Wish 7: Humility
I started working for a settlement office early in 2010. In these past months, I have met a lot of people who have just arrived. And some of them are angry from a culture shock.
"I was working for the Department of ....", one of them would start. "I was already a vice-president...", goes another. Now they take on entry-level jobs like receptionist or even food counter attendant. My ears get red from the phrase, "it's demeaning."
These newcomers are going through the "Canadian Experience". It is not an experience in itself. It just means they have to start somewhere for a few months - to get experience in a Canadian company - because they are just new to the country.
This is the biggest argument and point of contention when immigration is mentioned. "What about my credentials?!" some exclaim. Well, surprise, surprise. Your credentials in another country are not easily transferable here. Moreover, nobody really tells them that professional associations are protective of their own home-grown talents. Also, no boss wants their employee to be more qualified than they are.
Frustration is strongest with the skilled class. The bank vice-presidents, PhD's and architects have the most to lose. They take on a survival job. And sometimes, their spirit is so broken after a few years, they do not pursue anything else. There are doctors among the taxi drivers at the airport.
The influx of other countries' best and brightest into Canada's 8% unemployment situation is a recipe for disaster. Most will stay anyway, and some will return to their old countries and to their chauffeurs and maids.
On the other hand, the labourers and caregivers don't mind where they end up. They become successful after a few years. You see, they have nothing to lose. They expected to be at the bottom of the employment scale, so there's nowhere to go but up.
This argument for expectations is what prompted us to open a settlement office in the Philippines. Many agencies (and even relatives) extol the virtues and the beauty of Canada, leaving out the simple message that their first year here will be hell. Our office is there to provide a realistic view of Canada, so that it informs their decision-making. And if they still want to come over, then they know what to expect.
I will now make the argument for Canadian Experience. I know that many readers out there will think I'm nuts.
Now, what good could the "Canadian Experience" be to a newcomer? For me, it is a test. All of us have gone through it. When we come out the other side, we are not shaking our fist at the system. You see, those who are arrogant in this Canadian society are most likely to give up on it.
Canadian Experience teaches each of us humility. It helps us become part of the multicultural fabric of this experiment called Canada. It teaches us to be polite, like we are known for. It teaches us what we teach our children: say please, say thank you, say sorry. It teaches us to be human, and humane.
One successful immigrant got his dream job weeks after he arrived. He could have said to employers, "I am the right person for the job." But rather, he told them the facts about himself, and stopped short of concluding that he is the best. If the employer turned him down, he simply moved on to the next. "It's not my fault, and nothing to dwell upon," he would say, "it was just not a good fit." Eventually, his humility paid off. Now, he also consults on job finding.
People get hired in Canada in the job of their careers only when they get it. That being a hot-shot, arrogant know-it-all is the most unemployable person in a gentle society. When they get it, they have achieved the Canadian experience. And there is no where to go but up.
My wish for today is that people see the value of humility, not just for themselves but also for their community and country.
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