Jessica Camborda, is a financial professional at Canada Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) and an immigrant from Peru. Her journey is a testament to the power of determination, learning, and community support. Get ready to be inspired!

Episode Highlights:

  1. Embracing Change: Jessica discusses her immigration journey, the challenges she faced, and how she adapted to a new culture and environment.
  2. The Power of Specialization: Learn why specialization in your field and continuous learning are essential for success in Canada.
  3. Overcoming Job Market Challenges: Jessica’s advice on applying for jobs, building confidence, and the importance of a positive attitude.
  4. Financial Literacy: Discover the key role financial planning and homeownership play in achieving your goals.
  5. The Role of Mentoring: Jessica highlights the importance of mentors and supportive communities in your journey to success.

Key Takeaways:

  • Specialize and Learn: Continuous learning and specialization can make you stand out in the job market.
  • Embrace Change: Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and adapt to new environments.
  • Confidence is Key: Have confidence in your abilities and don’t shy away from opportunities, even if you don’t meet all job requirements.
  • Financial Planning: Plan your finances wisely to achieve your goals, including homeownership.
  • Seek Mentorship: Find mentors and supportive communities to guide you on your path to success.
  • Conclusion: Jessica’s journey from newcomer to project manager is an inspiring testament to the power of specialization, continuous learning, and a positive mindset. Remember, success in a new country is within your reach. Embrace change, stay confident, and keep learning. We’ll be back with more remarkable stories and insights to help you on your journey.

Where to find Jessica

Where to find Miguel

Referenced:


In this episode, we cover:

00:00 – Introduction and Background

02:36 – Entering the Canadian Job Market

07:30 – Confidence and Attitude

09:22 – Career Transitions

14:28 – Education and Specialization

17:20 – Financial Literacy and Homeownership

26:10 – Long-term Financial Planning

27:38 – Embracing Your Skills and Potential

29:00 – Resourcefulness and Finding the Right Mentors

33:32 – Relying on Supportive Organizations


AI-generated Transcript (Click here)

00:00
Miguel Abascal
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show. In this episode, we have a special guest, Jessica, who works at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. She was analyst, and now she’s a project manager. She originally comes from Peru, and like many newcomers, she faced her fair share of challenges. But what is incredible about her story is how she overcome those challenges and achieved some amazing things. In our conversation, Jessica talks about her journey and shares some really helpful insights. For example, she tell us about the importance of finding your own special skills and learning new things to stand out when you are looking for a job. She also talks about how having a positive attitude and being open to learning can make a big difference. That’s not all. Jessica has some great advice about getting your own home, even if it seems difficult, especially in expensive places like Toronto.


00:53

Miguel Abascal
She tell us about different ways you can own a home and how important it is to plan your finance wisely. One of the really cool things about Jessica is how she learned and grew with the help of others. She talks about how having people who support you and teach you can make your journey a lot better. Jessica’s story is full of valuable lessons, and I can wait for you to hear it.


01:19

Intro-Outro
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show with your host, Miguel Abascal. Listen to people like you sharing their journeys, struggles, and their breakthroughs. Be ready to be inspired to take control of your time, career, finances, and future. Fulfill your potential, become the person you’re meant to be and make your dreams a reality.


01:51

Miguel Abascal
Hi, Jessica.


01:52

Jessica Camborda
Hi.


01:53

Miguel Abascal
How are you?


01:54

Jessica Camborda
I’m good, thank you. How are you?


01:56

Miguel Abascal
Pretty good. Thank you so much for accepting to come in here. This is our first Newcomers on Fire episode, so thank you.


02:04

Jessica Camborda
Oh, they’re excited to be your first host, your first interview.


02:10

Miguel Abascal
Exactly. You know what? In a way, you inspired this too, as well, because from that email that you sent me that you wanted to help the community understand better financial literacy. And it’s like, wow, you know what? You just remind me that there are so many amazing people just like you that they want to do better. So it’s like, okay, we need to listen and hear to her story. So that’s why we are here. And if it’s okay, just tell us a little bit about who is Jessica?


02:36

Jessica Camborda
Yeah, I’ll give you a bit of my background. I’m Jessica. I came to Canada in late 1996, to be precise, from Peru. Me and my family immigrated here. It was me and my mom. Then a few of my other family members joined later on as a new immigrant or immigrant family. We felt definitely a lot of struggles trying to fit in, not only the language, but just the cultures.


03:05

Miguel Abascal
Right.


03:05

Jessica Camborda
And being in such a diverse environment was pretty interesting. Silver lining. Very beautiful. Things that I was able to embrace. After that, I went to school, did study business administration, took some courses, specialized basic bank finance. Fast forward. Now I work with Canada Mortgage Corporation, CMHC, and right now I am underwriter risk analyst. But I just got another position there as a project manager for a new department. So I’m very excited. That’s my journey.


03:44

Miguel Abascal
You know what, there is so much to unpack there. But it’s amazing you work for a great company. So definitely could you please share a little bit more about how you got in? What was your breakthrough?


04:00

Jessica Camborda
Because coming to a country where you really don’t have a base or precedent to provide you really have to be very, I don’t want to say maneuver, but very creative on how to really specialize yourself to be seen as an asset.


04:18

Miguel Abascal
Right.


04:18

Jessica Camborda
So I understood very clearly that specialization was something very key here in Canada.


04:25

Miguel Abascal
Right.


04:26

Jessica Camborda
Be specialized into something. Right. And that’s what I did. I took a lot of designations, a lot of courses, very focused on finances, underwriting lending, and any opportunity that was able to obtain as careers, other jobs, it was to enhance that learning, to be very strong candidate, I guess, for the position. And that’s it. I started seeing the job posting, seeing what are the requirements, and little by little I was able to fulfill them through other means, not only through certification, but also relevant experience. A lot of people forget that relevant experience is key. And then I applied, they hired me. I was really excited.


05:10

Miguel Abascal
Oh wow, you make it sound so easy. But I can just imagine that it was like also a challenging process because you were saying that it sounds that the education and certifications got you at the door and then your experience and your transferable skills were the ones that pushed you through.


05:30

Jessica Camborda
Yeah. You know what, I find that my soft skills and personality also was a big key.


05:36

Miguel Abascal
Right.


05:36

Jessica Camborda
Being absolutely to the opportunity. Right, I know. I find that a lot of people forget that the hard skills are very important, but at the same time, there’s other skills that will supersede that.


05:50

Miguel Abascal
Right.


05:50

Jessica Camborda
Like the willingness to learn and also the fact that you don’t need that direct experience. As long as you have relevant experience and you’re able to demonstrate that at the time of hiring, it’s enough.


06:03

Miguel Abascal
Right.


06:04

Jessica Camborda
I think I was reading an article where as long as you meet 60% of the job requirements, then you’re good to apply. Right.


06:11

Miguel Abascal
I remember a hiring manager told me, it’s like, I’m hiring you because of your attitude and I will train you for your skill. And so I was like, oh wow, that’s very deep. So to your point, soft skills are very important. What would be your advice for somebody that is just starting in their journey in terms of potentially entry level jobs? Overqualified, frustrated, desperate? What would be your advice now that you have the benefit of insights?


06:40

Jessica Camborda
And I actually have a lot of friends that I’ve mentored, either through LinkedIn as well, people that I met and I always tell them, don’t worry about what the paper says, just go for it. It is a good idea. There is a mentality that is good to start from the beginning, but not necessarily because if you already possess the skills, just go for it. Just go for it. Make sure that your resume really speaks to that other experience you were able to gain either in your country or through other jobs. Right. And I’ve done that with a few people and thankfully they listened and they were able to apply for jobs that are at par to their skills and experience and they’re able to get in. We’re in a multicultural environment, so yeah, it is good to start from the bottom, but if you’re skill and you’re qualified, just go for it.


07:30

Jessica Camborda
Right. Scare you, everybody. There’s a lot of immigration here, it’s a lot of immigrants, right? So you shouldn’t be scared if you have an accent or not. If you’re qualified and you can do it, then just apply for it.


07:44

Miguel Abascal
And you mentioned a lot about attitude and mindset. What do you think has that you mentioned also that through your story, that play a big role. So what would be your advice on that as well to newcomers, especially when they are feeling not that great, maybe confidence is low and maybe they are having self doubt.


08:03

Jessica Camborda
Yeah, I definitely empathize because I’ve been there. I see my parents go through that struggle, right, of being such a foreign country, foreign environment. But at the end of the day, you know what you’re doing. You have the training to complete the tasks or the responsibilities that we’ll assign as an employee.


08:25

Miguel Abascal
Right.


08:26

Jessica Camborda
Just go for it.


08:27

Miguel Abascal
Right.


08:28

Jessica Camborda
I know a lot of people get scared of rejection, but you don’t know what you’re going to get unless you try.


08:33

Miguel Abascal
Right.


08:33

Jessica Camborda
So it’s really putting that mindset that you know what you’re doing. So just go and do it. Demonstrate that you can do it. It’s an opportunity in life. I’m very mindful of my present.


08:46

Miguel Abascal
Right.


08:47

Jessica Camborda
And I’m very mindful that this moment is life. Like you live in the moment, right? So if you have the opportunity to do it now, then you do it.


08:56

Miguel Abascal
I love that. If we can summarize this in a slogan, I think it’ll be like Nike. Just do it.


09:00

Jessica Camborda
Just do it. What’s the worst that could happen? You’ll be in the same position.


09:06

Miguel Abascal
Exactly. So you mentioned that you were underwriter analyst and now you’re project manager. I’m just blown away for that transition. Can you tell us a little bit more about how that happened? How you connected the dots, maybe the steps to get there?


09:22

Jessica Camborda
Yeah, it was very because I have a lot of positions in my life, right. I always felt that it’s good to be versatile as well, just to gain that experience. So I was like a financial planner. Then I became a manager of underwriting. Then I became an underwriter as analyst at CMHC. But during those processes, I was still studying project management. I was taking the courses because I really find it fascinating. So every opportunity that I got, either through volunteering or any special assignments, I was there. Like, I raised my hand because I want to demonstrate that I’m able to work also outside my department because it gives you exposure of the organization and their goals. And I think that’s really important for people that are joining a company is be everywhere.


10:15

Miguel Abascal
Right.


10:15

Jessica Camborda
Because the more places you are, the more you learn about the company and you become such a valuable asset to the company. So I got the opportunity. I was able to demonstrate through that process that I got the experience. I completed projects. Here they are. This is the recommendation. This is the people that I’ve met. This is what they think of the work that I’ve done. And that was sufficient to support an assignment that we’re doing assignment in my department. So I was really thankful that the opportunity came and they hired me.


10:51

Miguel Abascal
Oh, wow. So pretty much you just apply online and then because of your experience, you got the interview, and because your personality, your attitude and everything, boom, you got the job.


11:03

Jessica Camborda
Yeah. You have to be very direct as well. I find that people always hide or very timid to show their potential.


11:12

Miguel Abascal
Right.


11:13

Jessica Camborda
Like, know your potential. So it’s really showcasing that potential either in writing or through the interview.


11:20

Miguel Abascal
Right.


11:21

Jessica Camborda
So it’s that. And I was happy that I was able to demonstrate because there’s a lot of qualified people that do have the designations to fulfill. But like I said, you have the opportunity, just do it. And that’s what I did. Just do it.


11:42

Miguel Abascal
I love your story. It’s like watching a movie. It’s like, wow, this is just getting better and better.


11:50

Jessica Camborda
Thank you.


11:53

Miguel Abascal
What do you wish you knew before you came to Canada?


11:57

Jessica Camborda
English. English. And a clear understanding that you are going to be in a brand new environment.


12:09

Miguel Abascal
Right.


12:09

Jessica Camborda
You come here hoping to feel in the same environment that you were back home, but it’s not. It’s a different reality. And knowing that and being mindful of that, it allows you to really embrace what’s around you.


12:23

Miguel Abascal
Right.


12:24

Jessica Camborda
Just know that it’s going to be different experience, negative experience, but there’s also positive experience.


12:30

Miguel Abascal
Right.


12:30

Jessica Camborda
So you cannot be blind. Just focus on the negative one. So I wish I was more mindful of that. That is going to be new. It’s going to be difficult, but at the same time, the silver line is going to be positive.


12:41

Miguel Abascal
Right.


12:43

Jessica Camborda
I wish I was told at the young age that I came, but that will be my advice to people that are planning to move here.


12:49

Miguel Abascal
I love that because that’s something that is quite common, I think, for me as well. I will tell myself to be more compassionate, to have more patience, because it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, it’s a matter of when it’s going to happen. So just like, take the time and the process to digest a whole new culture of culture. So definitely I love that.


13:11

Jessica Camborda
I think that’s key. Like, be gentle with yourself and just realize that there’s a lot of people here in the same position as you are. So rely in their support that there is support there.


13:21

Miguel Abascal
Right.


13:22

Jessica Camborda
So don’t feel like you’re lonely, like no. There’s a community out there unstoppable.


13:27

Miguel Abascal
Yeah, exactly. We are one of those. Exactly. That’s amazing. If you could redo anything about your newcomer journey, what would you have done differently?


13:38

Jessica Camborda
I guess one of the things that really motivated me in the path that I’m in and something that I wish that I knew as a newcomer and I would have done differently is really get really good financial advice or really some financial planning.


13:56

Miguel Abascal
Right.


13:57

Jessica Camborda
I find that I remember having the experience when I started working, having a full time job, and I went to the bank and I was thinking of getting a mortgage, and I didn’t really get the service that I wanted to get, nor did I knew the questions that I wanted to get. In hindsight, at that time, I was like, man, I could have been a homeowner many years ago. And the housing prices were more reasonable back then. And I wished I met somebody or I would know, looked for somebody to give me the really sound financial advice. I think it’s really important for you to set up yourself correctly in Canada is to find somebody who’s going to give you that guidance. Yeah, that’ll be my first advice. Find somebody who’s going to help you meet those financial goals. You do need a plan, right?


14:52

Jessica Camborda
Especially if you’re coming to big cities like Toronto where they’re very expensive. Canada is having an affordability crisis for housing. I think it’s really important that you set yourself and see the options that are right. Like I mentioned to you before, there’s so many options of homeownership right now. Federal governments, provincial governments are really putting plans to ensure that we fight the affordability cris that we’re having right now. Right. One of the things that I’ve seen that it’s becoming really popular is the share equity where other provinces non for profits, individuals are able to lend and provide you with the down payment required to be able to buy a house, if that is your financial plan.


15:39

Miguel Abascal
Right.


15:39

Jessica Camborda
So how do you get there? Is having a good financial advisor and giving you to help you go through that journey if homeownership is the goal that you want to get? I feel like as somebody coming into a country, I think it’s really important for you to find your home, your house. I feel like once you have your home, your house, you feel like you’re part of this country and it’s bare minimum as a human right to have shelter, right? So by all means, there are so many other options out there and so much information. So yes, please, that’ll be my advice. Find a good professional to help and give you that guidance because it is out there and it is possible.


16:18

Miguel Abascal
Wow, this is amazing. Because you’re right. I think as an ecommerce, we face three big challenges. The first one is the challenge for your time. So usually, especially in my experiences, like at the beginning, you are working on survival jobs and then you don’t have much time to do anything else. You are exhausted and then trying to find a job, maybe like at night. So trying to conquer back that control over your time, that’s number one. But number two, it’s finances. So to your point, like coming to a new country where things are completely different and you cannot afford making a lot of mistakes because one bad mistake financially and you can be set up for failure for several years. So I think to your point, homeownership is a big topic. Oh, wow. It’s one of my favorites because I thought that I will never be able to own a house in Canada.


17:13

Miguel Abascal
That was my Canadian dream. It’s like I would like one day to own something and call it the Republic of Miguel. Now, you know my piece of land in Canada and for many years, I’ve been in Canada now for 13 years. And I was like, okay, well, maybe it’s not for me, maybe I’m going to be a renter my whole life. But it was because I saw somebody just like you, just like me. I was a senior manager back in the day and he was a manager. So in theory he was earning less than I. And I was like, okay, not because I’m not suggesting anything other than when he told me that he owned five houses. I was like, how you did that? You need to be my mentor. And then he taught me so many different strategies. He was actually a real estate guru and just because on title he was a manager, he was a business owner, an entrepreneur, a hustler.


18:09

Miguel Abascal
He was amazing. So I asked him, can you please show me the way? And because of him, I found a way to buy my house and with my wife, which I will never have seen it differently because I was always waiting for the perfect opportunity when the bubble will crash and when the things will go down. And that’s when I’m going to get know, like it’s interesting because thanks to this friend, thanks to this mentor, I was able to understand better. And that’s why this is the purpose of these kind of conversations because it’s like, hey, if Miguel was able to do it, if Jessica was able to do it, I think I can do it know? So just show me how what were the steps? What was that secret ingredient? So now that you work for a big company, which is at the heart of all the housing and the financial, I guess, core of owning a house, what would be your advice on that?


19:05

Jessica Camborda
I think in regards to homeownership or the options that we have yeah, you.


19:14

Miguel Abascal
Know what, I know it’s a very general question, but a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. So owning a house is kind of like especially now with interest rates the way they are. And I’ve been talking with a lot of people and a lot of my friends are paycheck to paycheck and very tight financially. Of course they want to own a house. That’s a dream. But I guess how it’s a good.


19:47

Jessica Camborda
At and I’m going to just concentrate in Toronto, right? Because we see a lot there’s large population in Toronto or GTA area, right. And one of the things that we have seen, implementations, just in general, there’s a lot of focus on ensuring that there’s enough housing either through rentals, more rentals, affordable rentals, or ownership.


20:10

Miguel Abascal
Right.


20:11

Jessica Camborda
Because the reality is there’s a lot of immigrants that come here, they do work, there’s less time. But why? Because they have to pay those high rents, right. Or they have to pay. So it’s like, then what do you do? Right? How do you want to live or have a good quality of life? For me, when I started my journey, when I bought my house, I was so scared, right. Because I was so worried about making those payments, I didn’t really understand.


20:35

Miguel Abascal
Right.


20:36

Jessica Camborda
But one thing that really appeased my mind is that it’s equivalent to me paying rent, but I’m investing in myself because it’s my house, right. So that will be the first mindset, like don’t be scared to own, don’t be scared about the interest rate. Find out exactly how that’s going to look like and fit within your budget. And based on that will give you a realistic idea what you can afford and the options that you have. I think the first thing is qualifying for a mortgage and that fits within your actual budget, like net budget. Key two options in regards to buying home, there’s so many, right? There is a lot of innovation that I have seen, a lot of programs, a lot of movement in the government, different type of bodies of government. And one of the key things that I’ve seen is a, you can co own a house, like do people can go and buy a house, right.


21:25

Jessica Camborda
Two is the share equity that I mentioned that is not only provided by governments, right. But there’s also private providers that do this. There’s also individuals that can also provide you the down payment. So a lot of those programs are really beneficial because what they do is they basically buy a portion of your house with you, so give it the down payment for sake of that equity so there’s no repayment options. Which is good, because at the end of the day, you want to make sure you have enough cash flow to pay the mortgage, pay your expenses right. Without worrying about the obligation of paying back that loan that you got as down payment.


21:59

Miguel Abascal
Right.


22:00

Jessica Camborda
So it’s a portion of the equity that they get of your house if the house appreciates it’s a percentage. Right. So I was really happy to read and notice that there’s so many other providers that do this non for profits. There’s a lot of information which I will share a link with you, actually, where they actually consolidate all that information. It’s a really nice plan provided by the government of Ontario. They also talk about other options where, for example, you are a homeowner like yourself and you want to provide more units, right. Maybe for rental or et cetera, you want to expand on your space because you have a bigger family. Right. Laneway Houses.


22:39

Miguel Abascal
Right.


22:40

Jessica Camborda
They’re really easing on developments. Right. There’s so many incentives. I was just really surprised to see how many are there. So, in regards to buying a house, I think it is possible, like in Toronto or not Toronto, there’s other options too, of buying a project with people. I’ve seen a friend of mine where there were like three of them that decided to buy a building outside GTA, right. And they all live in those rental units, like one unit. One unit. One unit. But it’s your own place.


23:14

Miguel Abascal
Right.


23:15

Jessica Camborda
And they were able to do that through co ownership.


23:18

Miguel Abascal
Right.


23:18

Jessica Camborda
So there’s so many options, and I will definitely love to expand more on this meeting, and by all means, it’s just really nice to see that we see the government really pushing towards supporting that homeownership. And the only way that you really find out where you are and where you sit right now into being a homeowner is going to the broker or a bank and find out how much you can qualify right. To really see that amount.


23:49

Miguel Abascal
Right.


23:50

Jessica Camborda
And from that amount, then you can see if you can afford it, the options, because you can still buy a house with as low as 5% down payment, or if you can get that additional down payment through other sources to minimize those mortgage payments.


24:03

Miguel Abascal
Right.


24:03

Jessica Camborda
And the second part is your budgeting. It’s really important that you’re mindful of how much this obligation is really going to cost, because a lot of people forget that, yeah, it’s the mortgage payment. Well, what are the additional fees that come with that? And the maintenance. So it’s really important that you have that mindset of maintenance. How are you going to maintain this asset right.


24:26

Miguel Abascal
You’re right. At the end of the day, it’s not about resources. I know it sounds crazy because a house, it’s a big investment. So when you say it’s not about resources, what you’re talking about? But I think we’re in a moment in time where it’s about being resourceful. It’s about being about resourcefulness, where, to your point, there are different options. Another one that I read a lot because I was looking into that too, was rent to own renting. And then eventually you can buy the house, and it’s your house pretty much to your point. There are many different programs.


25:05

Jessica Camborda
I’m for.


25:05

Miguel Abascal
Sure, to your point, we can talk for hours about how can buy a house. But what is important here is that I think the message here is like, hey, number one, there are options. It’s about being resourceful. It’s about finding a mentor. It’s about finding a community. And with that, it gives you the power, the confidence, the energy to keep moving forward and find your way or make your way. That’s kind of like our mantra. Yeah, that’s what I love about it. Now, owning a house is one very important factor within the financial literacy. Is there anything else that comes to mind for you from all the experience that you have in Canada as well?


25:50

Jessica Camborda
I think for me, considering I’m just speaking in general, for me, I’m always I guess because I also study for it, financial planning, I think it’s so important not only to buy a house, but also to fulfill other goals.


26:10

Miguel Abascal
Right.


26:10

Jessica Camborda
I think in life, if you do have a plan that really it’s tailored to your liking, a very realistic one, I think it will help you reach your goals, either through education or retirement. I think it’s key. When I worked at the bank, I was still really surprised when I saw people still having money in their savings, right? And I was like, oh, man, you could have done this and that. Also, people are so scared to own debt, right? Debt is important if you know how to manage it and if there is an asset behind that debt. So a lot of people are like, oh, I don’t want to have a mortgage because of the house. Yes, but that debt is a leverage that’s helping you get home, right? And it’s something that you can maintain. So don’t be scared of debt. Debt management, I think it’s really important and education around that.


26:59

Jessica Camborda
But I think that’ll be one of my advice. And the other one, too, is ensure that don’t be scared to show who you are in regards to your skills, your potential. Don’t worry about the language. Don’t worry about the accent. Don’t worry if you don’t have the direct experience. You will learn things. If you have something that you have done similar to that, something, you will learn. It is just in our nature to do it. So don’t be scared just like Nike said, just do it. We’re not being paid by Nike, by the way.


27:38

Miguel Abascal
Just do it. So were talking about the need of controlling your time and also how that evolves into, okay, now I need to also control my finances, to own my finances. And to your point after that, and the next wave that I’m seeing here as a newcomer is that once you figure out how to manage your time and how to own your time back, once you have a good job, then you have better finances. The next step is the future. You need to own your future. You need to make this house or make this new environment your home and potentially even your Canadian dream. Right? So I love what you’re saying because as a financial planner, that’s exactly what you help people with as well. So in terms of like, okay, where you are right now, where you’re going when I was also a financial planner, financial advisor back in the day, I was also surprised that people will be focused a lot of investments in the future, but will not pay attention to insurance.


28:35

Miguel Abascal
How insurance is the basement of the foundation of any big financial because without it’s like the moment that something happens, guess what? There is nothing to cover that loss or that income or that situation or that disability. So it’s very important also that for some of us as newcomers, depending where you’re working, you may need also to account for that because what will happen if something happens to your ability to produce that income, to your ability to deliver or to do so without that, what will happen after? So, yeah, I’m telling you, we can go on so many different ways. But what I love about here, Jessica, is that your advice is so spot on. So thank you for that.


29:24

Jessica Camborda
No, my again, like that’s a part of financial planning, right? The insurance part, the saving parts. I remember people that wanted to buy a house and they’re like, oh, but I sold this Mercedes. I’m like, okay, first of all, manage your credit because your credit sorry, that big part here in Canada, your credit is important if you can pay for something. And do not think of credit as an option. Think of credit as something that will help you get something else, like a leverage for investment, but don’t rely on it as a day to day type of tool.


29:59

Miguel Abascal
Right?


29:59

Jessica Camborda
So credit management, I think it’s really important to your point, that’s all part of financial planning, right? Like I was mentioning, I had somebody that wanted to buy a house, but then she wanted to buy a car. And I was like, if you buy the car, those payments are going to eat away at your goal, at the mortgage payment that you would have qualified for this mortgage because it’s a debt obligation that gets. Accounted in the calculations. And she’s like, Never mind, I’d rather get my house. So having that guidance is so important, and with insurance as well, I think that’s fundamental as well.


30:29

Miguel Abascal
Fundamental. And you know what? We are not right now, we’re not operating as financial advisors or financial planners. I’m a project manager. You’re a project manager. But it’s so important that it’s important that is critical that everybody should know this kind of information. Everybody should be on top of their finances, because if you are not owning your finances, somebody else will. And that’s scary, right? Because then what’s going to happen?


30:59

Jessica Camborda
That’s right. I think it’s so important. And the people that I’ve met that actually has, like yourself, you had somebody to guide you, or it doesn’t have to be a financial planner or somebody at the bank, just somebody that has that experience or to help you reach what you’re looking for.


31:17

Miguel Abascal
Yeah, that’s the power of mentoring. I have seen it in my life for so many occasions that now I do not waste any more time on trial and error, on trying to figure out things on my own. I do not go to YouTube to watch 50 videos just to try to figure out a topic. It’s not about the how. It’s about the who. And the who is going to tell you the how. So, again, it’s not about the how because there is a lot of media and a lot of content out there to tell you how to do this in three steps, how, the seven steps to do this faster and so on. It’s the who that if you find that great person, that great mentor, that great advisor, then everything is going to be possible. Because then with that advice, then now you know exactly what to do, the how and the steps.


32:01

Miguel Abascal
And so, again, Jessica, I love every bit of this piece of advice and the conversation that we have. If anyone wants to reach out to you, what will be a way to reach out to you? Social media. LinkedIn.


32:17

Jessica Camborda
Like LinkedIn, I provide a career advice. I have set that up so they can look for me under Jessica Camboda. And yeah, if they want to just talk to me or get any information or any contacts. I’m here to help my community, like, any way that I can. It’s just something that I know. My mom and dad is like, you’re here to help. You’re at the service of others. Help others. If you have information, share it. They’re your community, they’re your people. They’re like, help them. So please, LinkedIn, message me, happy to help with what I can.


32:51

Miguel Abascal
I love that because your parents, I think they know the secret, to be honest. And the secret is that the moment that you help others get what they want, definitely you figure out that helps you also get what you want. Because by serving others, the reciprocity always comes back. So I love that. Jessica, thank you so much. Of course, there is no doubt that you are a newcomer on fire. We love all the time that you provide us and that you invested with us in terms of giving us more advice and wisdom and share your experience. We are so proud of you. So thank you so much. And any last words for the community?


33:32

Jessica Camborda
Like I said, do rely on good organizations like the one that you’re running. I think you’ve been doing a fantastic job. You helped my sister, you helped a lot of my friends. You have provided such great programs. So rely on those great organizations to help you feel more at home and just miguel, thank you again for the opportunity. I’m very thankful. And reach out, like I said on LinkedIn, happy to help.


33:58

Miguel Abascal
Thank you so much. Thank you. You are too kind. Thank you. And, yeah, have a great day.


34:03

Miguel Abascal
You too.


34:03

Jessica Camborda
Thanks again.


34:05

Intro-Outro
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