Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In summary:

• As an immigrant or refugee, you may not realize the supports your employer offers to help you succeed, feel included and increase your sense of belonging. Be sure to inquire about these opportunities.
• From professional development to strengthening your professional network, talk to your manager about tools available to you in your organization.
• Ongoing discussions with your manager will help establishing mutually agreed expectations and enable them to better support you on your career journey.

As an immigrant or refugee to Canada, getting your career off to a strong start can be the key to a successful future in your new country.

While your skills, experience and knowledge are important factors in determining your professional success in Canada, support from your employer can be critical to helping you in your career development and, ultimately, in achieving career success. When an organization supports their employees, outcomes for workers can range from income growth to stronger feelings of belonging and inclusion. As well, when an employee feels supported in their career advancement, they tend to be more satisfied, contribute more productively and stay with organizations for longer.

To understand how employees who are immigrants and refugees or their organizations, can strengthen the support(s) they receive in their workplaces, Windmill connected with Rachel Crowe, Senior Project Manager at TRIEC (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council). TRIEC is an organization that works with employment and community partners to match approximately 2,000 newcomer mentees annually with experienced professional mentors from across the Greater Toronto Area. Crowe manages TRIEC’s Career Advancement for Immigrant Professionals program and offers some advice on ways to increase the support your employer offers you.

TRIEC's Rachel Crowe shares keys to helping immigrants
and refugees unlock employer supports on the path to career success.

Windmill Microlending’s virtual Career Planning and Success Centre can offer you career development, financial planning, mentorship and networking tips and advice, as well as free downloadable resources, to support your professional journey in Canada. Click here to visit the Centre today.

Key #1: Ask your manager about their expectations

Asking your manager questions is a common part of Canadian workplace culture, so if you’re not clear on what they’re expecting from you, be sure to ask. Even if you think you understand each other, it’s worth asking your manager to give you some examples of the work they want completed and how they want it done. These conversations can offer extra details that you might not get otherwise and help ensure there are no surprises for either of you because you have established a shared understanding.

Key #2: Request an “Onboarding Buddy”

Many organizations provide an “Onboarding Buddy” for new hires. This is someone who can help you understand workplace norms and expectations. They are also a colleague to go to with questions. However, this doesn’t have to be a formal arrangement. If this isn’t normally done at your organization, you could simply ask your manager: “Who is the best person for me to go to if I have any questions about how things are done, where to find certain documents, etc.? And, could you introduce me to them?” When approaching that person, you could start by referencing your conversation with your manager. This might mean saying something like: “I understand from (name of manager), you’re really knowledgeable about (the team, project, etc.). Could you please tell me more about this?”

Key #3: Seek support in strengthening your connections in the organization

In Canada, building professional relationships within an organization is critical to better understanding the organization as well as connecting to future professional opportunities. Make sure to prioritize time to connect with others in your workplace or inquire with your manager or human resources team about opportunities to build your network. This could happen through informal coffee chats or more formalized opportunities like joining an Employee Resource Group (ERG) or a committee within your organization.

Key #4: Ask about professional development opportunities

The topic of professional growth and long-term career goals is an important and on-going conversation to have with your manager. Newcomer employees may not come from a workplace culture where inquiring about career advancement or professional development opportunities is the norm. However, in the Canadian workplace, this is totally acceptable. Talk with your manager, human resources team or other colleagues about the internal supports available to help you grow in your career and deliver better results for the organization. Continuous improvement will make you more valuable to your organization and help you achieve your career goals. Be sure to find out what opportunities exist in your organization to help you be your best.

Starting a job and building a career path in a new country can be challenging, but support from your employer could be an important part of your journey on the path to career success. If you're currently looking for employment in your field or some guidance about achieving career success, consider learning more about TRIEC's free Mentoring Partnership program.

If you are a Windmill Microlending client, you can learn more about our Mentoring Program for skilled immigrants and refugees, simply click here.