Mentee Spotlight: Kirsty Peng
written by Kirsty Peng, Mentoring Connections mentee
edited by Catherine Rana
The safe thing to do would have been to stay in the same place for my whole life, and enjoy the familiarity of my surroundings. The decision to move away from home would certainly lead to huge changes in my life. But wasn’t it my dream to live a life of personal independence, in a free environment like Canada? Yes! However, dealing with the change has not been as easy as I first thought it would be.
I soon realized that my past experience might not be appreciated in my new home. I became frustrated with my job search, and was not sure if the steps I had taken put me on the right track to re-entering the accounting field in Canada. An opportunity came to my attention when I learned that CGA BC had a mentoring partnership with ISSofBC. I knew mentoring could help me during my first years in Canada, but I didn’t expect the program to bring me as many benefits as it did. Mentoring Connections matched me with an experienced CGA, and our mentorship began.
During my mentorship, I realized that whenever I applied for a job, there was a real person looking at my cover letter and resume. So, I scheduled meetings with various recruiters and talked with them about my situation. I received a lot of feedback and it has helped me to focus my energy in the right places. My mentor and I also frequently discussed the uniqueness of the Canadian workplace and its culture. Inspired by my mentor, I started searching for contacts and connecting with individuals to an extent that I had never done before. I’ve successfully been in touch with individuals in my field through networking events, and they have been willing to share information on job opportunities with me. Each time I heard back from a new contact, I was stunned! Changing the way I search for jobs has really built up my confidence an incredible amount.
I know that both good things and challenging things may happen, but through it all I will be positive. My mentor is right: Change itself allows a person to look at life in a different way, and learning from your experiences makes you a stronger person. I had never wished an easy life for myself in the first place, and I believe change will bring me a more colourful life. Even now, I am still a job seeker, but I feel I am a part of Canada. Like other Canadian job seekers, I have my own story and friends rooted in Canada. The Mentoring Connections program is a way for new immigrants to gain a sense of belonging, and my mentor has helped me turn my challenges into successes.*
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To learn more about the partnership between Mentoring Connections and CGA BC, click here.
If you would like to share your story with us, we would be happy to hear from you! Contact us at mentoring.connections@issbc.org.
