Healthy Communities • YMCA Employment Programs • YMCA Youth Programs
Thriving in Canada: How a Syrian Immigrant Found Her Perfect Job
07 May 2019 - by Sarah Cowan
When Dima arrived in Canada from Syria last year, she wasn’t sure what kind of job she wanted. She had a degree from back home, but barely any work or volunteer experience, which made her job search difficult.
“I was really torn when I came here to Canada,” says Dima. “I know that I have a whole lot of opportunities that I can go for, but I really did not know where to start.”
Following a friend’s recommendation, Dima visited the Etobicoke Albion Road YMCA Centre and joined our Skills Development for Youth (SDFY) program. SDFY is a federally-funded Skills Link program provided through the Government of Canada that runs at YMCA Employment sites in North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, Markham, Mississauga, and Pickering. This program helps youth aged 15-30 overcome employment barriers and build practical skills through training sessions; workshops; and an 8-week, full-time, paid work experience.
After completing the pre-employment skills component of the program, Dima started working with YMCA job developer Fatima Noorali.
“One of my responsibilities as a job developer is trying to assess clients’ skills and education,” Fatima explains. “[I] go through their resume and see which position they’re looking for and what experience they already have. Then [I am able] to help them find employment that would suit their goals [and experience].”
In addition to one-on-one guidance from an expert, Dima also got to take advantage of the YMCA’s long list of employer partners: organizations looking for new staff. Fatima matched Dima with the employer partners she thought would be a good fit.
While they were reviewing job descriptions together and going over the type of work each position entailed, Dima discovered IS2 Workforce Solutions, a human resources agency that seemed right up her alley.
Once Dima landed an interview, Fatima helped her prepare by going over how to answer various questions, how to dress, and other tips. Within a week, Dima was hired.
And the next week, the employer contact emailed Fatima praising Dima’s great performance. Meanwhile, Dima says she couldn’t be happier with her new job.
She’s now a staffing coordinator at the agency, and conducts interviews, assists job recruiters, and registers candidates.
“Before I came to YMCA, it’s not only that I had no clue what I wanted to do with my career,” Dima says. “I also did not have any friends and no interaction with anyone in Canada yet, so [YMCA Employment staff] were kind of my first friends here in the country.”
Fatima says she feels very proud of Dima: “The employment programs that we have at the Y really work out. With Dima especially, of course she was a motivated client, she had that in her to find something, but at the same time we were going to [help her reach] the end goal,” she explains.
Fatima says the support doesn’t end with a successful placement. Participants are always welcome to call or visit YMCA Employment centres for further assistance or mentorship, at any point during a placement or after they land a job.
Are you new to Canada like Dima and need support finding work? Book your free one-on-one consultation with a YMCA Employment Specialist at a centre near you.
“I was really torn when I came here to Canada,” says Dima. “I know that I have a whole lot of opportunities that I can go for, but I really did not know where to start.”
Following a friend’s recommendation, Dima visited the Etobicoke Albion Road YMCA Centre and joined our Skills Development for Youth (SDFY) program. SDFY is a federally-funded Skills Link program provided through the Government of Canada that runs at YMCA Employment sites in North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, Markham, Mississauga, and Pickering. This program helps youth aged 15-30 overcome employment barriers and build practical skills through training sessions; workshops; and an 8-week, full-time, paid work experience.
After completing the pre-employment skills component of the program, Dima started working with YMCA job developer Fatima Noorali.
“One of my responsibilities as a job developer is trying to assess clients’ skills and education,” Fatima explains. “[I] go through their resume and see which position they’re looking for and what experience they already have. Then [I am able] to help them find employment that would suit their goals [and experience].”
In addition to one-on-one guidance from an expert, Dima also got to take advantage of the YMCA’s long list of employer partners: organizations looking for new staff. Fatima matched Dima with the employer partners she thought would be a good fit.
While they were reviewing job descriptions together and going over the type of work each position entailed, Dima discovered IS2 Workforce Solutions, a human resources agency that seemed right up her alley.
Once Dima landed an interview, Fatima helped her prepare by going over how to answer various questions, how to dress, and other tips. Within a week, Dima was hired.
And the next week, the employer contact emailed Fatima praising Dima’s great performance. Meanwhile, Dima says she couldn’t be happier with her new job.
She’s now a staffing coordinator at the agency, and conducts interviews, assists job recruiters, and registers candidates.
“Before I came to YMCA, it’s not only that I had no clue what I wanted to do with my career,” Dima says. “I also did not have any friends and no interaction with anyone in Canada yet, so [YMCA Employment staff] were kind of my first friends here in the country.”
Fatima says she feels very proud of Dima: “The employment programs that we have at the Y really work out. With Dima especially, of course she was a motivated client, she had that in her to find something, but at the same time we were going to [help her reach] the end goal,” she explains.
Fatima says the support doesn’t end with a successful placement. Participants are always welcome to call or visit YMCA Employment centres for further assistance or mentorship, at any point during a placement or after they land a job.
Are you new to Canada like Dima and need support finding work? Book your free one-on-one consultation with a YMCA Employment Specialist at a centre near you.
