Recognizing the value of foreign talent

Both employers and newcomers have a role to play in improving credential recognition in Atlantic Canada

By Ken Partridge

You’ve sent out hundreds of resumes. Most of the jobs you apply for never call you back. The few that invite you to come in for an interview almost always chose one of the other candidates, even though you know you have better credentials and more experience.

Sound familiar?

It should. It’s a scenario that plays out everyday for newcomers looking to secure work in their field. Even though you went to university or college and have a degree proving your knowledge in your chosen field, or underwent industry-specific training and have certification, or have decades of career experience, you still get passed over because you lack Canadian experience or because employers feel more comfortable going with local credentials they recognize.

So, do your credentials and experience mean anything when employers’ attitudes lead to them not recognizing your worth?

Thankfully the answer is yes, they do mean something. Bassma Bseso, an employment specialist with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), says she is seeing this situation change among the many clients she serves.

“I don’t have any statistics,” Bseso says, “but from my daily observations in the community, I think employers are starting to understand that professionals who come from outside have the knowledge and what they need is a bit of training on that specific job, like any other person who has Canadian work experience.”

The change has started, as Bseso indicates, but there are still improvements employers need to make to their traditional hiring processes in improve the chances for newcomers landing that important Canadian job. For example, instead of looking at foreign credentials as a drawback, they need to be viewed as an opportunity to bring new perspectives and innovation into the business. Given Canada’s stagnating productive rates, innovation is sorely needed.

Another easy change is providing feedback to job candidates regardless of their success in landing the job.

“Usually, they don’t get direct feedback. They’re just told they’re hired or there was a more successful candidate,” Bseso says. “Rarely do they get feedback; one I remember was told they didn’t get the job because they didn’t have a vehicle, so it wasn’t due to lack of professional training.”

 Providing a critique of their interview would assist any candidate, but especially newcomers, in preparing for their next opportunity. This kind of insight is invaluable to those unfamiliar with Canadian hiring practices.

However, not all the responsibility lies with employers. There are many steps newcomer candidates can take to improve their chances of landing an interview and that first job.

Bseso says finding an employment specialist like herself that you trust is crucial to starting your job search. “As employment specialists, we ask some questions to know what transferable skills they have, and we create a resume suitable to finding job.

“I always say to clients, it’s a full-time job to find a job. Don’t give up. It might take a good number of times to apply. However, I provide them with tools that make job hunting easier and getting a job more successful. For example, I teach clients how to build a resume via an AI friendly tool, Skills First. Also, at ISANS we have an option for practice interviews before the real interviews. We also have some workshops, such as Job Search Strategies Workshop, that provide clients with solid skills for finding a job.”

Bseso recommends volunteering as the way to get the coveted Canadian experience employers are looking for on their resumes. “Volunteering is the answer,” she says, “and we also have programs that help connect the client with employers, such as the Skilled Newcomer Training Incentive Bond, a wage subsidy program, our On-Site and Online Recruitment and Information Sessions, job fairs, etc. In addition, I sometimes reach out to employers and try to connect my client directly with them, this helps too.”

It’s also important to realize that getting a job is not the end of the journey. It might be only the beginning, Bseso says.

“Some clients land a job related to their profession within a month as they have great experience in their homeland, and they take all the advice and workshops we offer at ISANS. But some of them decline many job offers because they’re aiming for a particular job. My advice is, get a job even if it isn’t what you really want as this will give you settlement and you can continue applying for other jobs.”

Another approach is to upgrade your credentials and make yourself more attractive to potential employers. The Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund helps internationally trained immigrants get their credentials recognized in a Canadian context by providing microloans to cover training-related expenses. Candidates that qualify for the AICLF emerge with enhanced skills and knowledge that make them much more attractive to employers. This leads to greater job satisfaction and better retention.

“Most of my clients are professionals with either a university degree or higher,” Bseso says. “They have all sorts of credentials, such as physicians with different specialities, nurses, accountants, physiotherapists, sonographers, etc. It’s well known that these clients are well educated and will work anything until they get their credentials recognized here in Canada, and this is admirable.”

Are you looking to advance your career? Would you like to get your credentials recognized in a Canadian context? The Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund (AICLF) has helped hundreds of newcomers to Atlantic Canada overcome the financial hurdles blocking them from their dream job. Visit www.aiclf.ca to see how the program can help you. Ken Partridge is the marketing and outreach coordinator for the AICLF. He can be reached at kpartridge@isans.ca.