I was born in a town of about 5000 people in Switzerland. After I completed school, I decided to emigrate from Switzerland. Australia was really my first choice (for no particular reason), but I couldn't find work there. One day I approached a "big boss" at work (Volvo) and asked if he knew of any jobs in Canada and he said he would check. Time passed and I thought he had forgotten, but one day he gave me the contact information for a dealership in Regina, Canada. I wrote a letter and had my resume translated into English. Soon after, I received a job offer.

I really had limited English... I mean, very limited English, so I packed my English-German dictionary and headed to Canada. I got off the plane in Montreal instead of Toronto and had to find someone who spoke German and English, so I could find a way to continue my journey and have them call my new boss in Regina, who was expecting to meet me in the airport that night, over 3000 kilometers away!

As I said, my English was very limited. My new boss asked me the first day how much money I had.
I replied, "3 million."
He said, "3 million?"
I said, "yes, 3 million."
He wrote the number on a piece of paper and handed it to me and I stroked out three zeros, so he knew I really only had three thousand dollars.

One of the mechanics heard my poor English and offered to let me stay with him in exchange for half the rent.

I spent the next number of years learning English through work, watching Cheers and MASH (two popular TV shows) and taking a lot of time to read the local newspaper. It was very difficult at work, as it was hard to understand what they wanted me to do, and difficult for me to tell them about the job I was working on.

Although I had a national driver's license, I had to get a Saskatchewan license in order to insure my car. It took me four attempts to pass! It's not that I didn't know the answers but I kept running out of time as I had to translate each question and the answers using my dictionary.

After about a year and a half I could carry on everyday conversation. I even received a promotion to Service Manager and now manage a shop with 15 mechanics.

What are the positive aspects of Canadian life?The people in Canada. I arrived in Canada in very unusual circumstances and people really helped me. Also, the huge physical space compared to Europe. I like Regina, as I am not a "big city" guy. Summers in Canada are also great - people are in a great mood and much more social after the winter. The outdoor activities are great -water skiing, dirt bikes, snowmobiles.

What surprises did you have?It can be really cold here in the winter. I mean REALLY cold. The first winter I was here, it was so cold people were giving me extra clothes. Another surprise was that mechanics need to buy their own tools in North America - companies do not buy them for you.

I moved from a town of 5000 people in the mountains to a city of about 200,000 people on a FLAT and I mean REALLY flat prairies. It was a change that I had to get used to, as I like downhill skiing! But really, after living here for over 10 years, it is only my family in Switzerland that I miss. I am married with two boys, but I do miss the extended family.

On a personal note...You really need to do your homework before you move. It's not just changing jobs, it's changing your life. For example, if you are not sure about Canadian winters, if you can afford it, you should come here for a vacation in the winter. I remember thinking "Regina is not far from the mountains". But when I got here I realized it's a 9-hour drive! Finally, make sure the positive points of moving outweigh leaving your family.

Many members of the Maxim team have joined us from other countries. Read about their experiences here, in their own words.