most recent and only Canadian experience of an immigrant. 

I found the following strategies to be helpful in circumventing the “‘picking the job over a career”’ predicament of many immigrants: 

Anticipate your challenges  

Immigrating to a new country can never be easy but knowing what to expect can help with the transition. Doing research about your profession and talking to people with similar trajectories can help you anticipate the main challenges you are likely to encounter. However, don’t overestimate the challenges. Just because someone else encountered a particular issue does not mean you will.  Seeking out conversations with people who currently hold the role you want, as well as connecting with their managers, can often give you better insight into that position and pathways to get there. You do not need to ask them for a job but make sure you maintain a line of communication with them. 

Investigate your options 

The trick to picking up your career from where you left off is to know your worth and keep reminding yourself of it. It is easy to take up the first job you are offered and then fall into a rut when nothing else seems to be working out. At this stage, it is advisable to look at other options like education. While many mature immigrants may hesitate to become students again, there are many benefits that come along with the additional credential such as access to networks and mentoring opportunities.  

Communicate and demonstrate your skills 

An immigrant’s international experience may not be what some employers are looking for but resumes and interviews are often a time to demonstrate your skillset. Be sure to highlight skills that are integral to the role and that you can demonstrate having acquired and practised over the course of your career. Sharing what you can do that no one else can provides a competitive advantage. 

Replicating a career in a new country is as much of a psychological battle as it is a practical one. While there is no easy fix, there are certainly some strategies that work better than others. At the end of the day, what matters as immigrants is that we gave it our best shot. 

Alison D’Cruz is a higher education professional and a PhD student in education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. 

References 

Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. (2020). Immigration to Canada in 2019. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2020/10/infographic-immigration-to-canada-in-2019.html 

Kennedy, T., & Chen, C. P. (2012). Career counselling new and professional immigrants: Theories into practice. Australian Journal of Career Development, 21(2), 36-45.Sinacore, A. L., Park-Saltzman, J., Mikhail, A. M., & Wada, K. (2011). Falling through the cracks: Academic and career challenges faced by immigrant graduate students. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 45(2), 168-187