Home » 12 Days of Success (2018) » Dinkar Farwaha

JULY

Career Edge Internship: Research Analyst, Russell Reynolds Associates
Now: Research Associate, Russell Reynolds Associates

“I moved permanently to Canada in 2017 after having worked approximately 10 years in market research and strategy consulting roles in India. Finding a job in my field (without having Canadian experience) was a herculean task. I applied for hundreds of jobs, had several dozen informational interviews, networked at various events and attended numerous career fairs in my endeavor to fetch the ideal job for myself. While this resulted in approximately 15 to 20 job interviews over a period of four to six months, I consistently struggled to clear the final round of interviews. When I asked for feedback from my interviewer(s), the usual response was, “We really liked you and we feel that you could be a strong asset to our team. However, we have opted for somebody who has the local experience.”

After several months of disappointment of not being able to land a promising opportunity for myself, I was lucky to be introduced to Career Edge. A former neighbor of mine from India, who is currently a senior director at a prominent government institution in British Columbia, suggested to me Career Edge.

He had started his professional journey in Canada through an internship that he fetched through Career Edge and went on to build a successful career for himself. He advised me to apply for internship opportunities on Career Edge. He felt that an internship could possibly open the door for me to showcase my knowledge, work ethic and experience to the employers.

I immediately created an account on Career Edge and gave my video interview. I kept an eye on the internship opportunities catering to my profile and periodically applied for the right opportunities. Within a couple of weeks, I got a call from Career Edge regarding an interview with executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. I cleared the interview(s) and since the internship matched my profile, I agreed to join it. The six-month internship was well-structured and gave me adequate time to contribute and showcase the skills that I possess. I was offered a full-time role in the organization upon the completion of the internship and I joined full-time as a Research Associate.

Career Edge has played an instrumental role in helping me kick-start my career in Canada. It opens doors for not only fresh graduates but also for professionals who have non-Canadian experience in building a strong foundation for themselves in Canada.”