E31: Denys Smushko on hitting the ground running

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Denys Smushko, international student turned community connector via his work at RBC Bank.

Denys moved to Canada within six months. He then spent one year in Olds, a town in Central Alberta, working with a group of Ukrainians at a hardware store.

Talk about a soft landing.

But things got hairy once he decided to go to school.

It even got more complicated when it was time to get a job. Denys describes struggling with self-doubt, questioning himself, and thinking he wasn’t good enough.

Today, Denys helps other immigrants settle in via the RBC Newcomers program. He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* His honeymoon phase and the subsequent reality check

* The stuff he sees immigrants get wrong when trying to settle in

* His how to hit the ground running playbook

* Job hunting in Canada vs. back home in Ukraine

* The RBC Newcomers program, how they help immigrants, and more.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Denys on LinkedIn

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