Vikram Ahluwalia - India

My journey begins: I had worked my way up to middle management in a multinational packaged consumer goods company. I knew if I wanted to grow I needed to switch fields or leave India. I had already traveled to 35 countries in Europe, Asia and Australia. Canada was something new.

My first crossroads: People advised me to go back to school to get Canadian experience. But why should I spend $50,000 to go to school when I already have an MBA? The way to get Canadian work experience is to work.

My second crossroads: Interviewers were always asking me about my religion. I now know such questions are illegal, but I didn’t know then. After much consideration, I decided to shave off my beard and remove my turban. I got two job offers in two weeks.

Current position: Marketing Consultant for global Consumer Goods Companies.

Najia Alavi - Pakistan

Current position: Marketing Manager, Career Edge.

The Assumption: With an MBA from the United States and work experience in New York, I thought I would land a job in Canada immediately.

The Challenge: Opportunities have always come to me as an extension of things I felt passionate about. One of my biggest challenges was to focus and market myself to a particular sector. In Canada that is very important. In an interview, you cannot talk about your breadth of experience if it is not related to the job at hand. I had many informational interviews mostly in the nonprofit sector to find an issue and organization that excited me.

Full Circle: Going through the job search process over six months, I realized that the underemployment of immigrants was an issue that could benefit from my advocacy and communications skills. ACCES, one of the most innovative organizations helping immigrants find work in their fields at the level appropriate to their skills and experience, took a chance on me and hired me.

The Future: One of the best things about Toronto is its learning opportunities. This year, I began a certificate course in media production and writing at Ryerson. I want to continue building my communications skills and use media to highlight social injustices and encourage people to challenge themselves and the norms.

Message to Immigrants: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him… The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself… hence, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” - George Bernard Shaw

Alex Bazhanov – Ukraine

My Beginning: Keeping pace with change has been an integral part of my professional life from the very beginning. After graduating with a BA degree in “Management Information Systems”, I joined one of the most dynamic Ukrainian industries: Internet and telecommunications.

My Path: My abilities to advance were clearly impeded by a lack of formal business training, which would address my professional needs and build on my work experience. I earned a scholarship to study MBA in the US at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Furthermore, studied international business and marketing at Norwegian School of Economics and Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. Through my studies I developed a thorough foundation in many business disciplines, specialized in financial management.

My Goal: I have always admired managers capable of working in international environments and promoting exchange of best business practices. My ultimate goal is to be in a position similar to that of these managers. In Canada, I have plenty of opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills. The consumer goods industry has tremendous potential and I am eager to foster my career in this realm.

Current Position: Assistant Brand Manager, P&G

My Contribution: Overall, my work experience has taught me to persevere in the face of difficulties and take initiative in making decisions that help your employer and yourself. I shall strive to instill these same values in the new immigrants who come to this great country in search of a better future.

Puneet Luthra - India

My starting point: Teaching and sales in India, then Sharjah.

Landing: June 2005 in Toronto, along with my wife and two daughters

My path: Started talking to college deans and responding to job postings the day after I arrived. Had the “apply, apply, no reply” experience well known to immigrants

The turning point: Neil Kelly of Ryerson forwarded me to COSTI’s Centre for Foreign-trained Professionals. Under their guidance I called and met Susan Zimmerman at Seneca College, who forwarded my resume to Jennifer Singh. They were willing to help a trained immigrant and gave me this chance. Thanks to these people for giving me support and encouragement.

The result: I’m now a part-time Professor teaching business administration at Seneca.

My advice to employers: Canadians need an international perspective. Hiring immigrants is one way to learn about foreign markets. Without that knowledge, it will be hard to be more than a regional player.

Silvana Menem - Argentina

My Goal: To be a top-notch Human Resources (HR) professional in Canada working for a major corporation or reputed HR consulting firm.

My Path: I arrived in Canada in April 2004 from Buenos Aires, Argentina with six years of HR experience. After an initial stint in Montreal for nine months, improving my French and working in retail, I moved to Toronto in January 2005. At about that time, I began to work part-time at Procter & Gamble Consumer Relations. There, I met Alan Rego who invited me to CAMP meetings and introduced me to this wonderful networking organization.

My Inspiration: Having faith in God and the support of my family and friends helped me stay focused, optimistic, and confident. I learned how to better communicate, how to relax during stressful times, and how to generate positive energy around me. Also, I did not give up.

My International Advantage: My international HR experience and my language skills were critical. I was competing with recent graduates for entry level jobs. I had to overcome the “no Canadian experience” barrier that every recruiter mentioned to me in interviews.

My Innovation: Helped friends and others, providing advice on how to succeed in behavioral interviews, job searching and resume writing.

Current Position: Recruiter at Toyota.

My Contribution: In the near future my goal is to help immigrants in their job search, with advice and orientation. Having overcome the barriers myself, I feel that my experience can be useful to others.

Alan Rego - India

My goal: To become one of North America’s top communications professionals.

My path: A native of India, I arrived in Canada April 2002 from Singapore, my last location. Then spent two years in positions unrelated to my prior occupation.

The turning point: An internship with Procter and Gamble via Career Bridge.

Current position: External Relations Manager, P&G

My inspiration: My teenaged daughter gave me a poster that says “What your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” I read it every day.

My international advantage: I’m used to contributing in a low-cost environment. I uncovered an underused brand promotion strategy that got results that exceeded expectations. Now that strategy has become a standard tool.

My innovation: Launched CAMP - Communications, Advertising and Marketing Professionals - with 12 people last May. Today this self-help network of immigrant professionals is helping over 150 members succeed.

My contribution: Served on the P&G campaign leadership team that raised over $1 million for the United Way in 2005 - a record for a consumer packaged goods company in the GTA.