Amin Ataherian says finding a job means networking — especially in PEI.
“In PEI, I think it’s a hundred times more important,” Amin says. “Everyone knows each other here.”
Amin moved from Iran in 2018 to study at the University of Prince Edward Island. The fourth-year business student, who specializes in finance, wants to build experience in his field. “I’m hoping to find a good secure job on the Island after I graduate,” he explains, noting he wants to eventually apply for his master’s after gaining more work experience. Though he might have to leave PEI for graduate studies, he would prefer to stay. “People are really friendly and kind,” he says. “It’s an Island that I really want to be in.”
On PEI, Amin has completed two summer internships. UPEI Experiential Education helped him find an administrative role with PEI Public Safety on its PEI Pass project in 2021. Then, in 2022, he found his own internship at an accounting firm, where he filed corporate taxes and completed financial statements. He became a PEI Connectors client after reconnecting with Elmira Moghimi at an event on campus. A former UPEI student herself, Elmira had become a program officer with PEI Connectors. She told Amin the organization could help him network, connect with employers, and find work. She sends him job postings every week. “I’m a full-time student now and I don’t really have the time to go over all of the job websites and career websites to find what I really want to apply for.”
Amin is considering part-time work that he can start as a student and that might evolve into full-time work after graduation, or full-time work that he can start after his current studies. He says students should take advantage of services like UPEI’s Experiential Education and PEI Connectors. He notes they not only help students gain experience. “They help them get more familiar with the Canadian working culture and help themselves settle more than before.”
Written by: Lori Mayne
Photography: Greg Ellison, Ellison Media
