How to Find a Mentor & Newcomer Career Success in Canada

Finding a mentor is vital for newcomers to achieve career goals in Canada. Mentoring is a process where someone shares their skills and knowledge (the mentor) to guide another (the “mentee”). A mentor will share their experience, help you build confidence, and succeed. Discover the benefits, how to find a mentor, and the key elements of a successful mentor and mentee relationship.

What are the Benefits of Mentoring?

For newcomers, finding a mentor from your profession or trade can provide many benefits. For example, a mentor can:

Where to Find a Mentor in Canada?

Settlement agencies, employment councils, and professional associations are ideal places to find a mentor in Canada. You can also tap into your network, including friends, family members, and others willing to share their time and knowledge.

Newcomer Settlement Services

Settlement agencies provide many free services to help you navigate the Canadian job market. This includes finding a mentor from your professional background. You can find free newcomer employment services here.

Immigrant Employment Councils

In Canada, employment councils, such as the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC), provide mentoring and job search programs for newcomers. Major cities have Immigrant Employment Councils, including the Toronto Region, Calgary Region, Immigrant Council of BC, and more.

Professional Associations

Associations also provide mentoring programs. To learn more about occupation-specific associations in Canada, visit Career Pathways for more than 20 occupations in Canada. For each occupation, you’ll discover associations and immigrant networks that can help you to find a mentor in Canada.

What Makes a Great Mentor and Mentee Relationship?

The most successful mentor and mentee relationships occur when both know the skills, qualities, and role each plays.

Mentor Skills and Qualities

A great mentor listens. You may have concerns and issues about your job search and career development in Canada. However, you also have ideas about how to overcome obstacles. A good mentor will listen to your concerns so you can jointly create options.

They are excited to help you achieve career success in Canada. Mentors maintain a positive outlook about your skills, talent, and experience and appreciate the skills you offer. They also have these mentoring skills:

Values learning and helping others

A good mentor wants to share knowledge and experience. A mentor doesn’t have to be an expert. Rather, they should be able to help you access resources to find the answers to your questions.

Recognizes strengths

You have many strengths, skills, and knowledge that you bring to your profession in Canada. A good mentor will encourage you and believe in your ability to continue and excel in your career. 

Provides feedback

Providing genuine and constructive feedback can help you learn, grow, and develop your skills. A good mentor provides specific, honest, and clear feedback.

Understands the newcomer experience

It can take newcomers longer than expected to find a job in their profession. If you are getting licensed to work in a regulated profession, it takes time and money. It can be a lengthy and frustrating experience. A good mentor will recognize these challenges and encourage you to achieve your goals, despite obstacles.

What a Mentor is Not

While a mentor can share their experience and guide you, you must also know what they won’t do. For example, a mentor will not:

• Offer you a job
• Have all the answers, or
• Provide support unrelated to your career goals.

Tips to Be a Great Mentee

Knowing how to build your relationship once you find a mentor is the key to success! Here’s how you can be a great mentee:

Have a Mentoring Goal

With a clear goal in mind, your mentor will be able to help you reach your career goals. Setting goals will help you achieve concrete outcomes.

A goal may be: “To achieve credential recognition to advance my career opportunities.” You may also want to develop a specific skill to achieve a career goal.

Be open and honest

Share your professional goals, issues, and concerns. Discuss issues and obstacles to identify options and build a solid action plan.

Commit to the mentoring relationship

Mentors usually volunteer for a professional association or community group. So it’s important to respect their time and effort. Prepare, be punctual, and follow through on commitments after the meeting. Discuss how and when to contact your mentor to avoid misunderstandings.

It’s helpful to set the length of your mentoring relationship. The match can be from 4 to 12 months, depending on the organization.

Be open to feedback

While a mentor provides feedback, the mentee must be open to feedback. Constructive feedback is a gift that can help you grow.

Keys to a Successful Mentoring Relationship

These factors ensure success:

Compatible Mentor and Mentee Relationship

A successful partnership is based on a great match between the mentor and the mentee. You’ll connect easily when you have a genuine interest in each other. A compatible match can be formal or informal.

Clear Expectations

Realistic expectations will guide the relationship in the right direction. A mentor is there to guide, not tell the mentee what to do. Mentorship requires buy-in and commitment from both sides.

Two-way Contribution

The benefits of mentoring flow both ways. Mentees can contribute to the relationship in a meaningful way and give back. For example, you can share a book title or an article you think your mentor may be interested in.

Finding a mentor can help you achieve career success in Canada more easily and faster. With commitment, you’ll build skills, confidence, and grow your network. In time, you may become a mentor and help future newcomers excel in their careers!