Nikhil Goswami works at Telus
Shruti Goswami is an IT Auditor
Samarra is five years old
A job opportunity got Nikhil Goswami, his wife Shruti, and daughter Samarra to Canada in 2007. “My husband got an opportunity from work which we liked and that’s how we decided to move to Vancouver,” says Shruti. Nikhil currently works at Telus.
The Goswami family had a great first impression of the country. “Canada is full of natural beauty. There is greenery all around, beautiful parks and mountains. The people are friendly and social,” expresses Shruti. On arrival, they stayed in a hotel for a few days until they could find a rented accommodation.
“Moving to British Columbia wasn’t much of a challenge,” recalls Shruti, “as we moved here with a group of friends.” The weather, however, was. The family did face a harsh winter the year they shifted to the country – making it a difficult time for them. “We moved here during the winter time and it snowed a lot during that year. It was difficult to find a rented accommodation in the snowy weather as we did not know the place so well,” shares Shruti, adding, “We loved the snow though.”
Though it took some time for Nikhil and his family to get used to the snowy weather, the beautiful country and friendly atmosphere made up for the tiny discomfort and gave them no chance to complain. “People here are friendly, social and very welcoming, so it did not take us much time to get used to the people and surroundings,” says Shruti, explaining how settling down was a smooth process for them.
Back in India, Nikhil worked as a Technical Manager at TechMahindra whereas Shruti worked as Senior Manager-IT Audit for Mazars. Here, being recession time back then, it was hard to find suitable job opportunities for Shruti. “Getting a full-time job based on the skill set at that time was a big challenge as the job market was not that great in 2008. Though, I was able to get some contract opportunities,” she says. However, post recession, the market picked up and there were good opportunities.
The Gosmani family has enjoyed their stay in Canada for the last eight years. “We love the place, it’s so beautiful. Our overall journey has been great,” says Shruti, adding, “We do miss our family and friends back home.”
Biggest obstacle faced so far in Canada:
We feel that buying a house in Vancouver is the biggest challenge. The real estate is so expensive. Also, there are limited job opportunities.
Resolutions made for yourself or family:
The biggest resolution is to stay connected with the family and hopefully make some good investments.
Advice for immigrants:
Canada is a beautiful place to live. Just give yourself some time to settle down as you are moving to a new place. Things will happen but it does take some time.
Memories of Homeland:
We miss our family, friends, and yummy food back home.