April 18, 2019
Moving to a whole new country, a whole new continent may seem like the scariest choice you could ever make. Will you like your job, will the move be worth it, or what if you never manage to settle in?
These are just a few questions you may ask yourself. On the upside, what if it becomes the best decision you will ever make, what if you find a great group of friends and your job is the best career choice you could have made?
Chiedza has previously detailed her experience on immigrating to Canada to be a lawyer. Starting as a Masters student, she got an internship at one of the biggest law firms in the country and currently is completing her articles at McMillan LLP. She details below her experiences moving countries to kickstart her career
There are various ways you could immigrate to a new country – as a student or as a professional. The choice may lie with your experience and qualifications.
Professionals who qualify have the option of applying for an Express Entry Visa into Canada whilst students have the opportunity to qualify for a post-graduate work permit. Consider what your best option could be.
Making the Move
Going in blind when making such a seismic change to your life requires preparation. Moving to a new country takes a lot of research, time and money.
Plan what you need to do to, how you’ll do it, then take the huge leap and DO IT! Sometimes it means finding new ways to create opportunities for yourself and opening doors through your own initiative.
Chiedza describes the experience of moving to another country as challenging. In particular, moving to a country where she did not know anyone. It felt like starting all over again.
“To prepare for my move I connected with people on LinkedIn who had made the same move as I wanted to make. They, in turn, connected me to other people. I was very lucky to connect with helpful people.”
The Power of Networking
Qualification and experience from back home may not always be recognized by potential employers. Some may prefer someone with Canadian experience and those with prestigious work experience or attended Ivy League or Oxbridge universities may fare better on the job market but not everyone has this experience.
Networking has a major impact on the impression you could make to your future employer. Before approaching someone to discuss opportunities it is definitely worth it to research the company and anything else you can find out about the person off LinkedIn (i.e. Google them).
This helps you determine how to approach them- what do you have in common and more importantly what do you specifically need help with.
“I found the best way was to network with someone in the company/firm/organization and they would recommend me.
Most companies trust recommendations from their employees. I have noticed that broadly worded networking emails are not very helpful.
Being specific with emails always shows that you know what you want So in essence what makes one the best candidate as a foreigner is effective networking that will result in getting recommended for the job you want.”
Be Mentally Prepared
The job hunt is one of the hardest processes you could go through, but remember, perseverance is key.
“You have to have a thick skin and be resilient. You will be told “no” more than “yes”. Don’t take it personally – just keep going until you achieve your goal.”
Nobody deals with rejection well, but one small setback does not necessarily mean you should give up.
“I believe that what is meant for me will be for me and that rejection is not a denial of my dreams. So, I keep it moving. In terms of managing my expectations, I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.”
Managing the corporate world has been extremely busy. “I struggled with impostor syndrome the first days. I had to remind myself that I worked very hard to get where I am so I deserved to be at the firm just like everyone else.”
Chiedza shares the key lessons she has learned from her immigration to Canada:
- Failure is the best form of feedback because it forces you to change and grow – so failure works for you and not against you;
- Don’t let your achievements set you back. It is very easy to relax after getting successful at something; and
- Be grateful. Each time you want to complain (even when the complaint is valid) – just think of what you’re thankful for. This is one of the best ways to deal with stress.
Editor’s Note: This article by Ruva Samkange, titled “Chiedza Museredza: Making the move from Zimbabwe to Canada” was originally published April 3, 2019 on the She Leads Africa website. It can be found here.