RBC Mentor-Mentee Story “I feel like I have already grown”

Meet Ahmeed and Carine: When you’re uncomfortable, you’re doing something right 

This past November, Ahmeed Afolabi immigrated to Canada with his wife and 18 months twins (a boy and a girl) from Nigeria where he worked as a tax specialist for a multinational bank. Ahmeed is navigating the different world of Canadian taxes to help him build his experience in this specialized field. “When you’re uncomfortable, you’re doing something right,” he eloquently says of his job search experience so far.

His mentor is Carine Kouamen, Manager, Compliance, RBC. This is Carine’s first time as a mentor through the TRIEC mentorship program with RBC. Compared to Ahmeed, she feels that when she first came to Canada, she didn’t fully take advantage of any services or resources, as Ahmeed is. This shows how “hungry” and determined Ahmeed is to successfully settle in Canada. She praises him for his approach to his settlement and hopes he can learn from her experience navigating her settlement all on her own.

They meet in-person once a week to discuss the mentee’s goals and work through specific items that are immediately relevant to the mentee, like going through a mock interview in preparation for a real interview or discussing their learnings from attending a networking event.

“I feel like I have already grown,” states Ahmeed. “Ultimately, I want this mentorship to help me land a meaningful job but all of the things we’re working on make me feel like I am meant to be here [in Canada].”