Newcomers to Canada build networks at job fair

Four longtime friends made looking for a job a family outing on Friday morning.

Couples Roland and Charity Okposio and Promise and Chizo Oghor had been friends for years in Nigeria.

They moved to Canada two weeks ago to work and live in Moncton after hearing good things about employment opportunities and nice people.

"We've just been in town for about two weeks, so we actually need to get ourselves integrated fully into the New Brunswick Canadian culture and also we need to work to take care of our family," said Roland Okposio, who was a hotel manager in Nigeria.

They were four of about 200 newcomers and international students who attended a job fair tailored to the hospitality and tourism sector in downtown Moncton.

Angelique Reddy-Kalala, the immigration strategy officer with the City of Moncton, said these fairs help newcomers tackle one of the biggest challenges to moving to a new country — building networks that Canadian-born people have from the start.

"When you're born here, oftentime you have very well-ingrained networks in the community," she said. "But if you're moving to whole new countries you need to rebuild networks."

Roland Okposio said his family has been transitioning smoothly to Canadian life, but he is having to learn new ways of doing things as a professional.

"I think the key thing is for one to be able to put his resumé together to match the Canadian standard and to be able to market yourself," said the father of two.

"I think that's one of the advantages of being in a place like this — because we've been able to talk with a number of  companies and you get to understand exactly what they want."

Chizo Oghor, who used to be a banker, said she's exploring possibilities in hospitality and tourism, but she's also looking for an opportunity to switch to the community care sector, perhaps to work with the elderly or disabled.

"I'm interested in helping people," she said.

"There are no challenges except that of course, coming into a new place you'd like to understand the place, you'd like to understand the people. You'd like to get yourself entrenched in the system so you can understand the way of life."

'Positions available'

Reddy-Kalala said these sector-specific fairs happen every three months. In two and a half years, 200 people have found jobs as a direct result of attending a fair.

Potential employers were standing at tables with "positions available" signs and spoke to people interested in working at their companies.

Reddy-Kalala said the city draws on a pool of 140 companies within the region.

On Friday, businesses such as Resurgo Place, Rodd Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza each had a table.

Stacey Couturier, human resources manager with Crowne Plaza, said she's seen a lot of people drop off their CVs, and two people were booked for interviews.

"We usually try to make sure that we're booking interviews, having them follow up," Couturier said. "And we've hired front desk and housekeeping, sometimes even on the spot."

She said what makes a newcomer job fair different from others she's attended is that people attend with a clear goal.

"They're new to the city — even if they've been here a little bit — but they know what they're getting into. They're looking at specific jobs and they want to get out and work with the public."

International students

Anass El Khalloufi, a student at the University of Moncton studying for a master's degree in civil engineering, said he's not looking for a career in hospitality but he takes advantage of the job fairs to build his network.

"There's many opportunity just to meet new friends, to get new opportunities, to know what's going [on] outside and to integrate in the society," said the 25-year-old from Morocco. "That's the most important thing for me here."