There are many challenges to face for an immigrant to successfully transition into a productive life in another country. In Canada, there are lots of job opportunities in different areas and fields; but there is a difference between getting any job and getting a well paid one, where you can develop professionally.

It is normal to have a load of doubts when arriving in Canada. Not knowing what to do, or the first steps to be taken or how to start making friends. The few people we first meet give us a wide variety of advice, and far from helping us to visualize a certain panorama, they end up confusing us and increasing our anxiety.

The purpose of this space is to offer the new-in-town Latin community the opportunity to apply your present skills and integrate into economic and professional life as soon as possible.

Sharing experiences with well established people helps you to have a wider vision of the situation and is a key strategy in successfully tackling the obstacles and challenges in the adaptation process to the new society and culture.

Vancouver has different organizations that help and support newcomers who are professionals in the settlement process.

Mosaic is a non-profit organization that offers help in the adaptation process to immigrants and refugees, focusing the help on critical living and work matters. Its work is conceived under the vision of equality in social justice, access to services and democracy. The tools used are education, development and community networking.

This program offers information and services in qualified labor, also provides connections for training through the iACT (immigrant Accesses Centre for Training) for unemployed people who want to get a job. There is a link inside Mosaic (http://www.arrivebc.com) that offers help to immigrants in British Columbia to revalidate their professional careers and update their work experiences and education.

In addition, in the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) you can access computers, the internet and training programs in those areas. You can join the reading circles and the work tables which can help you to understand the Canadian culture and increase your English vocabulary.

To overcome the language barrier you can go to the Immigrant Service Society of BC (ISSBC). They offer courses designed to improve vocabulary and expand your English, via individual work for every student to reach their goals, increase their income and enjoy their life in Vancouver.

The Canada Visa is a law firm that keeps an updated list of job opportunities accessible for on-line applications.

Do not let the lack of work experience in Canada give you a big headache, nor the unrecognized professional titles from abroad, the insufficient command of English or French, or not having any connections in the work field. Use the accessible resources and prepare for the task of finding a job in Vancouver.

Mosaic (http://www.mosaicbc.com),
Vancouver Public Library http://www.vpl.ca
Immigrant Service Society of BC http://www.issbc.org/lc.is/
Canada Visa (http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-career-zone.html),

Guadalupe Parada Gasson