We value our partnerships with service delivery partners (SDPs) and stakeholders with whom we work together. IEC-BC interviewed one of our SDPs, Sogol Jamali, Career Specialist for Back in Motion’s Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants. Sogol possesses a deep understanding of the obstacles her clients are facing because, throughout her career, she has pivoted many times. A psychology graduate from Iran, when she immigrated to Canada, she not only starts a life in a new country but a new career as well. After thirteen years with the same Canadian employer in Sales Management and Human Resources, she reflected on her values and goals and went back to school. She earned her Career Development Practitioner certificate which has led to her current role.
Services and programs from both IEC-BC and Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants help newcomers integrate as quickly as possible into the local labour market at a level that is commensurable to their skills, training, and education. To support her clients, Sogol tries to expose them to all the relevant resources and tools that could help them achieve their career goals, including the programs offered by IEC-BC. Sogol shares with us, it doesn’t matter how similar to Canada the country you’re coming from is, there will always be differences and nuances that can be understood better, especially in the workplace. Sogol appreciates how IEC-BC’s programs focus more on the soft skills needed to succeed in Canada. She experiences firsthand how newcomers improve their communication skills and learn more about Canadian workplace culture as they progress through IEC-BC programs such as MentorConnect, BC JobConnect, FAST and ASCEND.
Sogol knows that IEC-BC’s programs are beneficial not just for immigrants but employers as well. IEC-BC’s programs allow immigrants to acquire new skills that complement their existing knowledge, experience, and education and set them up for success in the Canadian labour market. Sogol believes it only makes sense for a multicultural country like Canada to be more inclusive to benefit from all the talented immigrants who have chosen to call the country home.