Don't rely on your high-level education to impress employers; instead, show employers the value your skills can bring to their company.

Immigrant professionals sometimes feel that it's better to downplay their educational achievements, in an attempt to avoid the hassles associated with foreign credentials. One of those hassles is the often-heard comment: "We'd love to have you, but you're over-qualified." Another - here in the West - is: "Positions at your level are all in Ontario."

It is tempting to see these comments as thinly veiled forms of discrimination against newcomers, particularly if they are from Third World countries. It is sometimes interpreted as evidence that the Canadian government is not being truthful in its immigration policies. After all, aren't immigrants in the "skilled worker" category awarded points for their education? The more education, the more points? You may ask, "How then can companies maintain that I have too much education? Is there even such a thing as 'too much' education."

The fact of the matter is, yes, there is such a thing as too much education. Perhaps not in the country you came from, but here in Canada having a Ph.D. generally counts only if you wish to teach in an academic setting, or if you have extensive research and development (R&D) experience in your field that would propel a company's R&D efforts rapidly forward. Of course, the language requirements to teach are very high, and the academic culture in Canada is much less formal (and some would say of a lesser academic quality) than in many nations outside of North America.

As to working in a corporate research and development environment, it is important to understand that - with some notable exceptions - Canadian businesses are by and large not innovators; they're executors. What Canadian companies do very well, is carry out, manufacture and sometimes improve on products that are developed elsewhere. For real innovation and well-financed corporate research and development, the United States is where the action is.

So, for the more than well-educated immigrant to Canada, simply relying on your credentials and your body of academic knowledge will not help you land a job in your field of expertise. However, instead of just downplaying your academic achievements, or not mentioning them at all, focus on demonstrating your immediate value to a potential employer. There are several ways to do this. First of all, it is your responsibility to identify areas where your skills and knowledge may benefit an employer by asking questions about these areas.

Developing a network of business and work-related contacts is the best way to get introductions to hiring managers and to start identifying companies you'd like to work for. Attending meetings of your professional association and meeting fellow professionals there, is a good way to start a business-related network.

In your resume, concentrate on describing your skills and talents, and offer concrete examples of your successes - if possible, quantified in percentages or estimated dollar amounts - to help potential employers see the benefits of hiring you. If your academic background involved teaching students, indicate how that experience has developed your mentoring skills, making you a considerate and patient supervisor. If you were involved in product or policy research, highlight how that work experience enables you to gather important information from multiple sources, sort and organize it, and summarize the information for decision-makers.

While your post-secondary education is not a guaranteed free pass to meaningful employment, it can indicate an above-average ability to learn about new ideas. It's your job to demonstrate to others where you can bring value - making use of your intellect and your knowledge. And it may be in a very different field than you were in - that's what transferable skill is all about.

Emma Hamer is the principal of Hamer Associates Career and Performance Management. She was born in Paris, France, while her Dutch parents were on holiday, and has emigrated three times in her life - to Australia when she was two, back to Holland when she was 13, and to Canada when she was 44. You can reach her at 604-317-2234 or via info@hamer-associates.ca.