“Getting a foot in the door, that’s the hardest breakthrough I needed. And I achieved it through Career Edge.”
Ronald Jacinto didn’t arrive in Canada as a newcomer to engineering. He arrived with fourteen years of international experience already behind him. He knew the work. He understood the systems. He could do the job. What he didn’t have was the one thing the Canadian market kept asking for: a local credential. A Canadian employer willing to look past where the experience was earned and see what it was actually worth.
Career Edge found him that employer. And what happened next became something neither Ronald nor the company expected.
Spectra, a building services firm designing mechanical and electrical systems for data centres and telecom facilities, needed people badly.
“Our goals have morphed into: how are we going to get projects? Now we have so many projects, how do we get people? It’s not like we can just bring in anyone from anywhere and have them perform these functions automatically.”
When Ronald’s file came across their desk, something clicked. “His experience on paper looked quite good. And when we brought him in for an interview, we realized quickly that the paper matched the person, and that was quite fortunate for us, because at the time we really needed the help.”
For Ronald, the stakes were just as high, but they were personal. “I wanted to prove that I belong. I’m capable of doing what engineers in Canada do. I already have around 14 years of international experience. I already know how to do the job.”
That quiet determination, not desperation, but proof, shaped everything about how he showed up. And his manager Sean gave him the space to show what he could do. “Sean trusted me enough that he only provided minimal direction.”
That trust unlocked something. What followed wasn’t just good work, it was a pilot project for one of the biggest telecom companies in Canada. First of its kind. Larger in scope than anything Spectra normally took on. “Maybe the biggest contribution I’ve had while working with Spectra was doing the pilot project for one of the biggest telecoms in Canada. It was the first of its kind, the scope was big compared to what we normally do. We were able to reduce energy and cost requirements for the client.”
The results spoke loudly enough that his employer said what few employers say out loud: “Ronald has demonstrated time and time again that he is available to learn new things, as well as to show what he has in terms of his knowledge base and how he can help the company. If we had an army of Ronalds, we would probably be on top of the whole industry.”
That’s not a performance review. That’s a statement about what happens when international talent gets a real chance.
And for Ronald, the impact of that chance extended far beyond the office. “Before, we were very stressed out. Our money was running out. We couldn’t find a job. And now we get to enjoy what Canada has to offer.”
A family exhaling. A career finally moving. That’s what one foot in the door actually means when the door has been closed for long enough. “I’m more confident moving forward after landing my first engineering job in Canada. The experience I gained with Spectra will help me achieve some of my goals.”
On what Career Edge makes possible for employers, the story speaks for itself. Spectra came looking for talent. They found a cornerstone. “We’re actually quite proud that one of our first Career Edge placements became a cornerstone of our business.”