Immigrating to a new country is no small feat, but countless newcomers succeed every year. What sets them apart? Through interviews, personal experiences, and stories shared by others, five distinct traits emerge as key to success in Canada—or anywhere else.

You're Doing a Thorough Research

Before making a move, successful immigrants dive deep into understanding their new environment. Where will they live? What job opportunities exist? How can they cut costs? The mantra “If you’re informed, you’re armed” holds true—preparation is crucial.

Anna could be a perfect example of this principle. She moved to Canada after meticulous preparation: finding accommodation quickly, securing landlord referrals, and landing a job within her first month. Similarly, a newcomer we’ll call Boris, moved during the pandemic - the worst time to be looking for a job. With networking events halted, Boris turned to LinkedIn, sending over 1,000 connection requests and learning from every rejection until one coffee chat led to a job offer.

🔑 Takeaway: Research reduces uncertainty and opens doors. Whether it's understanding housing markets, job-seeking strategies, or cultural norms, preparation increases your odds of success.

You Don't Give Up

The road to success isn’t smooth, and rejection is part of the journey. What separates successful newcomers is their ability to keep going despite setbacks.

Boris’s story is a perfect example. He faced hundreds of rejections, ignored messages, and no-shows. Yet, he treated every failure as an opportunity to learn and improve, ultimately turning a single chance into a career.

🔑 Takeaway: Don’t let rejection define you. Relentlessly pursue your goals and use every setback as a stepping stone toward success.

You're Resourceful

Being adaptable and finding creative ways to solve problems is another hallmark of successful immigrants. When one approach doesn’t work, they pivot and try something new.

Take the example of an Afghan Uber driver in Toronto. He used his job to network with riders. Telling them about himself and asking them about their jobs. Until he came across a manager of the team who were hiring for a developer role. This resourceful strategy eventually landed him a part-time contract that helped him demonstrate his abilities and kickstarted his Canadian career.

🔑 Takeaway: Look beyond traditional methods. Whether it’s networking at the gym, attending online events, or seeking feedback on your resume, resourcefulness can set you apart.

You've Been Told You're Competitive

Success often requires a competitive edge, not in an aggressive or cutthroat sense, but in a way that drives self-improvement.

For example, our friend Tony, who arrived in Canada to find his marketing degree undervalued. He took a survival job as a mover and later pursued a second degree in management. He worked hard on his studies, excelling to the point of earning scholarships, building connections with faculty and eventually teaching at a university. Tony’s competitiveness—his relentless pursuit of excellence—helped him build connections and seize opportunities.

🔑 Takeaway: Continuously raise your own standards. Competitiveness isn’t about stepping on others; it’s about pushing yourself to be better every day and inspiring those around you to do the same.

You're Not Afraid to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Finally, the willingness to take risks and embrace discomfort often makes the difference.

This was true for our last example - Natalia, who we interviewed recently, and you can watch this video here. She was offered her first role but felt under-qualified for it, however she still pursued it, learning from every meeting, every challenge and mistake along the way. Similarly, Anastasia’s career started by saying yes to opportunities during university, even if she felt uncomfortable doing them—joining student associations, organizing events, and even designing marketing material for a conference. These experiences built Anastasia’s confidence and resume, helping her land her first job in her field.

🔑 Takeaway: Take risks and put yourself out there. Whether it’s volunteering, networking, or trying something new, stepping outside your comfort zone creates opportunities you never expected and propels your growth.

Share Your Story

These five traits—research, perseverance, resourcefulness, competitiveness, and openness—are key to immigrant success. But they’re not exclusive to newcomers; anyone can benefit from adopting these habits.

Do you have an inspiring immigrant story? Share it with us and we can talk about it in one of our next videos or have a full interview with you.

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