ASET Spring 2020 - 20

ASET's mentoring program offers
road map to employment in Alberta
Growing up in Manila, Philippines, ASET member Ralph Dabao always knew he would end up in the engineering field.
As a boy, he would visit his father, an electrical engineer, at
his office and watch him using AutoCAD to design electrical
systems for buildings.
"After he taught me a few basic commands, I was hooked
and began to help him with his projects," said Dabao.
He went on to attain a bachelor of science in electronics
and communications engineering. After earning his degree
in the Philippines, he worked as an electrical designer/drafter for building electrical systems, industrial automation and
controls, and electric distribution.
He moved to Canada in 2017 and encountered the same
barriers to working in his field shared by other foreigntrained professionals with STEM backgrounds. He achieved
his C.E.T. designation through ASET. To upgrade his skills
and learn new technologies, techniques and software programs that had emerged since his university graduation in
Manila, he also completed a two-year diploma program in
engineering design and drafting.
But Dabao still lacked a way to network and better immerse
himself in his field.
"This was especially important in light of the fact that I was
an overseas university graduate with no local connections
or experience," said Dabao.
When ASET visited his college, he asked if there were programs available to help newcomers become successful in
their fields in Canada. He hoped to obtain some tips and
tricks of the trade from veteran ASET members about his
chosen industry.
He soon found out about ASET's mentoring program, filled
out a mentee application form, and was paired with a mentor in the same field as him.
His mentor provided him invaluable insights about the status of the local job market, and took a look at his résumé
and cover letter to determine if they met the correct format
for Canadian employers. He also gave tips on what to do
during job interviews.

20 | SPRING 2020 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA

"His insights on my credentials actually
gave me a confidence boost, confirming
that I have the skills and experience to
match the local job market. We are still
in contact and check in on each other,"
said Dabao.
Mentoring a plus for mentors as well as mentees
Peter Whyte, a GIS analyst in the forestry sector who won
ASET's 2017 President's Award for mentoring, saw his volunteer service as a mentor as a way to give back for the help
and direction he received on his own career journey.
"Becoming a mentor for ASET's mentoring program was
an opportunity to contribute to ASET in an engaging and
personal way," said Whyte. "I had difficulty establishing my
career when I was getting started so I understand the challenges anyone faces at this point in the career process. The
mentoring program allowed me to provide assistance to
someone else looking for a promising path."
Though he himself wasn't mentored through a formal program, he was able to observe and learn from other people's
decisions and thoughts on career paths as a way of better
informing his own direction.

ASET Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASET Spring 2020