Laetitia Sorribes’s personal experience inspired her to be a volunteer mentor

National Volunteer Week runs from April 18-24 in Canada and the United States. This week, we’re celebrating our hard-working volunteers across the company who generously give their time to the causes that matter most to them.

While still in India, Prajith led the PR and marketing launch of The Gap in that country and worked with other big brands on their campaigns. But two years after immigrating to Canada with his wife and two young children, he still hasn’t been able to find a job in his field.

Prajith’s story is a familiar one for Laetitia Sorribes, Marketing Director at Intact in Montreal. Fifteen years ago, Laetitia took a job transfer and returned to Canada after living in France for 15 years.

For her, the transition back to Canada was relatively seamless. But for her French husband, the transition was much harder. It took him years to find a role in his field.

“For most immigrants it’s hard to find a job that suits your skills and experience,” says Laetitia.

That’s why she jumped at the chance to help when she saw a story about the Windmill Mentorship Program on the intranet.

Laetitia was matched with Prajith and the pair meet every two weeks, but also stay in touch in between their formal meetings.

She has helped him update his resume, prepare for interviews and grow his professional network. But most importantly, she’s helping him rebuild his confidence. “He’s been getting no after no. It’s very discouraging,” says Laetitia.

To help him go from no to yes, she has helped him identify the companies he most wants to work for then develop his elevator pitch to highlight the value he would bring to the organization. This has led to coffee meetings with people who can help him get a job aligned with his skills, experience and passion.

“It’s so great to see his confidence growing with each connection he makes,” she says.

About Intact and Windmill

In 2019, Intact invested $200,000 in Windmill Microlending, a charity that provides skilled immigrants with low-interest micro-loans and other resources to help them restart their careers in Canada. Since the charity launched in 2005, it has loaned more than $41 million to over 5,770 skilled immigrants and refugees, with a 98-per-cent repayment rate. By the time clients repay their loans, over 90% of them are working in their fields and their income has tripled.