“Volunteering is contagious and is encouraged by my employer. I keep mentoring because I get so much out of it. You gain so much satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment by helping others.”
Why I decided to mentor a skilled immigrant
With over eight years of operations, quality assurance, supply chain and engineering experience with Kraft Canada, I felt I had a spectrum of knowledge to support a skilled immigrant new to the country.
What I have learned
Listening skills are just as important as coaching and leadership skills.
One piece of advice I try to pass on to mentees
You can’t always expect a Canadian employer to take your education and experience at face value. A lot depends on merit and trust. Sometimes you need to work on how to translate that experience for an employer.
Why mentoring is meaningful to me
Seeing the mentee progress in their integration into the workplace provides a huge sense of satisfaction. It makes me happy to hear about a mentee getting selected for an interview, signing an offer of employment and, then telling me the ups and downs of the new position. My most recent mentee, Emma, is from Mexico and finally got a break in her field. She deserves it and I’m thrilled for her.
A piece of advice for skilled immigrants looking for meaningful work in Toronto
Be open to new opportunities where you might be able to transfer your skills and experiences in a new industry or career. Often success is not achieved on a linear path. Take the most from a new role; sustain your good habits and invest in skills/education.
Mentee, Emma Castro Castaneda, on why Rahim has made a difference to her
While initially nervous to meet Rahim, he immediately made me feel comfortable. I felt I could trust him and that he was sincere in wanting to help me get my career on track in Canada. Rahim boosted my confidence by helping me learn technical terms in English, how to re-position my resume for a Canadian employer and most importantly, how to master a job interview by answering questions in a way in which a recruiter expects you to. I’m now working in my field and I think 80 per cent of my success is because of Rahim.
More on Rahim Virji, P.Eng, MBA (in progress)
- Associate Principal – Product Protection and Hygienic Design, Kraft Canada Inc.
- Mentor to 10 or more skilled immigrants through The Mentoring Partnership.
- Rahim heard about The Mentoring Partnership through ACCES Employment Services, a community partner of the program.