Deepika Prakash
When Kunle Ogundijo immigrated to Canada in 2019, he struggled with what many newcomers struggle with — finding meaningful employment.
Three months after arriving in Canada, Ogundijo was still unable to find a job, despite receiving a lot of interest from recruiters, headhunters and employers.
“The early positive feelings soon gave way to some level of disappointment and self-doubt,” he says.
Despite these setbacks, Ogundijo remained positive and worked hard to improve his resume and interview and networking skills. However, even after six months of job hunting, “the ultimate objective still remained elusive.”
Knowing that he needed to have some work experience in Canada, he accepted a short-term unpaid internship placement at a mid-sized company. While it did provide him with much-needed work experience, it didn’t result in a permanent placement.
Feeling overwhelmed and somewhat defeated due to the lack of desired results, Ogundijo decided to seek further professional guidance at Achēv’s Brampton South location. He was assigned a seasoned Career Specialist and Job Developer.
“They provided the needed impetus, encouraging me to keep focused and never give up,” Ogundijo says. “They connected me with some mentors, as well as some employers through referrals. I had a number of career development sessions with them, including mock interviews where areas of improvement were highlighted, further deepening my confidence and belief that success was near.”
When the next job interview opportunity arose, Ogundijo was prepared. He gave a confident interview and, 11 months after arriving in Canada, was offered a job as a Financial Analyst at GE.
“I felt elated and the effort put into the process was worthwhile,” Ogundijo explains. “Although I faced a lot of rejections, had disappointments, battled self-doubt, the objective was achieved. The staff at Achēv encouraged me to keep focused and never give up. Together, we outlined objectives and set out action plans to achieve success.”
At Achēv, our Newcomer Services offer a wide range of services to help newcomers settle smoothly in Canada. Our Newcomer Information Centres are located across the Greater Toronto Area, including Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville. Contact us today to register for our free newcomer services.
