#31. How do we help immigrants access the hidden job market?
Simon Trevarthen of TRIEC has answers.
Helllooooo my Christmassy friend,
The snow is back. My weather app calls it sleet though.
Please don’t get tired of me asking this…but have you gotten your Newcomers X Canadian Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) merch yet?
Loads of folks love the hat by the way.
The campaign runs until December 24th, 2025. Every purchase counts, people. Purchase link here: The Newcomers Merchandise
In today’s newsletter: Simon Trevarthen of TRIEC talks about how they help immigrants access the hidden job market.
Plus: Part 1 of The Immigrant’s Guide to Small Talk with John Edward McGraw is live and out in the wild. Part 2 coming soon.
Also: Resharing some of the best things I’ve learned from 100 episodes of The Newcomers Podcast.
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You can find the online version of this newsletter here.
The Canadian hidden job market
The hidden job market is a thing in Canada. And for most folks new to the country, it trips them up like crazy. Plus, it doesn’t help that the individual is often caught up in the need to get some income in, because the bills aren’t waiting around.
Add in that most employers fill roles through networks, referrals, and connections they already trust, and the newcomer already has a structural disadvantage baked into their settlement period.
But there are ways around it.
Listen to the full episode with Simon Trevarthen here⤵
Why small talk matters more than you think in Canada
It’s a part of daily life. It happens at the counter at work, at school, on transit, with neighbours, even before your meetings start on Google Meet or whatever platform you use for virtual meetings.
And depending on what side of the fence you sit, people often judge friendliness and fit based on how comfortable you seem with casual conversation.
For a lot of immigrants, it can seem like a lot of work. And I get it.
Hoping the guide makes it easier for you going forward.
Read part 1 of The Immigrant’s Guide to Small Talk here⤵
32 lessons from 100 episodes
I am proud proud of this one. Over 100 hours of interviewing fellow immigrants and stakeholders for The Newcomers Podcast.
The best part is I’ve stopped feeling like the “other.” I now know I’m not the only one grasping for a foothold, trying to hold onto a world I used to know while settling into a new one.
Read the whole thing⤵
What else is interesting out there?
My friend O’Nell Agossa just launched his debut book, Curiosity and I on Amazon. My copy arrives on Friday. Here’s to hoping curiosity guides you to go order a copy.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship needs our support. Their job of making sure Canada makes full and proper use of we immigrants’ abilities is an important one in this day and time. You can give $5 or $5000. Anything you can help with, and most of your donation can be deducted from your income tax bill.