Employment

I have been living in Canada with my family for one year. I am veterinarian and my specialization is nutrition for dogs and cats. I have two degrees, one in economics and the other is a veterinarian specialist. Almost 15 years ago I became a specialist in the Ukrainian pet market. I worked for big international companies Mars, Nestle, and Bayer. I was very creative in developing programs that helped with the understanding of cats’ and dogs’ needs.

When I came to Canada, I felt frustrated and alone. It was hard to understand that I should start from zero. I was faced with the fact that my experience and knowledge were not relevant and that I had no work experience in Canada. That was what caused my long job search, which I wanted to talk about in detail. Before I came to Canada, I thought that with my great resume I could find a good job very quickly. But when I moved, I recognised that everything was difficult and my resume was not the best, also I had no Canadian experience. The first thing I did was ask for help in writing a resume from such associations for newcomers as: YMCA, Working NB, Saint John New Comers centre. The Ukrainian community helped me to find some courses for job search and helped with my resume.

After taking these courses it was looking much clearer. I understood my basic skills and what kind of job I was looking for. I also understood that Canada has other rules for a resume then Ukraine. In Ukraine, a resume must contain information about age and marital status, as well as a photo of the applicant. Furthermore, in the resume, Ukrainians indicate places of work with a detailed description of their responsibilities.

After my resume was done, I started registering for online platforms and sending my resume to the email addresses of companies where I would like to work.

I concluded for myself that a resume is not particularly important. The most important thing is the cover letter and the subsequent interview.

I was invited for interviews at different companies and places. The main reason I was not hired was because I had no Canadian experience. Or because the work schedule didn't work for me.

After four months of continuously searching for a suitable position and more than 15 interviews, I was mentally very depressed. They told me that I had excellent experience, that my level of English was suitable, but they refused to hire me without explaining the reason for the refusal. It was a difficult period for me.

I decided not to give up and find a job no matter what. One day I just took my resume and went uptown to deliver it to all the stores. I was lucky and Lawton’s hired me for part time work. Even though it is not in my field, I was happy to find a job.

I plan to further search for work in my specialty. The main thing is that I need to pass an English exam and confirm my level. I believe in myself and I will succeed. In order to find a job in Canada, confidence and skills are important. Believe in yourself and you will be able to find a decent job.