This is a presentation I gave in Douglas College on a workshop about successful career for immigrants. Being immigrant myself I wanted to share my story and provide some added value and encouragement to newcomers.

1. Guide to a Successful Career
Industry Connection Day
Friday, July 10/2015
Rm 1814 - 700 Royal Ave. New Westminster
Douglas College New West Campus

2. #1 Bring added value to your life by presenting my story
#2 Give you few tips and trick which worked for me
#3 Provide inspiration for reaching your career goals
Goals for this presentation

3. 1. Who I am
2. How I got here
3. Quick guide to successful immigration
a. Let go of the past, you are here now
b. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities
c. Build a new career and life
4. Q&A
Agenda

4. ● Born and raised in Poland
● Came to Canada in July 2012
● Project Manager with PRINCE II certification
● Process Quality Assurance Auditor
● Master degree in Computer Science
● Toastmaster
● Currently a Senior Implementation Consultant at
HYPERWALLET
Who I am

5. ● Visiting U.S.A. in 2003 changed my life
● Saved up a lot of money
● Canada turned out to be the best choice
How I got here

6. 1. Let go of the past, you are here now
2. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities
3. Build a new career and life
Quick guide to successful immigration

7. Why it can be difficult:
Common mistakes some immigrants make:
● Stop learning English
● Isolate themselves in their own
communities
● Live the same lifestyle as they did at
home
Result:
Hugely limited options and opportunities
Let go of the past, you are here now

8. As obvious as it seems
English is the number one barrier
in getting a better job,
The Only Answer is Total Immersion!
Let go of the past, you are here now

9. Learning English - what worked for me:
● Watching only English movies (no subtitles)
● Reading only English books and websites
● Listening to only English audiobooks
● Setting the default language in all your devices to
English
● Asking native speakers to correct me all the time
● Speaking English at home
Let go of the past, you are here now

10. Immerse yourself in the community:
● Good opportunity for networking
● New connection translated to new job opportunities
Good ones I found :
Toastmasters, hobby groups like VHS, neighborhood
associations
Let go of the past, you are here now

11. 1. Let go of the past, you are here now
2. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities
3. Build a new career and life
Quick guide to successful immigration

12. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities

13. Vancouver has one of the biggest job markets in
Canada
but getting a job here is different
You have to know how to sell yourself
Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities

14. Higher paid jobs require more preparation:
● Resume is different
● Cover letter is different
● You are expected to have good online presence e.g
Linkedin, SpiceWorks, etc.
● The process is different as well
Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities

15. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities
I knew I needed help so I went to http://grfc.ca/

16. Few tips:
● Tailor your resume to the job description - not the
position/title
● Resume is reviewed by a recruiter/HR manager first
● If you don’t match on paper you will be filtered out
● Present only relevant information
● Be prepared at all times for a phone interview which is
usually the 1st step
Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities

17. Improve your communication and presentation skills -
http://www.metrospeakers.org/
Business writing and much more -
https://www.coursera.org/
Get to know people - http://www.meetup.com/
Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities

18. 1. Let go of the past, you are here now
2. Take advantage of the outstanding opportunities
3. Build a new career and life
Quick guide to successful immigration

19. Combine your new life and your new career and get what you want,
there really isn’t anything stopping you.
I have a plan for the next few years,
so should you !
Have a list of the skills you want to learn, things you want to have or do and
places you want to visit.
Build a new career and life

20. Who do you want to be in 5 years?
Ask yourself:
● What are my goals?
● What are my ambitions?
● Where do I want to live?
● How much do I want to earn?
Build a new career and life

21. The KEY to SUCCESS is to have a VISION.
Build a new career and life

22. Question and Answer
Session
Q&A

23. Thank you for your
attention
Gerard Pietrykiewicz
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/gerardpietrykiewicz