Hello Readers, It has been one year in Canada and I want to share my experience with you all. I will share my journey in 5 parts that will not only motivate you but you will be learning life lessons along with my journey here.

So, before moving forward, there are tons of ups and downs I faced in this year. Those who already know me know how fond I am of reading books. I got the kind of environment here, I needed to move forward towards my goals in life. How it feels to be in a different country, it also has a different challenge in life. So, let’s begin!!

1. Arrival and first impression: Let me share my Initial experience upon arrival at Toronto International Pearson’s Airport. For a middle class boy, seating an airplane for the first time is a dream and this dream was mine was fulfilled on October 27th, 2024. And when I landed at the Airport, my wife Harpreet was waiting for me there. We were so happy seeing each other. We booked a cab and were on our way home, on the way I saw the big highways, buildings of Canada, colorful trees (it was fall season that time – which is one of the beautiful season in Canada every year). There was a little fear and excitement also that how the coming days and months will be here.
2. Navigating life as a Newcomer: When someone comes alone in Canada, it is a very challenging part for him to settle down and see accommodation. But it was a bit easy for me, because Harpreet was already living here for 6 months, so I just had to go home and keep the clothes in closet. The biggest challenge was understanding local customs, or setting up essentials like bank account opening but we had a roommate in our flat who helped a lot in opening a bank account and getting a mobile SIM. Some other friends who gave a lot of guidance about applying for Jobs, local licenses. So, I thank people who helped me a lot as a newcomer in Canada.

3. Career and Learning Curve: Even before coming to Canada, I had done a lot of research about the current job market here and I came to know that the job market is also down a bit due to inflation. So, initially I met some people, by doing online research, I came to know that you need to have at least 3-4 years of experience, you must have some skills or certification that highlights your expertise. I used LinkedIn and Udemy Courses in Finance and Accounting that helped me. Though I already had 7 years of work experience in India. In the first 3 months, I gave a lot of interviews, on Zoom or sometimes going to direct offices, even I worked at FreshCo (Grocery Store like Walmart as a Grocery Clerk which was night shift job for a month) before getting a job in my own field. But they say, “Patience is the Key”. And I got the result after 3.5 months.

4. Personal Growth and Milestones: If you do not have any kind of income source and you are in a country where no one knows you, it becomes impossible to survive. But thank god, I have been reading self-help books in my life which kept me motivated and some habits which I kept doing daily and growing in life. (You can read my recent blog on building habits – https://readwithkeshav.com/2024/10/05/how-to-create-habits-that-stick/ ). Then I started going out, reached out to Canadians, tried to know more about the culture here and slowly my confidence was built. If you want to grow in life, then you have to get out from your home, learn something everyday, otherwise you will go on falling behind in life.

5. Future Aspirations: I can see multiple opportunities in Canada. My upcoming goal is to gain more knowledge about Canadian culture, their preferences, festivals celebrations, economy, business opportunities. I am also excited about learning French language because in Quebec and Montreal cities, people speak French and I see many job opportunities for Bilingual speakers. And learning a new language will always boost your carrier, can increase your brain power, will strengthen concentration and memory.

In a conclusion, I would like to say that the opportunity is everywhere. The struggle that I saw by coming to the Canada, staying away from the loved ones, and the spirit of slowly moving forward towards my goals teaches me a lot. I loved sharing my journey with you. If you liked one of these parts mentioned above, please let me know by commenting or your thoughts.

You can also reach out to me at keshav.sarin@outlook.com 📩