BRIDGING FORWARD

MATEO, EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES (EFS) CLIENT.

April 12^th, 2018.

In 2002, Mateo received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in his home country of Chile. International internships in the financial industry followed, in both England and Argentina. In Switzerland, he added a Master’s degree in Finance, and served a brief internship.

Through the Professional Skills programme, he arrived in Canada in 2016. Initially, he worked in a start-up for about a year.

To increase his opportunities for advancement, Mateo sought to broaden his network, access the job market more effectively, and gain more Canadian experience. He enrolled in Seneca’s Professional Excellence in Financial Services Bridging Programme (EFS) because it would help him achieve these goals. 

“EFS is a very useful programme. It offers a lot of insights and tools to prepare you for the job search. Getting a job in Toronto is not easy, especially for newcomers; you have to compete with lots of professionals. You have to get to know the dynamics here, which are different,” than in other regions of the world where he has lived.

The accelerated Bridging Programmes, including EFS, are government-funded, employment-focused programmes, designed specifically for internationally-trained professionals. They are intended to launch skilled newcomers into positions that match their previous skills and experience, in the shortest time possible. Participants receive industry-developed curriculum, instructors who are leading industry professionals, and access to expert employment consultation, as well as opportunities to secure paid employment. The focus is on high-demand fields with strong employment prospects, such as Financial Services.

Mateo found the EFS programme to be, “A very positive experience. I met very interesting people, and got the opportunity to network and get to know the job market.”

He found the expert employment consultation, particularly the job search and interview skills coaching and professional assessment of his LinkedIn profile, to be the most valuable aspects of the programme.

Mateo is currently employed as a Financial Analyst with a national charity.

His advice to those considering the EFS programme: “I would recommend the programme to anyone who asks me.” He added that job seekers should take the opportunity, “to get to know people in your situation; professors, classmates and people that can help you.”

The accelerated Bridging Programmes, including Excellence In Financial Services, are government-funded, employment-focused programmes, designed specifically for internationally-trained professionals. To find out more, go to www.workforceready.ca.