Emerging into a New Career

Before coming to WorkBC, I was unemployed and actively looking for work. I arrived in Canada on January 29, 2025, as a newcomer and survivor of violence. Although I had more than 20 years of HR leadership experience from Bangladesh, starting my career again in Canada was not easy. I applied for many positions but received very few responses. I understood that I needed Canadian experience and training, a local professional network and proper guidance to present my transferable skills to Canadian employers.

I faced many challenges when trying to find work in Canada. The biggest challenges were no Canadian education or work experience, limited local professional network and employers not recognizing how my international HR leadership experience could transfer to the Canadian workforce. As a newcomer starting over professionally after a difficult transition, I needed practical support in understanding Canadian resumes, preparing for interviews, meeting employer expectations, and navigating the labour market.

As a newcomer, I was struggling to understand the Canadian job market and restarting my career has proven to be difficult. I learned that WorkBC could provide professional career guidance and support relevant training. Therefore, I approached WorkBC for help in achieving my career goals through Canadian education, improving my job-search skills and finding a clear pathway into employment services.

WorkBC Centre Newton played a very important role in helping me rebuild my career in Canada. I am especially grateful to my Case Manager. From the very beginning, they took the time to understand my background, challenges, and career goals, and helped me develop a practical career plan. They provided continuous coaching, mentoring, constructive feedback and clear guidance while always maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

My Case Manager also supported the sponsorship of my Career Development Practitioner (CDP) training at Douglas College. My Case Manager personally guided me in developing a more specific, realistic and results-focused resume. That additional guidance was much more impactful for me because it helped me clearly connect my international HR experience, CDP education and Canadian employment-services experience. I also followed My Case Manager’s guidelines when preparing my application for the Job Developer position, which played an important role in helping me secure the job.

I am also sincerely grateful to the Senior Facilitator for the impactful Essential Life Skills training and continuous career coaching for me. She helped me strengthen my professional networking, supported me in obtaining the recommendation required for my CDP training and connected me with a Job Developer at Whalley WorkBC during my interview preparation. That conversation gave me practical insight into the role and helped me attend my interview with greater clarity and confidence.

With WorkBC’s sponsorship, my Case Manager’s continuous coaching and guidance as well as Facilitator’s practical and caring support, I completed my CDP Certificate with an A+ result and secured a full-time Job Developer position. I am highly grateful to both my Case Manager and Facilitator for their trust, care, encouragement, professional support, and meaningful contributions to my career journey. I am sincerely grateful to them forever. 
Success today means rebuilding my professional identity in Canada while staying connected to my passion of supporting people. I completed my Career Development Practitioner Certificate with an A+ result, gained meaningful Canadian experience and secured a Job Developer position that connects my education with more than 20 years of HR experience.

Success also means being able to support my family, become a positive example for my children, become a role model for my society and use my own newcomer experience to understand and empower other job seekers.

For me, success is not only getting a job. It is turning my challenges into learning, rebuilding my career with dignity, and gaining an opportunity to help others achieve their employment goals.

Thank you, WorkBC, my dream Employer and my sincere Gratitude to my Case Manager and Facilitator.

My key message is that every Career Development Practitioner and employment-services professional should provide genuinely client-centred and meaningful support. Clients need to feel heard, respected, guided and encouraged, not only simply processed through a service. My Case Manager and Senior Facilitator are role models for me because they combined caring support, impactful coaching, excellent empathy and practical guidance with clear professional boundaries, honest feedback, as well as consistent follow-up.

~ Manjur