Hey everyone, I've been in Canada for 5 years now, and during this time, I have hopped on a lot of different jobs and roles that I would love to share about. There were times when I had multiple positions at once and kept myself really busy.
In fact, I was fired from my very first job ! Yep, that’s right.
I will share how I got these jobs, a little about them and how I moved on to the next ones. If you do have any questions or would like to know more about any of these, you can simply leave a comment or contact me. For timelines of these jobs, the best would be to check my LinkedIn. So, let's dive in.
1. A & W:
I heard about this job from my uncle’s friend who used to work there and gave my name as a recommendation. As most of you might know, it is a fast-food restaurant. I got the job easily in my second month of being in Canada, after a simple interview and maybe that is why I took it for granted. I changed my schedule quite a few times in the first two weeks as I tried to align it with my school schedule, which resulted in a bad impression, and I lost the job.
I was sad and worried, so I kept applying for more jobs. And I got a call from Tim Horton’s.
2. Tim Horton’s:
Yes, the well-known quick-service restaurant chain. I was called in for an interview as they were actively hiring and after 2 scheduled interviews I got the job. I was determined to perform well and work around my schedule. I worked there for 9 amazing months before I changed my address and wanted to work close to my new apartment.
Read full experience here: 'https://www.bavlyfe.com/post/my-experience-working-at-tim-hortons-tim-hortons-job-review'.
However, during that time COVID hit and only essential jobs were running. Restaurant staff were laid off, so for around two and a half months I did not have a fixed part-time job, and I had recently moved.
Luckily, I was in my second year of university by then, so I got a marker position for first-year courses.
I have a detailed blogpost on my all my University jobs experience that you can find here: Working at University of Winnipeg
3. Student Marker and Exam Proctor, University of Winnipeg: I had completed 30 credit hours with good academic standing, so I worked as a marker and also assisted my professors with proctoring exams. It was a flexible position, and we would work only when there were assignments or tests to mark.
I was always on the lookout for new opportunities, and I came across the Student Mentor position with the International, Immigration and Refugee Student Services department at the university.
4. Student Mentor, U of W: When I was in my first year, I had a mentor who helped me with various things, and I realized how important it is to have someone to guide you through your first year. As I entered my second year, I wanted to help newcomers and share information that I wished I had when I was new. Thus, I knew this was exactly the kind of position I would like to hold. With my passion for helping students and my knowledge of the university, I got the job and worked with an amazing team helping first-year students.
At that time, I was living on my own and had bills to pay, so I was constantly looking for a permanent part-time job and finally heard back from Walmart.
5. Cashier, Walmart:
The multinational retail corporation. I got hired as a cashier and made my way to being on the customer service desk. I got the opportunity of promotion, but it was a full-time position which being a student, I could not take at that time. It was a nice, fun job and improved my people skills. I had reduced my hours of work because of a new job which I will talk about, but I have two more positions to share before that.
6. Student Ambassador, U of W: As I entered my third year, I saw the opening for this position on the university’s employment site and applied right away. Again, with my passion for working for students and my knowledge of the university’s services, I got the job, and I worked with an amazing team to help new students.
As I said, I was always on the lookout for opportunities, I found the work-study program offered by the university and applied for the Awards Student Assistant position with the Awards and Financial Aid department.
7. Awards Student Assistant, U of W: I had been to the office quite a few times during my 1st and 2nd year, plus I used the website a lot, and thus I was aware of the services they provide and was confident about my skills. I aced the interview, and I worked on independent projects under the supervision of department staff members.
Now everything was on track, and I was enjoying working all these positions when I got a call from a government administration office regarding a job opportunity. I had registered in the STEP services. It stands for Student Transition Employment Program. It is offered by the government, where we can make profiles highlighting our skills and interests. When there are certain job openings, employers contact the students who match the job description and offer an interview.
I was thrilled to get the call and said yes right away. All I had to do was worry about adjusting my schedule from Walmart to maintain the 20-hour/week restriction being an international student. I eventually went on Leave of Absence at Walmart for about 5 months.
8. STEP Student (Data Entry), Manitoba Tax Assistance Office:
I had always wanted to work in a government organization, and this was my chance. Even though it was a contract position, I knew how valuable this experience would be for my future endeavors. Main duties included data entry, digitization of files, record keeping, mailing letters and other clerical tasks. I was learning every day and loving every single part of my job, or I should say jobs. Since it was a student job, I had to leave after I completed my studies and graduated.
With my graduation, I also had to end both my student jobs on campus. I applied for my work permit and returned to Walmart as a full-time cashier. Now, I had the allowance of working more than 20 hours so I rooted for a management position.
9. Customer Service Manager, Walmart:
Our team had a new Assistant Manager with whom I had not worked before and all he knew about me was that I was a cashier returning to work after 5 months of leave. I had to make sure he was aware of my plans and intentions for employment and growth with the company. I scheduled a meeting with him informing him about my experience and I emphasized my knowledge of the CSM duties (it was the role right above a cashier). I took a sheet of paper with me where I noted down all the information I had about CSM’s day-to-day tasks and explained to him why I would be a good person for the position. Within one month of my return, I was promoted to that position. Yayy!
I was working 37.5-40 hours a week with a rotating schedule, and I had more time on my hands, so I kept looking for part-time jobs and came across the St. Vital Mall Jobs Board.
10. Seasonal Customer Service Representative, St. Vital Mall: I sent an email to the hiring manager with my resume and in the email body I mentioned my significant customer service experience. I emphasized the fact that I live close to the mall and have an easy commute making me a good candidate for the role. I received an email for an interview the same day within the next 5 hours. I worked mornings (9-1) at the mall and then made my way to Walmart (1.30-10) few days a week. Honestly, the job was pretty boring, and I don’t think I would ever work in a mall again. It was mainly answering calls and loading gift cards. It was seasonal so I only worked there for one and a half month.
I had also applied for a City of Winnipeg job in the transit department. I applied in October 2022 and after all the formalities and onboarding process, I started the position in February 2023 and am still employed there.
11. Customer Service Rep, Winnipeg Transit Plus: It’s a work-from-home job with a fixed part-time schedule (4 hours, 5 days a week). Winnipeg Transit Plus is a service of Winnipeg’s public transit system that provides door-to-door transportation for people who are unable to regularly use the City’s fixed route transit system because of a physical disability. My job is to answer calls from registrants and book their trips. It’s a pretty easy and comfortable job and I have the benefit of working from home. I am truly grateful for this position.
Throughout all these jobs, I realized how much I love working with people and I was highly inclined towards a career in Human resources. However, I did not have an education component in that field which most jobs required. So, I focused on the HR department in our store (Walmart, remember I was working as a CSM too that time)
12. Personnel Manager, Walmart:
Each store has a Personnel Manager which is an administrative human resources position focused on the store level. No education is required for this position but some skills and administrative experience which I had plenty of. I first met our personnel manager to learn about the role and then I spoke to our Store manager about my interests. As a CSM, I had gone above and beyond in my duties, took initiative and worked well which was well-noticed by my store manager. She is always interested in associates’ growth and development, so she set up an interview for me with our HR Business Partner.
After about a month, our current personnel manager was transferred to a new role in a similar department, and I was offered this position. Woo-hoo!
So, currently, I am working as a Personnel Manager at Walmart and working part-time from home with the City of Winnipeg. I am grateful for both my jobs and go to bed thanking god for all I have achieved.
Further, I wish to study Human Resource Management and then go for a CPHR designation. Wish me luck !!
Update: December 2024
13.Analyst, Global Mobility | Walmart:
I am so happy to share that I have started a new role as Global Mobility Analyst with Walmart Home office in Calgary !!!! I got my PR in May 2024 and decided to move out of Winnipeg. After applying to so many jobs, and receiving rejections, I finally got a way better role!! I was settling for less but god had bigger plans for me! Read all about my journey here: A New Job, A New City, and A New Journey!
Oh, and I left my job at City of Winnipeg. Why? You can read here: Working at the City of Winnipeg: My Journey and Why I Left.
Thank you for following along! Now that I am in Calgary, I will be focusing my posts around this new city.
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