Achieved a developer role after a 4-month internship and a 1-year career gap

1. Please briefly introduce yourself (major, school, current job, etc.)

My name is Eunah Kim, and I live in Calgary. I majored in Information Technology – Software Development at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology). I’m currently working as a Full-Stack Developer at Laprairie Group, a construction company.

2. What do you think is the best part of working as a developer in Canada?

It’s only been about four months since I started my first developer job. Since my previous major in Korea was completely different, I don’t have much to compare to. But based on what I’ve heard from others, I’d say that the work-life balance is really good.

Of course, as a junior, I still spend personal time after work studying and filling in my weak points, but at least I don’t usually have to bring work home. It depends on the company and the people, but in mine, the mindset is “work hard during work hours!” So, almost everyone leaves on time and enjoys their personal life after work.

3. How were you preparing for a job before discovering DrawDream?

Before learning about DrawDream, I prepared mostly by myself and with the help of developer friends who were already employed. They helped me with resume reviews and interview prep.

I also joined study groups to practice LeetCode and work on projects together. Thankfully, I had a supportive community — whenever someone had an interview coming up, they would share their methods and tips, and I followed their examples to prepare for my own job search.

4. How did you first find out about DrawDream?

I first heard about DrawDream through a mentorship program in Vancouver that matched mentees and mentors 1:1. I applied but didn’t get accepted; however, due to a small mistake in how they communicated the results, they kindly offered me a resume review session through DrawDream instead.

That’s how I learned that DrawDream helps not only with resumes but also interviews, LeetCode, and projects — basically all aspects of job preparation.

5. Why did you decide to register for DrawDream?

For the first five months, I prepared on my own. My resume had already been revised several times, so I occasionally got interview opportunities.

However, while I usually passed soft-skill interviews, I kept failing technical ones. I realized my preparation method was off, so I decided to seek professional guidance and joined DrawDream.

6. How long did it take to get a job after joining DrawDream, and how was the experience?

It took me about four months — from September to December, and I received my final job offer in early January.I took both technical skill and soft-skill sessions. Initially, I thought I only needed help with technical interviews, but later I joined the soft-skill sessions too.

In technical classes, tutors were incredibly thorough — they asked detailed questions I wouldn’t have known to study on my own. My tutor even prepared PDF materials with commonly asked interview questions, shared them with me, and covered everything systematically.During each session, they’d ask questions, I’d answer, and they’d give real-time feedback on how to improve or refine my responses.

Soft-skill sessions were similar in structure, but they felt much more conversational. My tutor was amazing — although the main goal was interview prep, it felt more like talking to a friend over a video call, which made the process fun and encouraging.

7. What part of the DrawDream program would you recommend the most?

Honestly, all the sessions were helpful and worth recommending. But if I had to choose one, I’d say the mentorship part helped me the most.

My assigned mentor gave me personalized support on everything — from how and where to apply for jobs, to writing follow-up emails, and even the smallest details.

We had weekly check-ins, even short ones, to review my progress and discuss what to improve next. That consistent support was incredibly valuable.

8. What skills or tips do you think are essential for getting a job in Canada?

I personally think the most important one is English.

It’s something everyone knows, but how you communicate what you know really determines how much others believe in your skills.

Even if you have strong technical knowledge, it’s meaningless if you can’t express it clearly. In my experience, many companies value communication skills just as much as technical ability. Showing confidence and clarity in expressing yourself is key.

9. Any message you’d like to share with those currently preparing for jobs?

There’s a saying I always keep in my heart: “As long as you don’t give up, you’ll make it someday.”

There were times I felt discouraged when results didn’t come right away, but I kept reminding myself, “If I don’t give up, it will happen eventually. I will become a developer in Canada — someday, for sure.”

That belief kept me going, and because of it, the process didn’t feel unbearable. So I want to tell everyone: don’t give up. Keep going. It will happen.

10. What are your future goals or plans?

Since I’ve only recently joined the company, my main focus now is to settle in, adapt to my work environment, and strengthen my skills further.

11. What does DrawDream mean to you?

For me, DrawDream is nothing short of a miracle.

Thanks to DrawDream, I was able to get hired much faster than I ever expected — and at a great company. I’m truly grateful for that.