Overcoming the "Canadian Experience" Objection

In November of last year, the Ontario government proposed new legislation aimed at eradicating the famous "Canadian Experience" objection encountered by many immigrants during job applications. Although its approval remains unclear, the persistence of this issue regardless of a legislation it is important to continue to be proactive to overcome this potential objection. Drawing from my personal experience with this objection, I aim to share tips, tricks, and reflections to empower individuals seeking employment navigate this topic and help them prevail using their skills, experience, and credentials, regardless of the existence of a law. During this past year, while on maternity leave, I also supported newcomer professionals, helping them build networks and providing a sense of encouragement in their pursuit of success in Canada. The repetition of the advice and the memories of great people that supported my journey, inspired me to compile and share these insights more widely.

My journey in Canada began 13 years ago with great excitement as I embarked on an MBA at a business school. Following the completion of my program and armed with extensive experience, particularly with Fortune 500 companies, I expected job hunting to be straightforward. However, like thousands of qualified and skilled individuals sharing similar aspirations, I encountered the formidable "Canadian Experience" dilemma. I often describe this as a "polite" form of discrimination mainly because not even Canadian students will have such experience upon graduation and this would not apply to local talent switching industries. While I acknowledge the importance of specific certifications for certain professions, my focus is on those roles that skilled professionals can undertake regardless of their previous work location. Examples include: strategy, sales, marketing, graphic design, project management, customer service, etc. Whenever faced with the objection, "you have no experience in Canada," I felt compelled to respond, "you don't have experience in Mexico, so you can't understand the similarities or differences either." Rejection fuelled my commitment to addressing this issue in various settings, whether at work, coaching newcomers, with my students, or challenging individuals holding such biases.

Here are eight strategies to significantly reduce the impact of the "Canadian Experience" objection:

1. First Impressions: If this is one of your initial roles in Canada, consider removing any reference to your city or country of origin from your resume. Allow your qualifications and experience to speak for themselves, creating a positive surprise for recruiters. A human resources professor gave me this advice, and after implementing it, I significantly increased the number of interviews I received. I even had two recruiters telling me “you should add in your resume that this experience was not in Canada…. Because we are looking for people with Canadian experience”. I genuinely thought this was funny, they were admitting they wouldn’t have called me, if they knew where I was from… mission accomplished! Please note that today, I do share my international experience when I am meeting with people for career development conversations, and in this climate, it has become something recruiters and diverse companies welcome.

2. Volunteer and Demonstrate Worth: Engage in volunteer work within your industry or a related field. This not only builds a valuable network but also enhances your understanding of Canadian values and community dynamics, while tapping into the “hidden job market” and earning possible recommendations and endorsements for jobs.

3. Find “Yes and…” people: Seek out people who are willing to guide you through the process. Establish connections with mentors and advocates who can provide insights and open doors. I have a list of people that I have met that not only became cheerleaders in my journey, but also coached me to get some traction, opened doors and kept me from making terrible decisions. These caring leaders were my inspiration to write today. You can find individuals like these in Facebook groups, LinkedIn, your religious community, or your network, and when you do, ask what would they do if they faced the same situation you’re going through.

4. Knowledge is Power: Be well-informed about the market, your role, and the culture. Examples to demonstrate industry acumen are:

• Understand the numbers, and trends enabling you to articulate your preparedness and challenge objections. For instance, a colleague who recently posted about the importance of having diverse sales professionals in the Pharma industry and shared facts that showcased his deep understanding of the market, industry standards and customers, like: 1) Number of immigrants arriving to this country, describing a changing patient population. 2) Due to challenges in residency spots for physicians in Canada, a large number of family doctors have been internationally trained. 3)The most rigorous clinical trials will now have specific targets to have patients from demographics that mimic the international population.
• Familiarize yourself with local industry certifications, regulations, laws and customer expectations. Educating yourself on local rules or acquiring relevant certifications and proactively addressing potential contrasts in interviews can set you apart showing you understand what to expect.
• Identify Cultural Contrasts: Learn about cultural differences, both in the workplace and in professional settings. Utilize resources such as Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions as a reference and seek advice from professionals and friends to navigate cultural expectations successfully. Do not underestimate this point, a friend once told me that he didn’t know he was “expected to speak at all the meetings he was attending”. I, on the other hand, learned that circulating an agenda in advance is welcome and helps structure the conversation and people can prepare. I also realized that meeting times in Canada are firm; a 30 minute meeting is exactly 30 minutes long and typically going over time because of chatter or lack of planning is not welcome. FYI, most people I’ve worked with in Canada welcome chatter, jokes and coffee, just not DURING the meeting.?

5. Learn About Immigration and Hiring Processes: Gain knowledge about immigration laws and hiring processes to assist both yourself and potential employers. Once in the hiring? process, proactively share a list of required documents and information to ease the burden on HR professionals. In most cases, HR teams in small or medium sized companies have not been trained on the documents needed to hire internationally trained professionals nor have the resources to get support. Going above and beyond to make this process smoother will go a long way. I can share that at least two times, recruiters have told me that they didn’t know the documents I needed to provide to be hired and “had to look into it”. Another time, an offer was revoked because they failed to read about my working status in Canada. Help them and be proactive in this process. By the way, don’t worry, after the revoked offer, I got a better one at the same place because I pushed back.

6. Challenge Back: Develop the confidence to challenge back when faced with biased objections. Pose thoughtful questions that encourage recruiters to reevaluate their assumptions and biases like: “Why would you say that?” “Can you explain your rationale?” “In YOUR experience how different is working in Mexico (in my case) than working in Canada?”. Took me a few years to feel comfortable doing this, you’ll get there.

7. Ask for Feedback: Seek feedback on your job applications and interviews. Use constructive criticism to refine your skills and discard any unfounded negative feedback. I enhanced my interview skills by becoming more succinct, applying the STAR method, and emphasizing my individual accomplishments rather than focusing on 'the team.' My Mexican collectivist mindset sometimes diluted the impact of my achievements in interviews, and the feedback I received proved invaluable.

8. Help Others: Share your experiences, tips, and tricks with others in your industry. Open doors for fellow professionals, provide referrals, and contribute to a supportive network.

By implementing these strategies, individuals can overcome the "Canadian Experience" objection, fostering a more inclusive and diverse job market in Canada.

I hope the points above are valuable to anyone seeking a role in Canada with experience and credentials from a different country. I also ask that anyone who reads this, shares an experience or challenges they witnessed and how they overcame those, sharing is caring! Lastly, to my “yes, and… people”, I am forever grateful for your time, kindness and expertise that in one way or another got me to a place where this is no longer an objection and I can help others.