For Bangladeshi-born Farhana Naznin, it was a bit of a shock to be asked if she had Canadian experience, especially since she had worked in Australia as a software developer. “Everywhere I applied, I was asked for Canadian experience. Just about when it was getting to the point that it was getting frustrated, I heard of the internship program at Career Edge Organization,” says Naznin, who, along with her husband, had studied in Japan and worked in Australia for three years before immigrating to Canada.
Having heard of numerous successful placements through Career Edge’s program, which places immigrant job seekers into paid internships, Naznin applied for a six-month long internship program sponsored by RBC.
The RBC Career Bridge Associate Host Program gives Canadian employers the opportunity to host high potential, internationally qualified interns to meet their employment needs. The internships are partly subsidized by RBC, which recognizes that internationally trained professionals bring new perspectives to the workplace.
Within three months of completing her internship, Farhana Naznin was offered a full-time position as a software developer with Toronto-based wireless network development company, FONTUR International Inc.
“I gained a tremendous amount of self-confidence, thanks to the program. When you come to a new country and a new culture, everything seems like a challenge and it can get overwhelming at times. But, by the end of the program, I felt like I was well equipped to be part of the Canadian workforce,” says Naznin.
Encouraged by her peers and mentors in the program, Naznin learned the all-important skills of presentation, which helped convince her interviewers that she was the right person for the job. (Her husband was also successful in getting a job in his desired field after completing the same internship program).
“This program offered relevant Canadian experience, which would otherwise not be available to new immigrants like us. It prepared me and my husband for a successful career in Canada. I would highly recommend internationally trained professionals who have had a good amount of work experience to try out for this internship. It offers a solid foothold for someone who is new to the country,” she says.