How a Sri Lankan Engineer Found Opportunity in Canada
Pasinda Bimsara, an electrical engineer and business analyst from Sri Lanka, came to Regina in December 2022 with his wife, who was accepted into the University of Regina. However, despite his years of experience, Pasinda found entering the Canadian job market difficult. “I had applied for hundreds of jobs, but I almost never heard anything back from them,” Pasinda said.
Like many newcomers, Pasinda struggled to make his resume stand out in the competitive job market. However, he didn’t give up. He contacted the Regina Open Door Society (RODS), where he was connected with the Youth Employment Counsellor, Muhammad Mohsin. With Mohsin’s guidance, Pasinda prepared an improved resume according to the format used in Canada. Mohsin also gave Pasinda a detailed introduction to the job market and where to look for positions as a newcomer.
Thanks to this support, Pasinda quickly found a job as a Customer Service Associate, where he used his transferable skills to his advantage. “As a customer service associate, you have to work with customers. That’s the same thing we do in my industry, we just call them clients instead of customers. We still market the products, we show customers how to use the products, and we are the face of the business,” Pasinda explained.
After gaining some months of experience, Pasinda obtained a new role as an electrical engineer with Brandt. “This is a big thing for me because it’s in my own domain,” Pasinda said. “Canadian work experience matters.”
Mohsin shared his excitement about Pasinda’s success: “I’m so happy that my client got a job in his field. He has a very good understanding of how things work here now. I wish him the best of luck in the future!”
Pasinda offered this advice to other newcomers: “Focus on your resume. This is the best way to market yourself. Keyword matching to the job description matters a lot. Keep connecting with people. Keep networking, and at some point, you will get a referral that can be a powerful tool when applying for jobs. And don’t give up because it might take some time. You might not get the first job you apply to in Canada, but just keep trying and learn from your mistakes.”
Pasinda’s future is now filled with promise, thanks to the support of our Employment team “RODS creates these opportunities for anybody who’s looking for work. I’m getting pretty stable here in Canada now. What I am today, who I am today… surely, RODS is behind that.” Pasinda shared gratefully.
The Regina Open Door Society thanks RBC Future Launch for their continued support of newcomer youth seeking employment in Canada.
