I had a contractual job in a family owned business and had no formal qualifications or training for the job. After the contract period got over, it was not renewed. Therefore, I became unemployed from August 31, 2022. I got in touch with WorkBC Centre Guildford in September, 2022. I was continuously applying for various jobs but there was no response.

Like many people have experienced, my hours of work were greatly reduced during Covid 19. Initially, I had a full-time job as a chef in a Japanese sushi restaurant, but later on, I had to work part-time because the restaurant was not doing well. So, I had to quit that job.  I decided to switch careers for various reasons, including my social worker education in my home country, so I was interested in the community support worker position. I applied to several job openings, but it wasn't easy. 

When I came to Canada, I didn’t know anything about how to find a job. My background from my home country was of a teacher/ educator and I was looking for similar roles. I kept applying for jobs but did not receive any response. Then, one of my friends suggested me to go to WorkBC and she assured me that WorkBC would definitely help me with my job search.

I was a stay-at-home mother for 10 years and was looking for work for last two years. I was sending my resume to many companies but no company ever replied to my application.  When I attended a job fair, I was told that my being stay-at-home mother for years and lack of Canadian experience were two of the main reasons why I was not receiving any response from the companies.

I was helpless when I started my job search in September. My resume was not as per the Canadian job market. Laura from WorkBC Centre Guildford helped me with it. Once I started getting interview calls, WorkBC Centre Whalley helped me prepare for the interviews by conducting mock interviews. Staff at WorkBC Centre Whalley helped me appear for my interviews smoothly when my laptop was not working properly. I felt it was so helpful and it meant a lot to me.

I obtained my Class 1 driver’s license in 2020. I worked as a long-haul truck driver for a couple of months but, lost my job due to Co-vid. I came to WorkBC Centre Guildford late in 2022, while I was on Employment Insurance for 4 months. I was now looking for a job with extended benefits.

I am Owen. I was a cook by profession, for which I had a diploma but I couldn’t return to my job in the food/ beverage industry due to health issues. I did not have any training that I could rely on to get a good job so I was only able to get short-term employment in construction as a labourer. I was looking for long-term employment opportunities, but I didn’t have great job search or computer skills so applying for jobs online was a difficult task for me. I was unemployed for 8 months before coming to WorkBC Centre Guildford.

I am Amin, a refugee immigrant from Afghanistan. When I  started looking for a job here in Canada, the challenges I faced were lack of experience, networking, and not being familiar with the job market. I started volunteering at ISSofBC to gain Canadian experience so that I could put it on my resume.

My name is Anna and I moved to British Columbia with my husband and kids from Montreal. I was unemployed and looking for a job for three months. Coming from Montreal and not having any work history / experience here in BC and being a person with a permanent disability, I faced many difficulties finding a suitable job.

As a newcomer, although I had a somewhat successful, long career from my home country, it was really challenging to find a decent job in Canada. Lack of Canadian work experience and language barrier were two primary causes. However, while they are still undeniable factors, I now realize that such accumulated negative emotions, as anxiety and self-disappointment, and my insufficient understanding of Canada’s hiring systems led me to the degree that I felt it was the most challenging period throughout my life.

My name is Yuliia. I am a 25-year-old Ukrainian Refugee and I arrived in Canada 6 weeks ago. It took me some time to get settled- find a place to live and gradually adjust to a new place. I came to WorkBC Centre Guildford and my case managed file was opened on Dec 23, 2022. I was getting support from IA. I was looking for a junior accountant position. The biggest barriers towards my employment was no Canadian work experience, no Canadian certification/foreign degree in accounting and I lacked job search skills.  My past traumatic experiences made me so fearful about my future. I looked for job postings online and kept applying for all the office positions. I, however, had no success and I started getting discouraged, doubtful about my skills and my chances to find a job.

"Before coming to Canada, I worked as an Air Craft Technician in Korea. When I came to Canada, I started working at Tim Hortons, but it was not what I had looked for. I decided to look for a new job with a better salary with the hope to return to my previous profession. WorkBC Guildford helped me in drafting my resume, cover letter and reference. I received the job offer for Aircraft Technician. It is an entry-level job in this industry, but I am happy to return to my previous career."

"With the guidance and support from my Employment counsellor Ms. Sunnie Song, and the team at WorkBC Guildford, I procured an entry-level job and I was able to start my career in Canada. In addition to this, WorkBC Guildford has provided me with Job start assistance (steel toe boots and Bus passes to commute to work) which have been really helpful for me as a new immigrant. Thank you, Ms. Sunnie and WorkBC Guildford for helping me settle in a new country."

"As a new immigrant, I recently became PR. I used to work as a piano teacher for a long time in Korea but in BC, I had no idea which job to find. Thank you, Sunnie and WorkBC Guildford for helping me in my job search and my first job in Canada."

"Thank you WorkBC, WorkBC Guildford staff and Sunnie Song. You did a great job for me to land this wonderful job by providing appropriate info, service and good advice during my difficult time of unemployment. Thank you so much again, I really appreciate it."

"With COVID 19 hitting Canada and all over the world, both my husband and I were laid off last year. I found the most suitable program for me to study was the Administrative Assistant and Computerized Accounting diploma. After four months of intensive studies, I learned all the necessary skills for administrative assistant, accounting, and payroll. On Oct 26, 2021, I got a job as a payroll administrator from a famous tool distribution company. I like my new job and I feel I finally found my career."

"Due to the pandemic, I was not able to work as much as I used to before Covid-19. Therefore, I was in financial difficulty and wanted to change my career. While I searched for information, I got to know about WorkBC and how it provides services to help immigrants find employment."

"I had never been laid off or fired and I did not know just how bad it feels. The timely support of Sunnie Song and having the Security System Technician certificate increased my confidence in security installation and troubleshooting and gave me the knowledge base to support my ideas."

"I was sent weekly job-leads, invited to virtual job fairs, offered a 1-1 resume review by one of their many facilitators. I received weekly and monthly check-ins on my job applications. I am so grateful for the help and support of the Guildford WorkBC team and I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a support team to guide them through the competitive job market!"

"It is because of the continuous efforts of the entire team at WorkBC that I found a way into my dream career – I started a job in school as an education assistant. I am highly indebted to her WorkBC for all the support the team has extended to me in finding work and leading a decent life. I strongly recommend WorkBC to everyone who is actively looking for work."