Mentorship can be a powerful bridge between experience and opportunity. For newcomers building a career in Canada, connecting with someone who understands their field and can share knowledge, guidance, and encouragement can make a meaningful difference. Impact North Shore’s Employment Mentoring Program creates these connections, bringing professional immigrants together with Canadian professionals in their field to help them build a pathway to successful employment.
For Zahra, that journey has come full circle.
When Zahra first arrived in Canada as an experienced educator, she quickly realized that having professional skills and experience was only part of the picture. “Coming to Canada as an adult, you suppose that you have everything in your toolbox. I didn’t understand the culture and felt so lost.”
Through Impact North Shore’s Employment Services, Zahra gained a better understanding of the Canadian job market and explored pathways to build her career. Along the way, she also found something just as important: connection and belonging. “Within the community of Impact North Shore, I had the chance to find myself, to understand that I am not alone, and that I belong.”
Her journey continued beyond receiving support. Zahra volunteered with Impact North Shore, built a successful childcare business in North Vancouver, and began sharing her own knowledge as a practicum instructor and mentor.
Today, she has returned to Impact North Shore as a mentor in the Employment Mentoring Program, supporting newcomers who are looking to build careers in childcare in Canada. For Zahra, sharing what she has learned is a natural extension of her own experience.
“Everybody has some core values, something inside you that motivates you. Helping people is mine.”
Mentorship is a two-way exchange, where knowledge, experience, relationships, and encouragement come together to create new opportunities for growth and success. When people share what they know and support one another’s goals, individuals can build their careers while contributing to stronger workplaces and communities
