I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO WORK A COPYING MACHINE!

An administrative assistant should know how to use a photocopying machine, right?! It is a no brainer. So imagine my frustration when I found myself standing over the photocopier wondering what buttons to push. OMG! It was embarrassing to say the least.

While I was still beating myself up, a colleague came up behind me, watched me struggle, scoffed and walked away muttering something about "an admin assistant that did not know how to work a photocopying machine". I reached out to someone else more willing to help, figured it out, seized the opportunity to ask questions on the scanner, fax etc. Tried a couple things, figured out more stuff on my own and moved on with my professional life.

Okay, I lied, I did not 'move on', I thought about it, very deeply. How did I not know how to use a photocopier? And why did it feel like it was the first time I had to work one? The answer- it was the first time I had to use one! Shocked, I thought deeper and wondered how I managed to acquire s many skills through the years but did not know how to use a basic office equipment. Then it hit me- all through my university days, we went to shops where they did the scanning and photocopying for a price.

When I started working (back in Nigeria, that is), I had administrative assistants who dealt with all that part of my work. I wasn't sure whether to be happy for them in my life at this realization or be sad. But I realized something else- I am not a failed administrative assistant because I did not know how to work a photocopying machine (which by the way, is very intuitive and needs no formal training), I just never needed to use it until now and I was willing to learn.

Over the course of dealing with and talking to lots of new immigrants, I have heard similar incidents. For some it is things like not inputting data or typing themselves because they have typists or data entry personnel. For others, it may be owning a construction company but having never really laid bricks themselves.

The photocopying experience was an eye opener to the fact that the Canadian work culture and system as as a whole is quite DIY (Do it yourself) based- so I was coming from a culture where labour is cheap enough you can pay your way through almost anything. For instance, I had two domestic helps when I had one child while in Nigeria. Now I and my husband are all the domestic help I have, with two kids and a much larger home to clean. Little things I took for granted and some of us saw as privileges were normalized here. Unfortunately, if not handled right, it could also become our undoing.

Think of this example, imagine being a Manager who had a typist as a result you never thought about your typing skills. Now you are trying to get a job where maybe you have to do a lot of writing and are constantly behind because you cannot type (or type fast) enough. This could impact your work, and affect your confidence. But on a deeper look, the problem is not really your competence, it is a skill tied to that competence that may be impacting your overall performance.

The issue oftentimes is how we phrase the 'problem'. So here are you can do if you are like me who found yourself lacking in skills embedded within a competency you have due to whatever reason:

1. Create your skills pool: Know what you have in your skills toolbox. This will not only remind you of what strengths you have but also boost your confidence about yourself. You are likely to also uncover areas of skills transference.
2. Acknowledge your skills gap: Truth be told, you may not always have ALL of the skills you need per time. That is not the problem, the problem is that sometimes we want to pretend we have it all. Know where your gaps are. Never define yourself and your value by what you lack, but by all means, be willing to increase that value by adding to yourself.
3. Fill the skills gap: Work to fill any gaps you have identified. Some might take self-directed learning, others maybe more formal training. Some others may require on the job training, in which case be strategic about roles you take on to help fill those gaps and offer the training you need.
4. Ask questions: There is this quote I love: "He who asks a question is?a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever". – Chinese Proverb. It is true. There are people willing to help if you'd just ask. Remember asking to know is a sign of continuous learning and self-improvement. Sure there might be a person or two who will likely rub it in your face or try to make you feel bad, but hey, it is also a testament of their character and person. Focus on you and your learning.
5. Constantly review your skills pool: Truth be told, we would never stop needing to learn new skills. The world is changing really fast, but how well do our skills keep up? I recommend reviewing your skills before you set your performance goals for the new year, so you can seek to address any gaps experientially or by training. Don't be shy about discussing with your supervisor areas you would like to upskill or new skills you would like to develop. Always tie it to the value it adds to your work and the organization.

The first five points applies to EVERYONE at any level in your career. I will like to speak to new Canadians getting into the workplace, as I have found this to be a culture shock for most folks, it was to me initially too. So in addition to the 5 items above here are some additional tips:

1. Be willing to re-learn: In addition to being a culture shock, one of the things I also find is coming to grasp with the idea of needing to learn new things, particularly things we deem as 'mundane' to our professional work. It starts with an admittance of what is lacking and the willingness to relearn. They say "if you go to Rome, behave like the Romans", how are you going to behave like the Romans (Canadians) if you never learn their ways?
2. Leverage your current skills: Use what you currently know. Your experiences you are coming into the country with is in fact INTERNATIONAL experience. Despite what you hear, it is valid experience. You just need to know how to tell your story right and make the connections.

Finally, to employers and non-racialized Canadians, you ALWAYS play a role in these conversations. That is investing in your self-education, acknowledging and addressing your own unconscious biases, being willing to help and getting to know a person, their story and journey.

I have of course since moved on to adding new skills to my skills pool (the seeming ordinary and the extraordinary). Today in my role as a Senior Policy Analyst, I still use the photocopying machine, in fact I remember helping tons of other people (Directors included) figure it out, it is actually 'cute' watching a super smart person struggle with a basic office equipment. I look back now and I laugh, but imagine for a moment what would have happened if I wrote myself off or let someone else write me off all because of a copying machine? You carry value, believe it!