Learnings of a Newcomer to Canada

Nicole Lauzon
January 7, 2022

Bawa has primarily held positions in big name tech companies in the Fintech, point of sale and ecommerce industries. 

“I started with FIS Global, then moved onto Amazon. I’ve also worked at Siemens, and right before coming to Vendasta, I was working with Global Payments, which is Fortune 500. I have been really fortunate to work with all of these big brand names which has really helped me in my career,” Bawa says.

Thinking about his time with Amazon there is one principle Bawa has carried with him throughout his career:

Immigrating to Canada

Prateek first considered a move to Canada after a conversation with a friend discussing how Canada was inviting people to immigrate. From there he began his research, submitted an application for express entry in October 2018, making the move to Toronto in 2019. 

“I am a big believer in understanding and knowing first before getting into something, no matter what it is. I like to plan and do my research. So, when I decided to come to Canada, I started reading articles, to find out what was happening, what newcomers in Canada were saying, how the immigration process worked.” 

Bawa had business relationships with clients in Canada and the US throughout his career and had even connected with Brendan King and Jacqueline Cook while searching for tech companies to work for in Canada. In late 2020 Prateek came across the opening with Vendasta on LinkedIn and decided it was the right next step for his career. 

Mentoring Others

On top of immigrating to a new country, starting fresh in a new city, learning the digital marketing side of what Vendasta does, Prateek also volunteers his time as a mentor and coach for newcomers through a program called Arrive by RBC. 

“Coming to a new country is one of the most difficult steps that anyone can take. You have nothing. You leave your parents, your job, your family, your money behind. It is essentially life 2.0. So there are a few things which I think are really important to set you up for success. Yes, you have to do LinkedIn networking and all those things. But in addition to that, you have to be mentally prepared.

“There is one mantra that I live by: good things take time. To me, that is the universal truth. There are certain things that will happen only when they are supposed to happen. You may have to change something, you may have to start over, but you need to trust yourself, your abilities, and know that you can do this. Come with a plan and stick to it. If that doesn’t work, then have a plan b,” Bawa shares. 

Often mentees will reach back out to Prateek with updates, when they settle in their first place, or land the first job thanking him for his support. He claims that although he’s not an expert he tries to share his successes and failures so fellow newcomers can have an easier transition. 

When Bawa’s not helping promote the growth of some of Vendasta’s largest partners, or helping immigrants settle into life as new Canadians, he enjoys photography.  Here are some of his favourites that he’s captured during his time in Saskatoon so far: 

Bawa is also a self-proclaimed foodie, and has skyrocketed himself to the top one percent of Google reviewers in the City of Saskatoon. 

“I make sure if I'm trying a new restaurant, that I give them a review. I rate their business and post pictures. Because of that, since January, I have more than 7.5 million views on my photos,” Bawa says with a prideful smile on his face. 

Bawa shares some of his favourite restaurants to check out in a few different culinary categories:

• Brewery: Prairie Sun Brewery 

• Authentic North Indian: Kashmere 

• Burgers: Ace Burger  

• Lebanese Cuisine: Lebanese Kitchen 

After returning to India earlier this year to marry, the pair are now undergoing the process for Bawa’s wife to make the permanent move to Canada, so they can begin their lives together in Saskatoon.  

In the meantime, Bawa plan’s to continue his personal and career development while serving Vendasta’s enterprise partnerships. He is thankful for his experience with Vendasta so far and looks forward to what the future holds. 

“My managers and colleagues are very accommodating, and they make sure you have a smooth transition, that you feel good. These people are challenging you every day, day in, day out to be better.”

Editor’s Note: Prateek has accepted a new opportunity outside of Vendasta and his last day with the company is January 14, 2022. We’d like to thank Prateek for his contributions at Vendasta over the past year and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.