Why I started mentoring?

I like to help and meet different people.  Immigrants want to settle down and make a new life in Canada.  I want to help them achieve those goals and dreams.  I remember what it was like when I arrived in Toronto in 1990.

What makes mentoring meaningful for me?

Through mentoring I get to meet people and understand different cultures.  If I can help even a little I feel really good.  I feel as though I have accomplished something.

My approach to mentoring

Usually when I start a relationship I create a worksheet that includes important details such as when they sent out their resume and space for follow up.  It’s more strategic to keep track than to just send out hundreds of resumes.

What mentoring means to me

Meeting and helping newcomers reminds me of my past, of my immigrant experience.  It means so much when a mentee lands an interview or secures a job – it’s the best feeling.

My advice to a skilled immigrant who is looking for meaningful work in Toronto:

Be active and persistent in your job search every day.  Networking and volunteer work are both important and helpful.

More on mentor Kathy Wu

Application and Technical Support Specialist, North York East Office, Toronto Employment and Social Services, City of Toronto
Mentor to 10+ skilled immigrants through The Mentoring Partnership
Heard about The Mentoring Partnership through the City of Toronto

All you need to commit are 24 hours spread out over four months. Meetings can be in person, online, or over the phone and can include referrals for information interviews.

“Mentoring provides real professional development,” says ten-time mentor and associate manager at Sun Life Financial, Joe Ferreyro. “You learn about other cultures and get to interact with many types of people. I do a lot of mentoring on the job, so I can apply what I learn to my daily activities of coaching new hires.”

The Mentoring Partnership currently has the greatest demand for mentors in the Toronto Region in the following occupations:

1. financial auditors and accountants
2. chemists and biologists
3. sales and marketing
4. engineers (all streams but currently high demand for civil)
5. graphic designers
6. purchasing agents
7. distribution & scheduling

If you don’t see your profession listed here – but want to mentor – please be sure to connect with us.  Skilled immigrants from many different occupations are in our database, waiting to be matched. Learn more about becoming a mentor and TRIEC’s Mentoring Partnership.

If you reside outside the Toronto Region and want to become a mentor, click here to see which Canadian communities offer mentoring programs for skilled immigrants and how you can get involved.

December 19, 2011
Mississauga News

Jan Dean

If there had been a mentoring program to help newcomers find work in their fields when she came to Canada 21 years ago, Eva Omes says she would have signed up in a heartbeat. The Polish-born architect, who now lives in Meadowvale, says it would have saved her two years of frustration.

Determined to give others the chances she never had, Omes is now a volunteer with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). She recently won an award for having mentored more than 10 immigrants over the past seven years.

Read the full article

Reference: Mississauga News ]]> http://www.thementoringpartnership.com/news/mississauga-news-resident-opens-doors-for-newcomers/feed/ 0 http://www.thementoringpartnership.com/spotlight/harshal-dalal-%e2%80%93-mentee-who-has-become-a-mentor/ http://www.thementoringpartnership.com/spotlight/harshal-dalal-%e2%80%93-mentee-who-has-become-a-mentor/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:25:07 +0000 admin http://www.thementoringpartnership.com/?p=2873 “Without the support of others, I wouldn’t have been able to find my first job and build my career here. I’m grateful to everyone who helped me to make those first steps and want to help other newcomers do the same.”

Why Canada?

Originally from India, I spent several years in the Middle East. I came to Canada for my family. I have two young daughters and I wanted them to grow up in a place that offered them better learning opportunities and a balanced environment to shape their future.

My international advantage

Because Canada is so diverse, it helps when you have a global perspective and an appreciation for different cultures. In the Canadian workplace it’s increasingly important to have international experience. You integrate in the Canadian culture faster, but you also bring a different, yet relevant, outlook to the team.

What I learned from my mentor

I learned about banking and various players in the industry in Canada. My mentor also provided helpful constructive criticism on my resume. I also learned that networking is key. The more people you know in your profession, the better.  People in your networks can guide you in your job search and career development, help you understand the industry, and give you an insider’s perspective.

My job search experience

At first, my job search was unfocused and as a result ineffective. Like many others before me, I was using the traditional means of job search: browsing the internet. You know you need help, but often you don’t know who to turn to. The good thing in Canada is that the government funds useful programs available through non-profit organizations and immigrant service agencies. For example, I came across ACCES Employment that runs a program for internationally trained financial services professionals. I gained useful job search support from this program and learned about mentoring.

Breakthrough moment

ACCES Employment was conducting partner in a CGI career fair. I was encouraged to participate, went through a series of interviews (including a preliminary interview at the job fair) and subsequently was offered a position relevant to my experience and skills.

My mentoring experience so far

Mentoring has provided valuable learning. I’ve learned about the importance of setting expectations between mentee and mentor. Together we have developed short-term and long-term career goals, so that we can focus on areas where there are some gaps. For example, we quickly realized that we needed to re-examine job search strategies. We have also looked at opportunities to transform my mentee’s resume to spark employers’ interest and ultimately get responses from them. Now we are working on converting interviews into job offers.

Harshal Dalal is a CRM Senior Manager, Marketplace Services, Deloitte Canada

Denise Deveau

Diversity programs are nothing new for Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP – they have been part of the national law firm’s DNA for five years and it has consistently won accolades for its efforts.

FMC was also the first law firm to partner with the TRIEC (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council) mentoring program, where it won the organization’s Immigrant Success Award in 2009.

Read full article.

When he came to Canada from India 22 years ago after working nearly 10 years in multinational companies in South East Asia and the Middle East, there was no support for Brampton resident Iqbal Ali.

Says Ali: “Having gone through that pain I really wanted to help and guide other newcomers, so they don’t have to experience the same frustrations.”

Ali is one of 14 mentors who have gone above and beyond in a bid to help newcomers.

Read full article.

Read Iqbal Ali’s profile on thementoringpartnership.com

“Lots of newcomers don’t receive the right job search information. They need to get a little bit of advice, meet someone who can help them update their resumes, and guide them through the job search process. Everybody is busy, but we can all spare time for a newcomer looking to establish themself in Canada.”

Why Canada?

I moved to Canada looking for better life for myself and my family.

My international advantage

I have an MBA from England in financial management and I used to work for a multinational bank. I believe that my previous experience, my education, and language skills (I speak English, Hindi and Bengali) are great assets to this country.

My job search experience

Before I moved to Canada, I did some research online about the Canadian banking industry. I found out a couple of banks, checked their requirements for candidates: what they are looking for, what qualifications and licenses are required. I found out that there is mutual fund license that I would need to obtain to be able apply to the jobs in my field.

Once in Canada, I learned about ACCES Employment, their course for internationally trained bankers and The Mentoring Partnership.

Why I chose to mentor

When I joined RBC, I met lots of skilled immigrants who would ask me how I did it, how I found this job. I become a mentor to help these people. If I can change a person’s life in Canada, it would be a great satisfaction for me.

My mentoring experience so far

Since I joined The Mentoring Partnership, I have been matched with two mentees. My meetings with them are casual, social. I’m trying to get more information before mapping out what they need to do:what kind of qualifications and achievements they have, what their expectations and experiences are, and where they want to work.

My advice to mentees

Do some research before you move to Canada. Check banking websites to see what Canadian banks are looking for and what accreditations you might need. You will be better prepared mentally.

Sukanta Chowdhury is a Premier Relationship Manager with HSBC Bank Canada and a Mutual Fund Advisor with HSBC Investments Funds (Canada) Inc.

“Skilled immigrants can contribute a lot to Canadian businesses. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re willing to put a lot of energy in to prove themselves.”

How I learned about The Mentoring Partnership

I came to Canada in 2006 and started looking for a job in marketing and sales, but without local experience and education, I couldn’t find one. I decided to build on my analyst experience and become a financial analyst. While studying and doing a co-op program, I heard about The Mentoring Partnership from one of my friends.

Why I returned as a mentor

What I like about The Mentoring Partnership program is that it’s face-to-face. I wanted to share my job search success with other skilled immigrants. I believe I have enough to offer: good communications skills, ability to inspire people, and plenty of job search, and interview experience.

What makes a good mentor-mentee relationship

You always need to be professional. If you have mutual respect for each other and you trust each other, you can build a strong relationship. I gained a lot as a mentor. It helps me reinforce my skill set. The more you share the more you improve your knowledge.

What I tell my mentees

Skilled immigrants often apply for jobs for which they are overqualified. They need to position themselves right and inspire themselves. Remember: Don’t lose your patience and don’t give up.

Shawn Fang is a Financial Analyst with ABC Group Inc.

Celna Chacko-Saran

The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) recognized outstanding volunteer contributions to its award-winning program, The Mentoring Partnership. Facilitating the mentorship of over 6,000 skilled immigrants since its launch in 2004, the program brings together recent skilled immigrants and established professionals in occupation-specific mentoring relationships. Mentors share job search tips, industry insights and professional contacts, helping skilled immigrant mentees establish a professional network in Canada

“Of over 6,000 skilled immigrants mentored, 70 per cent have found employment in their field,” says Elizabeth McIsaac, Executive Director, TRIEC. “This program thrives because individuals volunteer their time as mentors.”

Read full article.

Reference: Canadian Immigrant

As one of Canada’s largest financial services companies, CIBC strives to attract a multicultural workforce representative of the communities it serves. That’s why CIBC has been a corporate partner of The Mentoring Partnership since 2005.

Now CIBC has reached the milestone of having contributed 100 mentoring matches to the program. “CIBC is proud to play a role in helping newcomers to Canada establish a strong new start through mentoring relationships,” says Sharon Wingfelder, Vice President, Human Resources, Diversity & Resourcing, CIBC. “Mentoring also benefits our employees who gain a better understanding of the newcomer experience while making a real difference in the community.”

Support for The Mentoring Partnership comes directly from Sharon and the leadership team of CIBC. In 2010 Sharon personally stepped forward to elevate the level of internal participation by dedicating program managers Gene Jamieson and Shemina Khimji to ultimately be accountable for the success of the program. It’s clear that this significantly contributed to an increase in mentor recruitment by 175 per cent and helped push the bank past the milestone of 100 matches in mentoring in 2011.

Employees from across CIBC’s business units are encouraged to become mentors in The Mentoring Partnership through CIBC’s Employment Equity & Diversity Advisory Committees.  These committees, made up of senior leaders in the organization, ensure that employees are aware of the personal and professional development opportunities in The Mentoring Partnership, which support the overall diversity strategy at CIBC. Supported by CIBC’s Employment Equity & Diversity team, the bank hosts The Mentoring Partnership information sessions and orientation sessions for their mentors and mentees to communicate CIBC’s commitment to providing support during the mentoring relationship.

“I know what newcomers need is a chance to present their credentials and prove themselves on the job,” says Pradeep Mathur, former mentee, mentor and Head of Policy Support, Capital Markets Risk Management, CIBC. “I mentor now to help position an immigrant to land that opportunity. I do not have all the answers, but there are plenty of resources from The Mentoring Partnership and CIBC.”

CIBC joins the ranks of corporate partners recognized in 2010 for being leaders in mentor recruitment: TD Bank Financial Group, City of Toronto, Deloitte, KMPG and Scotiabank.