When Archana moved to North York in 2016 from India, she believed landing a job would be fairly straightforward. Despite 10 years of experience as a senior financial analyst at a multinational investment firm, she struggled to find work. Archana attended an employment skills workshop at North York Community House, applied for jobs on a daily basis and attended interview after interview. She worked temporarily at a call centre, where her co-workers were just like her: qualified, educated newcomers who were struggling to find work and make use of their skills. Without Canadian work experience and permanent residency, Archana wasn’t getting any job offers, but she didn’t get discouraged. “I wanted to come to this country. I was dreaming of it. So I thought that a little more hard work would get me the results I want.”Archana’s persistence paid off in October 2017, when she was hired full time by a large national bank. Archana knows her past experience will help her quickly move beyond her entry-level position into a more senior role. Looking back, she thinks recruiters can do a better job at giving constructive feedback to candidates: “Newcomers have sacrificed a lot, and they have come here with some hope. If I were a recruiter, I’d want to be part of that hope.”