Written by: Anjali Rego, Communications Consultant, Milestones Public Relations and Contributing Writer, CPRS Toronto
I landed in Canada as a permanent resident in April 2018, but I moved here a year later in April 2019 with my 16-month-old daughter during my fifth month of pregnancy with the next baby. Settling my daughter in and preparing her for the arrival of a sibling was my priority. However, I was worried about taking a break from my career and having a gap in my resume, which employers often frown upon.
Therefore, I enrolled in a bridging program for internationally trained media professionals. Before remote learning became popular, the administrators allowed me to take the program online since I was caring for an infant and a toddler. I started the program in September 2019, six weeks after having a baby. As technology allowed me to attend classes online, my daughters and I were virtually present in class.
The job market for media and communications professionals is almost inaccessible to new Canadians. Most employers do not value international work experience and insist on hiring candidates with Canadian work experience. The best way to gain Canadian work experience is through volunteering. However, with a single income that paid the rent and bills, there was no way I could afford to send my daughters to daycare while I volunteered to gain Canadian experience.
While I was applying for jobs online, I also knew the importance of networking and having coffee chats. To attend networking events and have coffee chats, I would have to wait until my husband got home from work, and only then could I travel from Mississauga to Toronto. When I had a job interview, my husband would take a day off work to stay home with our daughters.
When my younger daughter was six months, I started job hunting in full swing, but we went into lockdown. Many people were laid off, and with more people in the job market, a person like me with no Canadian work experience would get to the bottom of the pile.
With everything now being virtual, I reached out to professionals on LinkedIn whose careers inspired me. I requested informational interviews. Many professionals I approached agreed to speak with me over the phone and on video. They introduced me to others in their network. I could have virtual coffee chats and connect with professionals in the industry without leaving my house. I could even attend job interviews virtually.
I joined professional associations like the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). The fee to join professional associations can be prohibitive for new Canadians as there are no membership subsidies for this category. Nonetheless, I was in the middle of a bridging program and was eligible to join as a student member, making it affordable. I attended professional development workshops and networking events without leaving my house. I started volunteering with both organizations remotely.
What was earlier inaccessible and unaffordable to me now became accessible and possible because of COVID-19. Though I am still finding my feet professionally, since the lockdown, I have found an opportunity in public relations, had over 100 virtual coffee chats, built relationships with the professional community, volunteered, and attended professional development events. I managed to do this while caring for an infant and a toddler only because virtual is the new normal.
While COVID-19 was challenging for many, I took advantage of the new normal. Instead of being a victim of exclusion and limited opportunities as a newcomer and a new mother, I owned the situation and found ways to develop professionally and connect with the professional community.