Last Saturday I attended a Skilled Migrant Mentoring Program at the SGSCC, and I must say it was quite an interesting morning.
I was invited to talk a little about myhelper and how what we have learnt might help some of the attendees.
Most of the attendees came from a professional background such as Engineering, IT, Business, Business owners and so on, yet most are not doing what they used to do for a myriad of reasons. One common factor I observed however was the lack of confidence a lot of the people had when they introduced themselves using their new language-English.
Many people mentioned how hard it was to find work and how they ended up doing work which is below their actual skill levels. Some thought that their country of origin had something to do with their failure to secure work, and some figured it is just their lack of English.
I tend to look at things quite positively and would suggest that although English is very important, confidence, ambition, drive, creativity and energy are equally if not more important.
I also noticed that many were focusing on the presentation of their goods or skills; like a brochure would attempt to sell you any given product. I think the problem is possibly a different one. I believe the issue often relates to trust; a potential employer doesn’t yet trust you and therefore asks for ‘local work experience’ or ‘local references’. So again, the issue is trust, not a lack of skill or lack of English, yet during my time with the group, no one even considered this aspect.
Food for thought? Indeed it is!
Thanks to Mikall Chong for inviting me, and to all the participants for being open and interactive!
Thomas
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Thomas, your observations were succinct and accurate. I am sure the members present have learned a great deal from your short presentation which was evident from the post session discussions.
Your idea of the interaction with the local businesses will go well. I look forward to seeing it happen.
Regards.