As a wholesaler, we supply discount stores with building materials such as tools, paints – anything that involves repair.
I studied in Paris, France, doing translation. My parents were living in Syria, so I moved back there and studied English language and literature at the University of Damascus. When I came to Canada much later, I did a post-graduate certificate in human resources management at Seneca College.
After I graduated from university in France and started working in translation, I didn’t really fall in love with it because I ended up working in areas that had little to do with translation.
I fell in love with HR. It’s all about dealing with people, and I love that. I also love it because if a company has a good HR system, it succeeds. A good HR system can motivate employees and improve performance.
The Seneca program gave me technical knowledge. I knew the hands-on approach, because I learned as a I went, but at interviews I’d be asked, “How do we know you know how to do things you say you do?”
There is a big difference between the situation I came from and what Canadian legislation requires from an HR point of view. This was bridged through the program, so I learned a lot about the legislative framework, the law and the Human Rights Code.
I also learned about multicultural environments. Although I travelled a lot, I never actually lived in a multicultural environment.
The job hunt was the worst experience ever. I tell people not to come here if they don’t have a job, or to get a Canadian certificate before they come. Do it online. Once you’re here, it drains your funds.
I’m a single mom. I have kids, and I had to [support them] for three years without any income. I was sitting here applying for work. Everybody would tell me, “You lack Canadian experience.” How can I get Canadian experience if I don’t have a job? The ones I got were the little jobs and part-time jobs. A lot of people in the Seneca program had the same problem. They were working at Tim Hortons or at call centres to make ends meet.
I got this employment opportunity through a connection I didn’t just apply. A friend referred me, someone who’d worked with me, and said, “Listen, she’s really good. You have to give her a try.” That’s how I got my current position.
On the job, I learn most from work injuries. Dealing with WSIB involves a big learning curve, because what you study in the program covers only 2 per cent of what you do in practice.
Firing people is the most stressful part of being in HR. The program gave me a lot of insight about how to deal with it, especially the psychology.
As a person working in HR, you need to be very friendly yet very assertive. You have to know where to draw the line. I know when to say, “Okay, let’s get back to work.” I’m doing a very good job at work , but being able to draw the line in every aspect of it is very important.
