Host Mentoring - Potential Mentees

Who is eligible to become a mentee?

The program is open to Permanent Residents, Refugees, and Naturalized Canadian Citizens who are:

• Already trained in a highly skilled profession
• Committed to staying in Victoria
• Ready to begin a career in their field in Canada
• Referred by an ICA Settlement Worker or other appropriate source
 

How does a mentee benefit from the match?

Mentees can benefit from this program by:

• Receiving friendly advice, support, and encouragement;
• Accessing unadvertised jobs;
• Gaining confidence in the Canadian and local context;
• Learning more about the local job market;
• Discussing professional credentials, education, and work experience;
• Building useful networks of professionals and potential colleagues;
• Gaining awareness of broader services and systems in the community;
• Accessing career-related programs, services, and resources;
• Improving ability to use job specific language in conversation;
• Learning about Canadian workplace culture and occupational practices; and
• Gaining knowledge of Canadian and BC culture in general.
 

Can I expect to get a job through this experience?

Although the ultimate goal of most mentees is to find work in their career field, mentorship is not a job placement service. It is a tool that helps to increase marketability and employability. Mentors provide mentees with the information and tools that they need to seek out and land a job on their own. Host Mentoring Services is also not a career counseling service. Mentees need to desire to get back into their already established career path or something related.

For more information about becoming a mentee, contact Karolien Swaak at kswaakicavictoria [dot] org or 250-388-4728 ext. 122.