Moving to another country can be tough, almost as tough as deciding on a career. But, as Rupinder Phagura discovered, it’s possible to do both, and thrive. An international student from the UK, Rupinder travelled to Canada to take Centennial’s Human Resources Management Program. She then took what she learned to secure a position at Mars Canada, a company that has nothing to do with the planet, and everything to do with chocolate and candy. Here’s what she learned on her sweet path to success, and what international students following in her footsteps should know, too.
Honing in on the best fit
"In the UK, I studied Human Resources management, and Travel and Tourism as a joint Honours degree," Rupinder says, "because I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And I just kind of fell into HR because my mom was in HR." She settled on an unusual approach to figuring it out: Using short-term contract jobs to her advantage, taking three-month contract roles in finance, marketing, procurement and human resources.
And how did it turn out?
"Human Resources was the role that gave me the most satisfaction," she concluded, "because within HR, you're working with people. And ultimately, it's almost like doing a service for individuals. I got a satisfaction out of that."
On coming to Canada
"I got to a point where I decided I'm young enough to try work in another country before I settle down anywhere – I had no commitments in that respect," Rupinder explains. Although she had never visited Canada, she decided to come here. Outside of the desire to travel, there was a more practical, career-related reason for her journey abroad.
"I wanted to understand Human Resources within Canada," she says. "Employment law, workplace best practice, processes, policies and culture are very different to those of the UK. To put myself in the best position to enter work I thought why not take a year just to study. And Centennial had a good reputation for international students!"
The practical side of Human Resource Management
"It was brilliant at helping me with hands-on projects where you're not just writing an essay," Rupinder says about her time in Centennial College’s Human Resource Management program. "You’re collaborating with others who have very different opinions to you. You have to adjust, communicate well, and work cross-functionally."
"We had regular debates sometimes in the form of tribunals during class replicating real life scenarios," she explains. "We were given case studies, with some prep time. You’ve got an opposing team and are not allowed to discuss anything with them, no idea what they're going to come up with, and you really sort of fight it out using laws, acts and previous cases. I thrived on that, I really enjoyed those."
"You have to work together with your team to know who's going to talk about what, to make sure you don’t contradict one another, and make sure we refer back to legal cases that have happened," she says.
"As part of the Recruitment and Selection module, we had to see a job through from the point of wanting to hire, to onboarding," she adds, as another example. The assignment taught her how to put together a job description and the related labour market assessment and advertising, and how to conduct an interview panel and assess the candidate against a criteria. "We had to justify how we chose the candidate, really make sure you're subjective and not being biased or discriminating in any way. The scoring assessment was insightful, it did differ to the UK."
The theory was important, too
While on-your-feet learning is important, the program also covered the equally important theoretical side to Human Resources. And when something as important as the law is concerned, the College makes sure it’s covered in detail.
"Employment law is one of the biggest things that I have to be very mindful of in my role," she says. "We also learn about best practice processes, how things should be done, the right steps to take, as well as learning about the workplace culture in Canada and how it can differ. And, you know, it does differ to the UK."
"The professors that I had at Centennial, they were really, really good," she adds. "And I felt like they wanted to see us succeed. I remember my accounts management professor, she stayed on two hours after class with three of us. I was not a numbers person, and one of my modules was accounts management."
Her secret to success: Do a co-op!
While Human Resources Management curriculum doesn’t directly involve co-op, the option is still available for Centennial College students, and Rupinder credits her decision to take a co-op in her second semester with helping her transition from education to career.
"I did not originally enrol into a co-op program," Rupinder says. "And I honestly thrived at Mars. The projects I got to work on were really, really good. I would say some of my biggest achievements in my career, and I'm talking about a eight year career span that I've got. Not to mention, I got free chocolates."
"I cannot reiterate enough how important a co-op is, especially for someone like me as an international student, who didn’t have Canadian experience,” she asserts. “It’s a great way to test the market, and even get your foot in the door."
What she does now
Today, Rupinder is a Talent Acquisition Partner for Mars Canada, where she uses alternative recruitment strategies to attract different generations, and collaborate with managers across Mars to find them the top skilled associates. She also does some project work, most recently focusing on employer engagement through social media.
Not only is it a job she likes, it’s the career she always wanted.
"Mars has been my employer of choice since I was a kid," she says, "to work here really makes me feel like I have achieved something. I applied here twice before when in the UK, and I never got the job. Without the co-op, I wouldn't be working at Mars."
Her tips for students: Work hard, make friends, and follow your dreams
"Hard work is really important," Rupinder says. "It's going to take up more time than you think. And the more effort you put into your self-study, the better you're going to do." But at the same time, Rupinder says to remember that the people around you are just as important as the work you’re doing.
"Make sure you network with people in your classes," she says, "because you never know when you're going to cross paths again, when you might need a role, or they might need a role. So stay connected with one another.”
"And I don't know if this is really cliché, but follow your dream!" She adds. "I wouldn't be on Mars otherwise, I really wouldn't."