With a purpose, Esther Hephzibah relocated from Nigeria to Canada.

“When I relocated from Nigeria to the other side of the globe, my expectations were different. I believed I was starting a better life, the woman admitted.

Her employment search in New Brunswick has been filled with tales of disappointment, loss, and dashed hopes.

Nevertheless, in spite of her struggles, she has succeeded in building an award-winning coaching company called Shine Transformation Consulting Solutions that helps immigrant women live lives with meaning. But getting there wasn’t simple.

Hephzibah, a young single mother from Lagos, Nigeria in West Africa, relocated to Saint John in 2015.

She had a strong resume. One of the largest publicly traded oil and gas firms in the world, ExxonMobil, had employed her as a project manager. She had also worked in logistics and leadership support administration.

She made the choice to go to Canada with her kids in order to improve their quality of life.

However, despite having spent $40,000 on her MBA at the University of New Brunswick and having a stellar academic record and prior experience working abroad, Hephzibah was unable to find employment that met her requirements.

I had to perform cleaning duties. I had to provide home care. It’s not like there are any issues with this work, really. But I didn’t anticipate that,” she replied.

Hephzibah claimed that she encountered obstacles based on culture, covert prejudice, and the harsh realities of the Canadian labour market. She claimed that when it comes to immigrants, having lived in Canada typically takes precedence over their training and abilities.

To increase her chances of landing a job interview, she was told to change her last name, remove Nigeria from her resume, and practise speaking softly. These advice did not make her feel at home.