A man explained how he lost confidence in Canada after he stayed for months searching for a job to no avail.
Hear his own side of the story.
WHEN THE DREAM OF GOING TO CANADA BEGAN
My Canadian Dream began in 1993. I was living in Nigeria, where I was born, and had to sit an exam. My brother's friend drove me there. A few months later, I asked after him and was told he moved to Canada.
It was the first time I heard about someone relocating to a new country. I dreamed of doing the same.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS.
I studied biochemistry at university and completed a postgraduate program in computer science. I worked in IT for around 12 years in Nigeria, where I gained experience in computer engineering, billing administration, and team management.
My desire to relocate heavily influenced my life. When I courted my wife, I told her about my dream because I didn't want it to be a problem for her. I started getting myself ready to move by gaining IT certifications through a Canadian society.
In 2012, I moved to Canada with my wife and two children after successfully applying for permanent residency in the country.
But it ended up taking me around nine months to find a professional job. I struggled to get my foot in the door and provide for my family's basic needs. I feel I was overlooked because I didn't have Canadian work experience.
I applied for professional jobs in Canada but didn't hear back
We arrived in Canada in 2012 and stayed with my sister, who had moved there ahead of me, for two months before we got an apartment.
My wife worked in a bank in Nigeria, but when we moved she decided to pursue her hobby of making clothes, so she went back to school to go into fashion design. Meanwhile, I started job-hunting.
I applied for professional jobs, such as analyst and project manager positions, but it mostly was crickets. I wasn't hearing anything back.
Peers who were also immigrants asked to look at my rsum. I'd put Nigeria all over the place, someone suggested I remove it. When I did, I started getting follow-up calls.
I felt I wasn't getting opportunities because of my lack of Canadian work experience. Recruiters didn't say it directly — it was subtle. In phone conversations, recruiters would ask where my experience was based. I'd explain it wasn't in Canada, and the conversation would continue, but they'd never get back to me.
It became glaring that companies weren't hiring me because I lacked local experience, but I'd never get it if they didn't hire me. It's a chicken-and-egg situation.
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