CanadaPinoys

Let me kick this section off with a story from my friend Tom (not his real name). I met Tom in 2001 during a school alumni reunion picnic. Tom applied for immigration to Canada in 1997. Due to his family and work situation, it took him 5 years before he finally decided to bring the whole family to Canada. When he arrived he brought along his wife and three children. At that time, his oldest daughter was 11 years old. He was a trader by profession. When he came over, he was able to get a job in a few months. He started as a customer service representative in one of the big telephone companies in Canada. This was a call center job which was very different from his line of work in the Philippines. He was glad to be able to secure a job. He had his eye on getting back into the financial industry, so he eventually moved over to one of the big banks as a customer service representative. Within the bank Tom kept on looking for positions to improve his position and leverage the skills and experience he had developed in his previous roles. He managed to get a position in Internal Audit. Using the same techniques, he then was able to secure another position in Risk Management.
Since Tom arrived in Canada in 2001, they now have 2 new additions to their family. They've chosen to settle down in Mississauga. They bought their house several years ago. Both husband and wife work full time. Tom relates how they have to budget expenses carefully as their eldest chiild now attends university, and they have 4 more to go! They have a big family even for Philippine standards, and I can see that they are happy with their way of life in Canada.