Country: Pakistan

Date Hired: September 1, 2020

Job Title: Software Engineer

Employer: Price Industries

How did the Immigrant Centre help you to find a job in Canada?
IC Manitoba helped me customize my resume according to Canadian market needs. While I was already good at technical skills IC Manitoba helped me learn soft skills which are very important to help you get absorbed in Canadian workplace culture. Staff at IC Manitoba is a blessing for new comers, they are very friendly, proactive and helpful. I asked them as many questions as I could and got very prudent answers which helped me quickly adjust myself to market needs in Canada.

What types of job search techniques did you use to find your job?
Networking was the crux of all. I tried finding and catching up with all the friends I had lost in Canada ;) I contacted all the recruiters I could. I didn't stay free during all this time, I took up a software development project and rendered them my services for free and last but not least luck also plays a very important role. If a company is in dire need of a particular resource and they think you are a perfect match for it then your job is half done, the other half is done through successful interviews and strong references.

What differences have you noticed between working in Canada and working in your home country?
Since I've been working for US market all my career back from Pakistan, I didn't notice any significant difference in work culture. I've worked with Chinese and Indians as well so if I briefly put it I don't think there is any significant difference in software industry's work culture between Canada and Asia. One thing we should always focus on is quality over quantity and do your best to keep everything transparent.

What advice would you give to immigrants and newcomers looking for work?
Network, network, network and if you can't find a paid job then go for volunteer work in your field. If you are good at something you'll automatically get noticed.