Change: Learning Vs. Marks: A True Immigrant Story
It is 4:30am on a Saturday morning and I have been turning and twisting in my bed for at least an hour. I finally decided to get up and make me a hot cup of Java and figure out why, on a weekend morning, just after working over a 100+ hour week, can I not get a proper sleep?!
Well, I know why, because I am disturbed, but I think what is bothering me in the “Why?”, is the “What” and the “How”. What am I going to do about it? How can I make the change??
So here is the WHY:
It’s mid-term marking week. I teach careers in IT. I have a class full of phenomenally talented software programmers. Some have experience, some do not. Some are born and brought up in Canada, some are not. However, the only thing common in all my students, is the drive to learn and to achieve something in their career, or at least I thought, until today!
I thought, similar to me, everyone is passionate about their careers, remember we are talking strictly in class, passionate about growing in their career, passionate about showing their talent and proving their skills by creating something totally magnificent and innovative, just like I do, or at least I try to do, to change lives and make people’s careers dreams come true, in as many innovative ways as possible!
I have a student in my class from the Asian subcontinent. He is much older than the others in my class, obviously has his Master’s degree, I say "obviously" because it is the continent which has traditionally been putting so much pressure on their children on education and not the learning but the “marks” kind, that more than 50% of suicides in that continent are due to failing an exam!
An excerpt from Anna Durisch’s article on Education and Suicide in Global Education Magazine:
“Statistics show that every year circa 200 000 teenagers worldwide commit suicide while about 4 million adolescents attempts it. We have been noticing a rising suicidal trend since some years.
According to WHO statistics (2011) in some countries – such as Lithuania – figures are relatively high, with the example of Russia having the highest underage suicide rate in Europe. In other countries, such as Australia, statistics show lower figures. In USA, ranking among the highest in suicide rate worldwide, about 10% of adolescents attempts to suicide. An interesting fact is that about 56% of all female suicides worldwide takes place in China. The meaning of suicide in China differs from other cultures; namely it is perceived as a legitimate means of conveying a message.”
Going back to my student, he is highly educated and has years of experience from a different part of the world. He came to Canada, like most of us immigrants, did not find his dream job, struggled to get his career started, and some career counsellor put it in his head that he is not getting a job because he needs to spend a few years in the Canadian education system, change his field from numbers to codes, and when he graduates in a few years, he can start at an entry level job and by his retirement age, which we do not have in Canada, but let’s say if we were in India, would be 65, he may get to a management level job and survive in his chosen new career. At least his children will not have to struggle because they would be 2nd generation Canadians, brought up in the Canadian education system!!
How I wish I could meet with that counsellor and give them a piece of my mind!!
Needless to say, a person whose mantra has been “No Survival Jobs” for the past couple of decades, refused to give up on him.
I kept on speaking to him about focusing on his dream job, sharing success stories, introducing him to students had felt that way but believed in what I had to say and are happily settled in their dream careers, introduced him to someone who can transition him into his dream company / job, that he spent his life-to-date in and really wants to be in, and I know that because for a very brief period in time he shared that with me, but at the first sign of difficulty, the mask came on again and he went back to wanting the survival job.
That’s where I got really disappointed but still did not give up. I was getting everyone to create a Destination CEO Portfolio on their dream boss and dream company and when his turn came, he did not have a dream company. Well, obviously, because it was not his dream job!!
He insisted on staying on his new path, I was trying to convince him and show him as subtly as possible that he was walking the wrong path. Finally, I gave him an option to pick a job posting and re-focus your customized application and research on that. The only criterion was that it should be relevant. My instructions were, “based on your new education and your previous experience, find a company that would appreciate your international experience and is developing software for that industry”.
He picked something, which did not even require a minimum education but just sounded easy, in a company which was not even relevant to the industry his experience was in and made his application around that.
That was enough to get me to the edge. Fine, if you are not going to understand, maybe if I marked you the way this employer would mark you, you may understand that if you apply for a job which is so entry level, does not mean you will get it! Dude, you have 16 years of experience and could probably run such companies with your eyes closed.
When I went to class this morning, this man looked visibly shaken. He came up to me and expressed his anger about his marks. I tried to explain to him that as his Career faculty, it was my job to lead him to the right direction and he could only pass if I believed that what he submitted would get him that job and I did not. If he would like, I would even speak with that employer.
His words to me, pierced my heart to the core “Meena, thank you for showing me but I make my own decision. I do not want you to push me. I find it insulting that after putting in so much effort in making my application that you would not pass me with flying colors. My GPA is 90 and that’s what I pride myself in”.
In the most humble way, I tried to explain my point, but it fell on deaf ears and a closed heart. This amazing man in front of me was visibly upset to his core because he got a passing mark, not an honor mark. His eyes were red, his face was not shaven, he looked like he had not slept all night, since seeing my marks. If marks affected him so much, what would that real life rejection of his career here in Canada would have done to him?!
If marks affected him so much, that what would rejection from that entry level job will do to him?
If marks affected him so much, I will give it to him…not because I think he will succeed in his application, but I believe that he deserves this happiness.
How I wish, I could have met him before he started this journey, how I wish I could have been able to help him at the time he arrived in Canada 3 years ago, how I wish, he would put that same burning passion in getting his Canadian career started in his field, that he is right now, standing in front of me and arguing about his grade!
I went back to my office and gave him what he wanted. The flying colored mark, and emailed him and promptly received a “Thank you Meena!”
My heart broke in a million pieces. I asked in class, is everyone OK with the marks I have given, because there were quite a few I had not given very nice marks to and I explained that I am strict because you have the potential and I will mark you based on if you will get that job or not. One young man stood up and said, “Meena, I know I did not do a good job and you marked me relevant to my effort but I am Asian and what do you think my parents will say?” I asked, “What?” “Thank God we are not in Asia!”
A recent article published by an ex-Googler, Richard Russell, stated that Google hires over qualified people from the top colleges, to do entry level jobs like Tech Support.
In a recent employer focus group, 2 HR Professionals from some of the largest organizations in Canada, stated they would hire only honor roll graduates for new grad roles because that was the only way they would gauge the intelligence of the graduates. And yet, less than 0.5% of employers really ask for their transcripts.
Academic institutions all over Ontario have a “Union” hiring rule of only hiring PHD professionals in their full-time teaching roles.
And yet, some of the most successful people in the world dropped out of college / universities and went on to become the best leaders in the world!!
No wonder, students feel the pressure of getting the highest marks, sucking up to their faculty and doing whatever possible to get in on that honor roll, so they can get a “technical support” job in companies like Google!
Education system wants to encourage learning and yet, the emphasis on their own hiring is based on PHDs!
Non-Profit organizations who help Immigrants, only hire professionals with “Canadian” experience, even though discrimination of “Canadian” Experience is against the Canadian Law!! Of course, they will not say that “officially”.
What am I missing here??
When I was 16, Gulf War broke in the Middle East. I was living in Dubai with my parents and unfortunately, my father lost his business as his manager stole all of his money and ran away from the country, due to the fear of the war.
I had to give up my dreams of further education and start working, so I could support my family, who now had to leave the country and go back to India to start from the scratch. Someone had to grow up and pay the bills. I was the lucky one.
I do consider myself truly lucky, to be able to be in a position where I could earn and help my dad re-settle in India, to be able to be in a position to pay for the education of my little brother, truly lucky to be able to put roof over their heads and food on their table.
I sacrificed my education and my dream of becoming a doctor because I had to and feel blessed that I was able to.
Giving up my education did not haunt me until I came to Canada. To this date, every position I am suited for, based on my experience and my passion, requires a university education or a PHD, which I have none.
I did go back to college, on a part time level to get a certification in Human Resources but that was a Certificate, not a Degree. I did it because I wanted to “learn” how HR professional think, not just get a paper that stated Canadian education! I have, to date, never had to show it to any of my employer. What was the point of that Honor roll? Not that, I tried to get that but never the less, I did.
Should I cry because I am discriminated for not having a degree or should I feel blessed that my passion of helping people in their careers is acknowledged by the biggest community college in North America and yes, even though they may not hire me in a full time role, they acknowledge my hard work and my passion and give me the opportunity to do what I am so obviously passionate about?!
Should I be upset that to make a bigger difference, I had to start my own organization, Destination CEO, or blessed that because of these discriminations; I got to start my organization and am making a bigger difference! Not to mention, writing my first book “Beyond the Traditional Way of Job Search in the GTA”.
The only thing I feel sad about is there are multiple people, in those full time roles, with those degrees, that are making people like my wonderfully talented, internationally educated Auditor, take a 2-year IT course with the sole purpose of becoming a software tester at the age of 45. That these educated people, sitting in roles of authority, having the power to influence immigrants to make the right decision, sometimes push them into survival jobs because they have to meet a certain employment or training target number determined by the very same government who is spending millions of dollars in inviting newcomers to Canada in dreams of a successful future!
Change must happen at all levels. One or two percent Meenas may be able to influence 1 or 2% Wongs and Khans, but one or two percent Meenas will definitely not be able to make the change that can make a difference in a country where 1 out of every 5 people is a visible minority, as confirmed by National Household Survey done by Stats Canada.
I am writing this article this morning, not to offend anyone or any culture. I admire you for coming to Canada, leaving behind everything that you had and investing your savings in learning within the Canadian Education System. I only want you to acknowledge that the opportunity that this amazing Education System is giving you, is the opportunity to learn and you must focus on the learning and not just marks. If marks would be the be-all and end-all of success, then people like Steve Jobs would not have been considered legends.
The sacrifices you and your family have made to a better future of your children, do not let them be wasted with the focus of only marks. Let them be enriched by your opportunity of learning. Keep knocking as many doors as possible. It is always the last door you knock, that will open and welcome you with open arms.
Canadian government has multiple employment organizations who welcome people and new graduates to help them settle in their careers. However, you must know what you want and not let anyone influence you otherwise. Before you take the step of accepting a survival job, invest your time in doing proper research, not just on the web but by physically meeting and speaking with people in hiring authorities of the departments you want to be hired. Human Resources may be a start but HR are only doing their job based on the criteria they are given and the hiring norms. Remember, I went to school for that!
There is nothing “norm” about you, you are unique. You are talented. You are phenomenal. You are passionate. Show that passionate self of you to those on the hiring team, maybe over an informational interview, and let them tell you what they consider, as the leader in the industry, you should do.
Do not take one No to make your decision, keep going till you get that Yes!
If you have an engineering background or logistics work experience and you have decided to go into software development, look for companies that are making these software for engineering or logistics industry. They will definitely appreciate your industry experience over someone with none.
I am not saying it will be easy…but I am saying It will be WORTH IT!
At the very least, try at least 5 informational interviews before you decide to toss out your decades of experience or your passion.
All the very best in your career endeavors.
Meena Dowlwani is an award winning Careers Educator, Job Developer, Writer, Motivational Speaker and CEO. Her unique method on Power Prospecting, Employer Engagement and Destination CEO has assisted 1000’s of professionals with their career aspirations.
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