Lessons from Canadian Work Life

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PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS
What I’ve Learned from Getting Fired Six Times 

In the Canadian magazine The Walrus, Cathrin Bradbury, a Toronto-based journalist, explores her various experiences in the Canadian workplace, notably the times she has been fired or let go. While she shares her own lessons and takeaways, there are a few other notable mentions regarding wellbeing and resilience in your career:

The Importance of Relationships 🤝
Bradbury highlights the value of work friendships and the unique bond they create. She describes how work friends understand parts of you that family and other friends might not, and how these relationships can be a source of support, especially when facing job challenges. For example, after being fired, she and her colleagues would rally together, showing the strength and importance of these connections.

Work is Not Who You Are 🌱
Throughout the article, Bradbury emphasizes that while work is a significant part of life, it does not define one's entire identity. After her most painful firing, she discovered that not having a title beside her name was both daunting and liberating. This realization helped her understand that her self-worth was not solely tied to her job.

The Importance of Integrity 🛡️
Integrity in the workplace is a recurring theme in Bradbury's narrative. She admires colleagues who act with decency, even in difficult situations, and strives to emulate this behavior. For instance, she recalls a publisher who quit his job rather than compromise his values, teaching her the lasting impact of integrity in professional life.

Building Resilience in Your Career 💪
Bradbury's multiple experiences of being fired underline the unpredictability of the job market and the necessity of resilience. She shares how each firing, though painful, taught her valuable lessons about perseverance and adaptation. 

The Necessity of Continuous Learning 📚
Finally, Bradbury's story illustrates the importance of continuously learning and adapting. She found herself in over her head when she took a role at the Globe and Mail, but through persistence and seeking guidance, she managed to succeed. This demonstrates that maintaining a learning mindset is crucial for long-term career success.

CAREER COACH Q & A
Navigating New Horizons with Expert Guidance from a Seasoned Career Coach

Kate from The Newcomer Collective is here to share her monthly job search tip:

Are you dreaming of working for a specific employer in Canada?

Here are 3 things you can do to increase your chances of being noticed (and eventually hired!)

1. Follow all their social media channels and regularly engage with their content.

2. Connect with a current employee on LinkedIn, specifically someone who is in the role or department that you would like to be in, and send them a custom message asking for a 15-min virtual chat about their experience and the industry.

3. Turn on job notifications so that you’re the first to know when the company posts opportunities.

WEEKLY POLL

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NEWCOMER SPOTLIGHT
This Immigrant Life with Sindhu Mahadevan 

We are thrilled to introduce Sindhu Mahadevan, a Quality Assurance professional in the medical device industry. Originally from India, Sindhu relocated to Canada from the US in October 2021. 

Sindhu is also the creator of This Immigrant Life Newsletter. Drawing on her own experiences as a newcomer, and using her writing and communication skills, she has been assisting others on their own journeys to Canada.

Listen to her full story on the My Great Canada Podcast

WELCOME ABOARD
Newcomer Friendly Job Listings

• Truck Driver, Granby, QC

• Construction Project Manager, Windsor, ON

• Information Technology (IT) Project Manager, Bedford, NS

• Gastroenterologist, Peterborough, ON

• Software Design Engineer, Oakville, ON

• Project Coordinator, Construction, Edmonton, AB

• Marketing Manager, Edmonton, AB

• Biochemist, Surrey, BC

• Systems Programmer, Okanagan Falls, BC

• Carpenter, Brampton, ON

*all job postings available at time of email publication

LEARN THE LINGO
✅ Discuss Your Career With 6 Key Words and Phrases

We’ve all learned something from the different stages in our careers. Here are a few vocabulary words and phrases you might hear or use when discussing your career trajectory. 

Upskill  📚 🎓 
Meaning: To learn new skills or improve existing ones to adapt to new job requirements.

✅ I decided to upskill in digital marketing to stay competitive in the job market.

Fast track 🚀
Meaning: A career path that promises rapid advancement or promotion.

✅ I'm on the fast track to management after completing the leadership development program.

Climb the ladder 🧗‍♂️ 
Meaning: To advance step-by-step in one's career, often towards higher positions.

✅ I started as an intern and have been climbing the ladder to senior management over the past decade.

Laid off 🚪 📉 
Meaning: To be dismissed from a job, typically due to economic reasons rather than performance.

✅ After the company downsized, I was laid off along with several others in my department."

Break into (an industry) 🔨 🚪
Meaning: To successfully enter or start working in a new industry.

✅ I've been trying to break into the tech industry by networking at industry events.

Bread and butter 🍞 💼
Meaning: A person's main source of income or primary job.

✅ Freelancing is great, but teaching remains my bread and butter.

Don’t forget to practice! How do these terms relate to your career journey? Write a few sentences to apply them to your own experiences.