Michael Issa
- Erin Pearson
- Jul 3, 2018
- 2 min read
“I speak Arabic, English, French, and basic Spanish. I am originally from Lebanon, and I have lived in Canada for almost 18 years now. Canada is a great country for newcomers, especially the Maritimes. Depending on where they’re coming from, it’s a different lifestyle. There can be more room to develop their career, grow their family, and the cost of living is not too high. Like I said, it depends. Increasing immigration into New Brunswick would definitely help the province grow. There are fewer people moving here, so the more newcomers the better it is for the province.
I majored in Finance and minored in Economics at UNB Fredericton. In the past, I worked with the Department of Social Development as a career development officer working with income assistance. I wouldn't say working with newcomers was the first thing I wanted to do, but I saw the opportunity and took on the challenge. It turned out to be something I really enjoy doing.
Today, I assist with job searching and career exploration, skills enhancement, and job maintenance. By career exploration, we help them decide if they want to continue studying, we research universities, or determine what careers and programs interest them. When we help with job searching, we work on cover letters, resumes, mock interviews, and an elevator pitch.
I love working with various people from all over the world, helping them integrate here and get more settled, whether through finances, career development, or job searching. I just love helping people. I definitely feel I'm making a difference in the lives of the newcomers I work with. It’s been tough in some ways, but very interesting.”
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