My name is Anh, and I am originally from Viet Nam. I arrived in Toronto about three years ago, I am a Newcomer in Canada.

I got my Permanent Residency (PR) in June 2019. With the PR status, I received many benefits from Government programs that are designed to support new Canadians in their settlement process. CultureLink is among the organizations that run such programs. I contacted them and signed up for many valuable events hosted by them. I would like to tell you about one of their programs, called the Interview Squad.

Interview Squad

CultureLink’s Interview Squad program is composed of many workshops, all of which focus on creating resumes, cover letters and improving interview skills in the Canadian style. During the program, there are also networking workshops where experts guide participants in preparing for the job search. One of them, for example, was on building a professional Linkedin profile.

I learned a lot from all of these workshops. But most importantly, as part of the program, I was matched with mentors to work on my resume and mock interviews. One of my mentors spent more than one month working with me on my resume. When I got job interviews, the program continued to support me with mentors to help me practice more.

Teaching is my life’s passion. All of the programs and workshops offered by CultureLink that I was able to attend helped me become confident in my decision to pursue a teaching job in Canada. And I am excited to announce that I just landed my first Canadian job: I start on November 4th at George Brown College’s Career Externship Preparation program.

I must say, as a plus, the Interview Squad program also offered knowledge on how to avoid some scam companies. Thus, my experience as a newcomer participant was most beneficial, as it provided many skills to live and work in Canada.

Thank you is not enough. I appreciate all of the things CultureLink has provided me with, including continuous support. I especially want to thank Eman and all the kind, helpful mentors.