Canada InfoNet connects immigrating professionals with established Canadians in their field for mentorship support. This has provided participants (mentees) with direct and up to date industry information, while facilitating the professional development of both mentees and their mentors. Below testimonial is from Shilpi Gupta – IT Project Manager, a successful mentee who benefited from the program and wanted to share her experience in her own words:

My name is Shilpi Gupta and I landed in Canada as a Permanent Resident in 2022.

My journey to Canada has been an arduously long one. My husband and I started the process in 2019 and faced the agony of delays due to the pandemic. We got our first COPR in early 2021 but due to the travel restrictions our visas expired and we ended up waiting for new ones. During this time, we decided to better prepare for our post-landing life. We made detailed lists of everything we wanted to pack and everything we would need post-landing to settle down and start our new life. It’s during this phase that we came across Canada InfoNet.

We registered for Canada InfoNet and were assigned an Employment Specialist who in turn shared multiple trainings and resources to prepare us for getting jobs in our chosen fields. She helped us by reviewing and preparing our resumes and cover letters in Canadian format. Her valuable tips ensured that we would get our foot in the door when we were ready to start applying for jobs.

After my resume was ready, I was assigned a mentor. I can say with 100% certainty that having Rick as my mentor was the next best thing to happen after being matched with my Employment Specialist. Rick helped me review my Resume, conducted mock interviews with me, he helped me with questions about Canadian culture, weather, etc. We stayed in touch after the program ended and I would often ask his advice on things. When my then-current employer offered me a contractual position in Canada, I consulted Rick.

My advice to those applying for a job in Canada would be to research, research, and research. Even before I created my PR application, I started researching about the jobs in my field (IT Project Manager) and what all skills and certifications are required. I worked on acquiring the skills I lacked and did the certifications that would help me later. I researched prospective companies and started building my network on LinkedIn. I joined the PMI Toronto chapter to get better acquainted with leaders and fellow PMs in my industry.

Had it not been for my Employment Specialist’s advice  and Rick’s constant motivation and guidance, I would not have been able to secure a job before landing.

One day, I hope I can give back to the community by being a mentor too, until then, I thank Canada InfoNet and my mentor for all their hard work and support in my journey and wish success to all the newcomers.