What I learned from observing successful immigrants
Credit to Author: Ramya Ramanathan| Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2019 00:32:46 +0000
Five Secrets to Immigrant Success in Canada
I have met hundreds of successful immigrants who were able to establish themselves very successfully in Canada, live their dreams and make a positive impact on the community around them.I couldn’t help but notice five consistent themes that stood out from observing those successful immigrants. These are what I believe the secrets to immigrant success in Canada and here I share them with you:
- Embrace diversity. Many immigrants I meet don’t embrace diversity openly enough. They stay within their own cultural and ethnic groups. They hang out with people that they’re comfortable with. They prefer to live in neighborhoods where everybody comes from a similar background. All this limits their full understanding of the Canadian culture and the Canadian system and as a result, can restrict their growth in their careers and their lives. Therefore, the first aspect is to embrace diversity – be open to understanding and connecting with other cultures, and make new and different friends.
- Develop Professionally. Success is about consistently growing as a professional. When you come to Canada, your education from your home country might not be considered as valid, as it’s not considered at par with the Canadian education system. So you might need to upgrade yourself. Join certification programs, and attend seminars and training sessions. These will make you skilled as a professional in your field and also position you as somebody who is serious and qualified for the job in the mind of the hiring manager.
- Network. This means meeting people and positioning yourself in their minds in a way that they want to help you. This includes attending events, connecting with people and getting to know them. Not only does this help you build a network, but it also allows you to understand the ins and outs of different industries and how different companies operate. Check out one of our previous blogs specifically focused on networking success here.
- Seek a mentor. This is a hack for succeeding in Canada. I have not seen anybody who has a mentor, and is unable to succeed at an exponentially faster pace than others. Find a mentor who has ‘been there, done that’ and is in a field somewhat similar to where you want to be, and ask for help. Be willing to open yourself up to learning and the results will be amazing.
- Think big. You have landed in a place where the sky is the limit. People have been in the same shoes and have created careers and businesses that have not only made a positive difference in their life and the lives of their families but have also positively impacted Canada and the rest of the world. The only thing that limits you is your own thinking. Challenge yourself to think big, believe it’s possible and be willing to put in the work.
Use these five success secrets consistently and you will be the next immigrant success story in no time!