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Our team recently had the pleasure of connecting with Ramandeep Kaur Kalra, a proud graduate of our Immigration Consultant Diploma Program. Read on to learn about her experiences in the program, the doors it has opened and how it has helped improve her confidence in the workforce.
I have been in the field of immigration for the last six years, providing filing services in my roles at different companies where I have worked. I immigrated to Canada in August 2019 and had researched about the Immigration Consultant Diploma Program for an exceptionally long time. After getting student loan approval, I applied to Ashton College to jump-start my career in Canada. It was the best decision of my life as Ashton had this option of a part-time course for the Immigration Consultant Diploma Program, which helped me to work and study at the same time.
Being a single mother, this program was a big step towards achieving my goals to be enrolled in studies, working at the same time and taking care of everything on my own. I had started my career in 2008 as a relationship manager for Avnet Technologies Solutions India. It has been a long journey from marketing professional to immigration assistant.
Working at different companies and different locations in India gave me the exposure of working in big cities, small towns and the grounded realities of marketing in the real world. I started in the field of marketing and management and ended up being regional HR for a multinational company.
Did you have any favourite instructors or memorable learning experiences?
My favourite instructors were Rosanna Pancotto and Lina Zakaria. Rosanna has been truly kind and was always available for any questions and queries and was deeply knowledgeable. Lina had in-depth knowledge of refugee class and her way of teaching was top class/
Was there anything that surprised you about the learning experience?
Being from India, I have never been on a digital platform for learning or studying online. This was my first experience with online learning, and it has been a learning phase for me since then. It has made me realize how technology can be very helpful.
How was your career progressed since your time with Ashton College?
After completing my course at Ashton College, I got a better opportunity at my previous employer through a higher position with a better salary. This program has helped me open prospects in the job market. Ever since I added this credential to my LinkedIn profile, I have started getting offers from many employers who need immigration services. This program has added value to my resume and career.
Did taking the program help to improve your confidence in the workforce?
The program has certainly increased my knowledge in the field of immigration and helped me become more competent. My confidence has increased as I can use the knowledge gained and implement it in my practice daily.
Do you have any favourite books that you are reading right now, for fun or learning purposes?
I have recently read “The Alpha Woman Meets Her Match” by Sonya Rhodes. It is about how today's strong women can find love and happiness without settling. I would say it's a must-read for all the strong women who have been alpha in their lives and somehow have not been lucky in love. Great insight about different personality types and the perspective of the writer explaining them is wonderful.
What advice would you offer to someone who is considering studying at Ashton College?
Ashton College supports you in every way from the beginning, be it by enrolling in courses or in navigating student loans or counselling, or professional development courses. All the faculty are well experienced. The best part about the online learning experience, which was exceptionally smooth, is that it was super easy to navigate. The technical team was always supportive. Overall, it was an incredibly good experience to do the program at Ashton College.
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