On Friday, 02 October 2020, we hosted Eno Eka, award winning entrepreneur, business analyst extraordinaire and founder of Eny Consulting Inc. The interview focused on her experience building her career, her brand and her business. The conversation was very insightful. Eno shared her 7 Steps To Career Progression And Success As An Immigrant In Canada. I will be using this article to share them.
Step 1 – Have A Positive Mindset
The easiest way to send out a strong positive perspective is to carry yourself with confidence and self-belief. Your ability to remind yourself of all the great things that you have done to get to this point is a key success factor. Choose your thoughts. Remind yourself of the work that you have put in.
Also, remind yourself of the fact that the work will pay off. It will bring you a handsome return. Place a premium on the yourself in your mind. Not in an arrogant or haughty manner but with confidence and charisma. Therefore, choose to see yourself as more. It is the foundation to becoming more.
Step 2 – Value Your Experience
You didn’t get here by mistake. Your experiences, good and bad, have brought you to this point. So, identify the value in your experience. Begin to highlight the positive components that are relevant to your career goals. In addition, build a mental bridge between your current experience and your aspirations.
Also, seek opportunities to pivot using your established experience and achievements from your career as this is to your expectation of yourself. For example, you can seek an accounting opportunity in a technology company because you are looking to pivot into the technology space. Ensure your resume and LinkedIn profile are clear on your key positive experience. This will draw the attention of recruiters and potential employers to pay attention to you.
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Step 3 – Seek Knowledge And Leverage Your Experience
Education, Certifications, Books, Webinars, Events… your have loads under your belt. You can leverage your past experience when you have easily recognizable credentials in the relevant field. An accountant seeking to get into the profession in Canada should look to recertify. A project manager from the UK, with the PRINCE 2 certification, can consider the PMP certification issued by Project Management Institute. This will help to validate his experience for the North American market.
However, there are times when the only requirement necessary is to connect the dots between the old certification and the new career space. You can do this with appropriate description in the resume and professional profile. This easy cosmetic fix could be the difference between a long job search and a short one.
Step 4 – Hone Your Skills
Education and experience will get you a place, skills will keep you there. Ability to communicate, empathize, share information, make connections are key. Problem solving is a key career and life skill that will set you apart in your endeavors. A choice to develop and hone your social and technical skills will always pay off., both in the long term and immediately. So, give attention to developing the skillset required for the positions that you are looking to get into. Identify any gaps that may exist and actively seek opportunity to develop. Also, you can demonstrate or hone these skills through volunteering. This will make a difference when you get on the job.
Step 5 – Place Value On Your Certifications
Professional qualifications are a big deal for immigrants. They give credibility to your education and experience in your new location. The right combination of certifications can get you noticed or land you an interview. SO, an investment in relevant certifications prior to or upon landing is a valid contribution to your career. it should not be taken lightly or seen as option. The CPA (Accountants), PMP (project management professionals), CBAP (Business Analysts), CPHR (HR Professionals) P. Eng. (Engineers) are all relevant designations in which immigrants should invest time and finances to shine the light on their foreign experience.
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Step 6 – Engage A Coach and Mentor
Identify people who have walked the path you are on and who are currently you want to be will help. Reach out to them through your professional association. Also, you can join an immigrant organization. These forums afford you the opportunity to meet people who can share insights and experiences that will help you in deciding the way to go to reach your goal.
Aside these forums, you can also choose to reach out to them on LinkedIn. You can start by asking for a virtual coffee. Don’t ask for a job. Rather, ask for their story and let them talk about themselves. People don’t mind telling you what they did to succeed if you ask honestly. Some of these people can become long term career support or lifelong friends. If they don’t, at least, you would get the information you need to get your career going once again. In addition, you may choose the option of a paid coach to walk you through the job search process. Either way, it is an investment in yourself which will pay off in the long term. Remember, the best athletes always have coaches.
Step 7 – Value Continuous improvement
This single point is the most important one. It is the ability to rinse, repeat, learn, unlearn and relearn. With each victory comes clarity for new goals and your capacity to revisit your dreams become paramount to seeing yourself succeed. Having little success is great. Nothing beats continuous success. The only way to keep succeeding is to stay informed and aware. Learn, improve, grow and share with people who give you the permission to share your knowledge and experience with them. This revalidates your knowledge to you and to the people around you.
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