When Michael graduated from university with a degree in Computer Science in 2000, he believed that he would have an easy time finding a job — a good job too.
“In the late 90’s, everybody said, ‘Go into IT,’” Michael explains. “I was told, ‘Anybody who graduates here, [employers] will be at your doors banging down your door for a job.”
Having put in four years of hard work at university in his hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan, he was looking forward to getting a high-paying job with opportunities for advancement.
“It was an absolute guarantee — no ifs, ands, or buts. Then the [dot-com] bubble (new window) burst and everyone was unemployed,” he says.
He attributes some of his “mental health issues” to this. These issues, including OCD (new window), had kept him out of the workforce “for quite a while.”
Since then, he has moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and had re-entered the workforce. However, he wasn’t satisfied with the work he had been getting, most of which were minimum wage jobs that he didn’t have much interest in.
On his mother’s advice he turned to the Neil Squire Society. He made an appointment with the Burnaby office, and was referred to the Working Together program.
With the Working Together team, Michael worked on his job search abilities, learning about networking and informational interviews, and building up confidence.
“I came here, got a lot of great help. Learned a lot,” he says. “I learned all sorts of great job search [techniques] that I didn’t have before, which really helped.”
Before long, Michael found a job at Canada Post (new window) sorting mail. He works five days a week above minimum wage and really enjoys the workplace environment.
Michael “absolutely” recommends the Working Together program, complementing the staff for the positive experience.
“The [Neil Squire Society] deserves credit,” he says. “I wouldn’t [recommend it] if it wasn’t a fantastic program.”
The Working Together with Employers and Enhancing Employability
program is funded by the Government of Canada’s
Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities