When I first “met” my protégé Marco, I found him to be very verbal. Whereas I wrote short, succinct e-mails, Marco took the time to write replies that were one or two pages long. I was impressed with his openness and the way he expressed himself in English, despite the fact that Spanish was his first language. Marco is from Colombia and has a degree in computer programming as well as four years experience in his field. I’m a writer and university instructor, with no expertise in the IT field. Because he was so expressive, I connected with him immediately.

Marco asked me to look over his résumé and cover letter and I helped him to polish them before he sent them out. I also gave him some ideas about where he could send his résumé and how to approach his job search. Finally, I told him about behavioural interviewing and gave him examples of the kinds of questions he might face in an interview.

Since many people find jobs in the “hidden job market”, I started asking people I knew if they knew anyone who was looking for a computer programmer. Through one of my contacts Marco went to his first interview, which gave him the opportunity to practice his interview skills. Eventually, another friend of a friend agreed to interview him and actually offered him a job. Marco has been working for her for a month, has rented a new apartment, and is awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend next month, who is also immigrating to Canada from Colombia. He’s only been here four months and is well on his way.

I found it very gratifying to help someone as bright and motivated as Marco and he is thrilled that he found a job so quickly. It paid off for both of us!