A newcomer's experience of transitioning into the Canadian work culture !

This is in continuation to my previous articles where I've shared resources, research material, experiences on LinkedIn, coffee interview and networking for newcomers to Canada. If you are planning on migrating to Canada or are a newcomer, I am sure these articles will be of help. They have several resources to help you research better. Here are the links to my earlier articles:

• What I learned about finding a job as a Newcomer to Canada
• Research the job market before coming to Canada on PR
• Build an amazing LinkedIn profile and Beyond
• What I learned about Coffee Interviews as a Newcomer to Canada

After reading these articles, one of my LinkedIn connections suggested writing on "what is my experience of adapting to the Canadian work culture". Thanks for suggesting Aishwarya Aiyar..

As I remember my work days before moving to Canada, I recall being in office for 13-14-15 hours a day with an additional travel time of 4 hours. And yet there would be tons of work left to be done (wiping sweat of my forehead). Irrespective, I don't remember any bad experiences around the quality or quantity of work. It seemed very normal back then. However, I had started realizing that if I continue this for long, it might start aging me faster.

I don't want to get into listing the good and bad of my previous work pattern. I want to focus on summarizing my assimilation of the starkly different Canadian work culture. Hundreds of thousands of newcomers migrate to Canada every year. My intent is to reach out to them.

To get to the point, the work culture indeed was a big shift for me. From tuning my brain to utilizing the basics learnt in kindergarten to understanding the value I add to the organization. It has been amazing to see my perspective broaden with time. Again, it's my personal lens and not an absolute one.

The Magic Words: It is important to start using the magic words. At work and in general. Thank You, Sorry and Please. You will be using them more than any other words. Didn't we all learn this in kindergarten but then forgot how to use them? My first surprise was as soon as I landed. In the bus I accidentally bumped into a woman in front of me and she said Sorry and asked me if I'm fine. I didn't know if I was supposed to reply with a Sorry or Thank You I'm Fine. At work too, my co-workers use thank you, please and sorry very often and you can feel that it's not fake. And it is really nice to see common courtesy prevail.

Individualism: Respect everyone, their situations, personal property and privacy. For example, people do not discuss salaries, personal life, financial details, etc. It may not be appreciated. Depends on who you are talking to. Some feel comfortable, some won't.

Honesty, Trust and Openness: When you have been given some work, your manager and your team will not be breathing down your neck. Your team will trust you to finish it on time. In case you cannot, be honest and reach out for help. Asking for help on time will be appreciated. Not only work place, Canada seems to be more trusting than other places I have seen in my limited experience.

Respect for personal time: Two things. 9-5 will be good enough to focus and finish your job. And, you will get the respect for your personal time and you must learn to reciprocate.

No one from work will message, call or e-mail during your off time, unless it is critically important. In your previous life you might have received or sent messages at mid-night or early morning for something sounding urgent. This does not happen often unless it is critical. And when it happens, people know it means business.

Between What and How to present ! Not to classify this as good or bad. It's different. For e.g. some work cultures have intense intense focus on What to present. However, here I'm constantly learning on how to present. Soft skills are taught from the 1st grade in Canada. You are up against people who have been doing this since they were kids. It comes naturally to them. If you feel you are good at presentations, you'll be surprised to learn a lot more from the Canadians in action.

Value of Education: Exceptionally high. Every degree counts. Every certificate counts. Every minute spent into education counts. People value it more than I have seen in other places. Don't take your past or future education lightly.

Networking: Networking is an integral part of everyone's life in Canada. For good. Your network will always be of help in getting a job, getting business, getting references, sharing knowledge and what not. It doesn't come naturally to other cultures. At times, newcomers feel awkward and do not know what and how to network. Learn as you go. People are accepting.

Listening: People listen. I mean people really focus on listening. It is extremely important even generally. Again in my experience, people don't just hear, they listen.

Equality: Organizations are making real efforts to remove discrimination. Discrimination is certainly lesser than in other work cultures. In my general experience, there is a high acceptance for diversity and low tolerance for discrimination.

Hierarchy: Simply put, people respect hierarchy and don't worship it. Using Sir and Ma'am on the street is manners and considered polite, but you don't need that at your workplace. Show respect with your work. Only words won't mean anything.

I and We: People know how and when to use I and We. For e.g. At work not all achievements need a "We". Where valid, it is acceptable and recommendable to use "I". Using "I" represents your contribution. Same goes vice versa. Taking someone else's credit won't take you a long way. In some cultures it's a habit to use "We" more than "I".

Not good at Sharing Bad News: Here is a negative point. People don't pass negative messages easily. Don't know if it is out of courtesy or not wanting confrontation. A simple example is - telling a potential candidate they didn't get through. The news sharing drags on for days and weeks even after the decision is made. Examples can go on.

Directness: Here is another negative point. Everyone wants to be politically and legally correct. For e.g. when a friend's kid was unwell the doctor kept on saying "If it were me, I would give abc or xyz medication. It's up to you what you want to do". I understand where this comes from and as a newcomer this is surprising and at times frustrating. You learn as you go along.

Uncertainty: The job market is very uncertain. For e.g. someone I know didn't know whether their contract will get renewed until the very last week (and unfortunately it didn't). That may be routine for people who have lived here for long, however it's new for a newcomer. You never know what is coming next for you to be able to plan better. For e.g. in a lot of cultures, when you have a job, it's fairly certain that you have it till you don't leave.

Friendly and Accepting: I want to end the list at this point. Almost everyone is accepting of newcomers. And that is very very important to know. Almost half the population consists of immigrants. People understand what a newcomer's journey looks like. And they will accept you, want to know more about you, will openly share experiences and there will rarely be a time when you don't feel welcomed.

This is a very personal and subjective topic. Everyone's experience is different. The more we share our unbiased experiences, the more it benefits the newcomer community as a whole. Feel free to share your experiences too in the comments.

Also give me a shout if you have any topics you'd want to hear more on.

#newcomertocanada