Mariam came to Canada two years ago from Armenia. With her education and experience in administration, she was passionate about helping people and hoped to work in social services. After applying for countless jobs, though, the only positions she could find were temporary and part-time in customer service.
When Mariam became unemployed in early 2018, it was a difficult setback for her and her family. Mariam knew she needed help in understanding the Canadian job market.
That’s when she reached out to JFS for help. Mariam was set up with Dinah Tiessen, JFS Employment Counsellor, who was pivotal in helping position herself in the job market and gain confidence to interview in her new country.
With Dinah's help, Mariam researched local social service agencies and restructured her resume to better reflect her skills and strengths – matching them to what she had learned through her research. She also received interview coaching and was connected with Dress for Success to gain a more professional look.
Within a very short time Mariam was offered a maternity leave position as a program assistant at DiverCity, an immigrant services provider in Surrey. She’s excited this position will help her gain insight into Canadian social services and better decide on her future options.
Mariam credits the “exceptional personalized approach” provided by Dinah in helping to solve her professional and financial challenges. She believes she would still be struggling today if it had not been for the knowledgeable advice she received.
She wrote to Dinah, “I want to share my happiness with you. I am now employed full-time with an organization and team I had always admired and tried to join, without much success until you helped me... I am extremely grateful for your strong support every step of the way.”
Mazel tov, Mariam!
For more information about JFS Employment Services and how we can help, visit ww.www.jfsvancouver.ca/employment.