It’s been a year since I started work at the Canada Revenue Agency – Agence du revenu du Canada as a Taxpayer Services Agent. Oh yes, time flies! 😄
Being a newcomer in Canada at the time, the role was not just a job to me. It was the perfect opportunity for me to know Canada better, interact with people across the country and make sense of numerous government policies. Overall, it’s been super enlightening.
Before applying to the CRA, I had applied to a few other organizations; and during one of the early chats, the recruiter mentioned their client prefers someone with Canadian work experience.
Of course, I didn’t get the job. I moved on, disappointed but not discouraged. I had heard similar stories from other immigrants and thought it ridiculous.
There are expatriates all over the world, leading companies in countries they’d never visited. Likewise, immigrants bring a wealth of invaluable skills and experience from different backgrounds, we all know this! With basic onboarding, many would hit the ground running.
But no, many migrants are led to believe they can never get a decent job without first doing “menial” jobs. What a sad misconception! How does a job where you acquire no relevant skills qualify as “Canadian work experience” that suddenly makes you more attractive to recruiters???
I understand there are roles that require working knowledge of the local environment but the majority of jobs don’t. Let’s stop the bias. Immigrants around the world have grown to become model minorities against all odds. Please give the new ones the opportunity to grow too.
🌟 I’ll say a big kudos to the Canada Revenue Agency and other recruiters/organizations who give new immigrants a chance, or give helpful feedback when they can’t.
📍Dear new migrant, you may be underrated by many but please don’t underrate yourself. Accept constructive feedback, keep striving and never settle without trying your best. You must thrive!