Mehrnoush’s Story: From Newcomer to Bookkeeper
When Mehrnoush struggled to land a job with a disability impacting her speech, a VP at CI Employment remembered her skills from job training and hired her.
CI Employment is a hybrid service provider organization – supporting job seekers and employers alike. Their goal is to find an ideal match to fit specific needs within a company, investing in long term fit and contentment for both sides of the hiring process.
From Newcomer to Bookkeeper
Mehrnoush Izadi was born and raised in the Middle East, before immigrating to Canada as an adult. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) at birth, which affects both her speech and physical movement.
When she first moved to Canada, she registered in a local Career College, and an employment services organization. Both provided assistance with job readiness— resume and cover letter support and help with interview skills.
However, as she began applying to job opportunities she was interested in, and received job interviews, she still couldn’t land a job.
Mehrnoush became more and more disappointed in the process.
During yet another interview, the interviewer directly told Mehrnoush that she was having a hard time understanding her.
“She gave me one more chance to talk, but the interview didn’t last much longer than that. She told me that I have excellent skills and she would definitely hire me if I didn’t have a speech barrier.”
The interview only lasted about 10 minutes, after which Mehrnoush felt like she might cry. As a result of that specific incident, Mehrnoush slowed down her job search.
One day, Ismat Simo reached out to her over the phone. They had met at the previous employment services organization. Ismat was now working at another employment organization—CI Employment—as the VP of Operations. He remembered Mehrnoush from his time with his previous workplace, and knew she was struggling to access employment. He thought she would be a great fit for a role at his new company.
Once hired by CI Employment, they helped Mehrnoush access the employment services available to employees with disabilities in BC. They received assistive technology support from WorkBC Assistive Technology Services which assists Mehrnoush in the daily functions of her role.
“I hope that people with disabilities have the same opportunity as me, and find a job that they are treated equally in.”