Taina Virtanen was born in Finland and has been living in Montreal since 2015. A stay that was originally planned to be just one year has turned into almost a decade of enjoying Montreal summers and culture. Upon arrival, she worked in various customer service roles which has since grown into a career as a Customer Success Manager.
YES: When did you start your job search journey and what were some of your goals when you started?
Taina Virtanen: I started my search in March 2022 and figured I would try YES and see what working with an employment counselor was like. At the time, my goal was not very clear to me as I wasn’t sure if I was changing positions, changing careers or some other third option I wasn’t even aware of yet.
YES: What stage are you at now? What have been your greatest achievements?
Taina Virtanen: I have been working at my new job for a month now with a company that truly feels like a cultural fit for me. I gained a better understanding of what motivates me, presenting myself at interviews with confidence, and acknowledging the things that I do well as much as the things that I do not enjoy.
YES: What were/are your biggest struggles?
Taina Virtanen: It was challenging for me to see the things I had done as accomplishments. You could say I had a bit of a blindfold on in terms of what my strengths were, but I had a lot of great experience to showcase! Working closely with my employment counselor was invaluable to me, in guiding me to understand the value of my skills, personality, and experience.
YES: What was the problem you were experiencing before you came into YES?
Taina Virtanen: I had no real direction on where to go next with my job search and I was getting overwhelmed trying to figure it out by myself, what I could do and what I wanted to do.
YES: What did you find as a result of using our services? What was the best thing about it?
Taina Virtanen: I was able to identify and highlight my strengths and understand that different positions offer different opportunities, that I had options, and that I can and do bring value to a potential employer. I also found value in meeting with other job seekers during the workshops I attended. Learning about their goals, challenges and successes was helpful to me as an online job search can feel a bit isolating at times.
YES: How do you feel about the service you have received from YES?
Taina Virtanen: The combination of working with an employment counselor and taking employment workshops was great! The workshops helped me learn the “technical” side of job search, such as interview skills, CV writing, understanding personality traits. The regular meetings with my employment counselor helped me to see the value that I could bring to positions and companies. My employment counselor helped me to find my focus in terms of what type of companies and positions could be a good fit for me.
YES: Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?
Taina Virtanen: Without the support from YES, my job search would have taken a lot longer and I do not believe I would have applied to positions that matched my skills and values. YES is a great resource for anyone looking to find their next position or change careers. You can truly find the level of support to help you on your journey to the next career adventure!
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