Obstacles to finding skilled employment for Immigrant Women

A casebook example of systemic discrimination
These results highlight a situation of systemic discrimination brought about by several factors: sex, part of a visible minority group, and of foreign origin. This cross discrimination permeates practices, behaviors, and influential policy makers such as the State, businesses, professional associations, universities and the immigrated family.
Discrimination in the workplace: the concrete ceiling
Discrimination in the workplace can be explicit or implicit i.e. concealed in seemingly objective professional requirements (modern racism and sexism).
Some of the obstacles identified by the study are:

• Difficult to have qualifications and foreign diplomas acknowledged;
• Refusal to hire someone who speaks with a foreign accent, refusal to acknowledge work experience acquired abroad, recruit employees through networks in which immigrants are absent;
• Discourteous remarks made during the average work day, increased overview of work performance, skepticism regarding their true competence, client hostility;
• Overrepresentation in precarious jobs with poor conditions, limited training and opportunities for advancement: telemarketing, small businesses, cleaning.

Adding to the difficulties of finding skilled employment these workers often face insurmountable obstacles juggling the demands of family and work. For instance:

• difficulty finding available daycare;
• imposition of difficult work hours (working nights or weekends);
• long route between work and home.

The Quebec diploma: a guarantee for success?
A diploma acquired in Quebec doesn't necessarily improve the fate of these women. Recent research has shown that acquiring a diploma in the host country has a limited effect on professional integration and the risk of deskilling.

http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/udem-news/news/being-an-immigrant-and-a-woman-two-major-obstacles-to-finding-skilled-employment.html

have you read the article?  Please post your suggestions for how immigrant women can overcome these difficulties before the government get around to changing policies.  How can we use network to help other immigrant women land jobs. 

IMMIGRANT WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE

What are immigrants' experiences of discrimination in the workplace?" Using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC), findings from this report include:

 Visible minority immigrants are more than twice as likely as white immigrants to perceive discrimination when we control for gender, education and fluency in Canada's official languages

 For visible minority immigrants, fluency in English or French increases reports of discrimination in the workplace.

 For white immigrants, fluency in English or French decreases perceived discrimination in the workplace.

 Visible minorities who speak English or French fluently are more likely than white immigrants with comparable language skills to report workplace discrimination.

 Immigrant men are more likely than immigrant women to report discrimination overall and in the workplace.

 Immigrants who report discrimination have less family income and lower job satisfaction than those who do not report discrimination.

 Immigrants with post-secondary education report more workplace discrimination than those with less education. The report and presentation can be downloaded for free from the Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative (TIEDI) York University's website at http://www.yorku.ca/tiedi/pubreports21.html. For more information, please contact tiedi@yorku.ca.

Amazing story of a young writer Amanda Hocking who followed her calling

There are many immigrant women who love to write but is afraid to put pen to paper for many reason. Do what you love to do and the rewards will come. This is an inspiring story of a young woman who published her first e-book and now she has just signed a multi-million dollar contract with an established publisher.  These days business people in the arts - books, music, visual art etc. do not want to take too much risk on the unknown, therefore you have to take a risk on yourself, just do it and then when you do those business people will come forward with the financial energy to help you. Follow your heart and take charge of your dreams.

By the time she was 17, Hocking had completed her first novel, “Dreams I Can’t Remember,” which she sent to every agent she could find through Google and “Writer’s Market.” All of them — “about 50,” she said — rejected her, mostly with form letters. Today she doesn’t think the agents made a mistake, and blames her query letter as much as the work itself. “I was whiny and depressed and thought life was going to be handed to me.”       

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/magazine/amanda-hocking-storyseller.html?_

Tips on increasing your power in the workplace

Jeffrey  Pfiffer's  book Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't  recommends a few simple steps you can take to increase your power:

(1)  be visible;

 (2)  emphasize the aspects you're good at;

(3) make those in power feel good about themselves;

 (4) if you must point out a mistake by someone in power, blame the situation or others; and shower those above with flattery.

Bottom line: worry about your relationship with your boss more than you worry about your performance.

It is unfortunate but in this world where some of us allow our egos to run rampant, to ensure that you have a comfortable work experience you might need to adopt some of these measure.   In fact I agree with all these points except number 4.  If you can't speak the truth, don't speak at all. Do not blame anyone. Your boss knows fully well when the mistake is theirs. 

I think it is important for women and especially immigrant women to be conscious of who holds power in the workplace and to not make ruffles with those in power because they have the power to hire and to fire. Unless you are independently wealthy or have another job waiting for you, do what you can to remain neutral and cordial in the workplace.

A great woman in history

Read about the secret of her success and learn from her.

....After completing six grades at the elementary school that "did not do much to prepare" her, Scott enrolled in Lincoln High School in Marion, Alabama Lincoln "was as good as any school, white or black, in the area," said Scott She developed an interest in music at Lincoln and, with encouragement from her teachers, decided to pursue a career in it In 1945 Scott graduated as valedictorian (the student having the highest grades) of her high school class and won a scholarship to Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio Eager to leave the South, Scott enrolled at Antioch only to discover that racism (a dislike or disrespect of someone solely based on his or her race) was very much alive there also Being the first African American to major in elementary education at Antioch created problems for her Such a major required a two-year internship, or training period—one year teaching in the Antioch private elementary school and the other in the Ohio public schools The year at the Antioch school, where Scott taught music, went well The Yellow Springs school board, however, refused to allow Scott to teach in its school system because of her race The student body was integrated, meaning that it contained both black and white students, but the faculty (teachers and members of the administrative staff) was all white......
ProjectBlackMan.com - Great Black Women History - Coretta Scott King

Woman to Woman

I came to know Iyanla Vanzant's from my teenage daughters. They were all hooked on this woman's words. It's as if she had discovered a secret language of teenagers and was connecting to them in a dynamic way. Her words were simple and integral. She was an easy read. I knew she was on Oprah and then she was not. I never knew what went down but she appeared on one of  Oprah's farewell shows for a show down but it was a interview of revelations, mis-communication, misunderstandings and then the sky cleared  and the sun shone. This is a very imporant and eye opening interview for women. 
I invite you to read her story - how a woman had it all but because she did not know how to think about money lost it all. It is interesting that she said although she made millions, she could not shake her "welfare-mentality" thinking she had to spend all before she would get more. She lived from paycheck to paycheck and  when unemployment happened her tower came tumbling down. She was the woman who gave other women strength and advice on how to mend their lives but she could not mend her own.  This is the danger of advice giving instead of giving advice to each other how about if we share and learn from each other. We are all responsible for ourselves and we all are experts in our own lives, we know what to do but pretend not to so that others can take the blame for our misfortune. She talks about the loss of her daughter to cancer and her "broccoli breakdown in the grocery store. Very compelling story, she is a woman who has earned the right to speak her experience, she has something to share that most of us can relate to

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/How-Iyanla-Vanzant-Lost-Her-Marriage-House-and-Fortune/13