The transition from education to employment represents one of life's most significant thresholds. For young Canadians, finding that first "real" job—the one that launches a career rather than just providing pocket money—can feel like an impossible puzzle. Employers want experience, but how do you get experience without a job? Understanding the landscape of first-job searching, the barriers young people face, and the strategies and supports that help matters for individuals navigating this transition and for a society that needs to make better use of young people's talents and energy.
The Changing First-Job Landscape
Credential Inflation
Jobs that once required a high school diploma now demand post-secondary credentials. Entry-level positions list requirements that would have been mid-career expectations a generation ago. This credential inflation raises the stakes for young job seekers, who must invest more time and money in education before entering the workforce—with no guarantee that their credentials will secure employment.
For some young people, this means accumulating multiple degrees or certifications, each promising to be the key that finally unlocks employment. For others, it means giving up on formal credentials entirely and trying to find alternative paths—paths that may be harder to navigate without guidance.
The Gig Economy and Precarious Work
Many first jobs today are not traditional full-time positions with benefits and job security. Gig work, temporary contracts, part-time hours, and precarious arrangements have become common entry points to the labour market. While some young people appreciate the flexibility, others find themselves unable to build stable lives on unpredictable income and no benefits.
The line between first job and career launch has blurred. Some young workers spend years cycling through short-term positions without ever transitioning to stable employment. Others find that gig work, intended as temporary, becomes permanent by default.
Geographic Disparities
First-job opportunities are not evenly distributed across Canada. Major urban centres offer more entry-level positions but higher living costs. Rural and northern communities may have fewer opportunities, particularly for those with specialized education. Young people often must choose between staying in familiar communities with limited prospects or relocating to cities where they lack networks and face housing affordability challenges.
Barriers to the First Job
The Experience Paradox
The classic catch-22 of youth employment—needing experience to get a job but needing a job to get experience—remains stubbornly persistent. Job postings routinely require years of experience for positions labelled "entry-level." Employers, flooded with applications, use experience requirements to filter candidates, screening out qualified newcomers.
This creates advantages for those who had opportunities for internships, co-ops, or family connections during their education. Young people who needed to work unrelated jobs to pay for school, who attended institutions without robust placement programs, or who lacked professional networks start the job search behind.
Discrimination and Bias
Young job seekers from marginalized groups face compounded barriers. Research consistently shows that applicants with names associated with certain ethnic backgrounds receive fewer callbacks. Indigenous youth, racialized youth, young people with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ youth all report experiencing discrimination in hiring. These barriers intersect—a young Indigenous woman with a disability may face multiple forms of bias simultaneously.
Age discrimination also affects young workers, who may be seen as immature, uncommitted, or lacking professional presence regardless of their actual capabilities.
Credential Recognition
For newcomer youth who completed education abroad, credential recognition poses significant barriers. Canadian employers may not recognize foreign qualifications, may be unfamiliar with international institutions, or may discount experience gained in other countries. Young immigrants and refugees often find themselves restarting their education or accepting positions far below their qualifications.
Networks and Social Capital
Many jobs—especially good first jobs—are found through personal connections rather than public postings. Young people whose families have professional networks have access to information about opportunities, referrals, and informal mentorship that others lack. Those who are first-generation post-secondary students, newcomers, or from working-class backgrounds may have strong family support but lack connections to professional employment.
Skills and Preparation
Technical vs. Soft Skills
Debates about what young people need for employment often pit technical skills against soft skills. Employers frequently cite communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability as gaps in young applicants. Critics argue that these complaints reflect unrealistic expectations or employers' reluctance to invest in training.
The reality is likely that both technical and interpersonal capabilities matter, and different jobs emphasize different combinations. Young people benefit from developing diverse skills, but they also need realistic understanding of what employers actually need versus what job postings claim to require.
Digital Literacy
While young Canadians are often assumed to be digitally native, there is significant variation in workplace-relevant digital skills. Using social media differs from using professional software, managing spreadsheets, or understanding digital security. Some young people have sophisticated technical skills; others need significant development. Assumptions based on generation rather than actual capability can mislead both job seekers and employers.
Job Search Skills
Searching for jobs is itself a skill that is rarely taught. Crafting resumes and cover letters, navigating applicant tracking systems, preparing for interviews, and following up appropriately all require knowledge that is not intuitive. Young people from families with professional employment may absorb these skills informally; others must figure them out—or fail to—on their own.
Pathways and Programs
Co-op and Internship Programs
Work-integrated learning programs that combine education with employment experience can significantly improve first-job prospects. Co-op programs, internships, and practicums allow students to gain experience, build networks, and demonstrate capabilities to employers while completing their education. Graduates of these programs typically have better employment outcomes.
However, access to work-integrated learning is uneven. Not all programs offer these opportunities. Unpaid internships exclude students who cannot afford to work without pay. Some industries have robust internship cultures while others offer few entry points. Expanding and equalizing access to work-integrated learning is an ongoing challenge.
Apprenticeships
For skilled trades, apprenticeship remains the traditional pathway from training to employment. Apprentices earn while they learn, combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training. Completing an apprenticeship leads to recognized credentials and typically strong employment prospects.
Yet apprenticeship faces challenges. Finding employers willing to take on apprentices can be difficult. Completion rates are lower than they should be. The trades still struggle to attract diverse candidates, with women, Indigenous people, and newcomers underrepresented. Strengthening apprenticeship as a first-job pathway requires addressing these barriers.
Youth Employment Programs
Government-funded youth employment programs provide various supports—job training, subsidized employment, job search assistance, mentorship. These programs can help young people who face barriers gain experience and connections. Evaluations suggest that well-designed programs improve employment outcomes, though effects vary by program design and participant characteristics.
Coverage is incomplete. Not all young people who could benefit have access to programs. Funding fluctuates with political priorities. Program quality varies. Many young people are unaware of available supports.
Entrepreneurship
Some young people create their own first jobs through entrepreneurship. Starting a business or working as self-employed contractors offers autonomy and potentially overcomes barriers faced in traditional hiring. Youth entrepreneurship programs provide training, mentorship, and sometimes seed funding.
Yet entrepreneurship is not for everyone and carries significant risks. Young entrepreneurs may lack experience, capital, and networks. Failure rates are high. For some, entrepreneurship represents genuine opportunity; for others, it becomes precarious self-employment out of necessity rather than choice.
Employer Practices
Entry-Level Hiring
How employers approach entry-level hiring significantly affects young people's opportunities. Employers who invest in training new workers, who evaluate potential rather than just experience, and who provide structured onboarding create pathways for first-job seekers. Those who post unrealistic requirements, rely heavily on informal networks, or underinvest in new employee development create barriers.
Some employers have developed specific programs for hiring new graduates or career starters. These programs recognize that first-job workers need support and development, and that investing in early-career employees can build loyalty and capability.
Bias in Hiring
Hiring processes often contain bias—sometimes intentional, often unconscious. Resume screening may filter out qualified candidates based on names, addresses, or schools. Interviews may favour candidates who present in familiar ways. Employers who recognize and address these biases can access talent that competitors miss and contribute to more equitable employment outcomes.
Support Systems
Career Services
Post-secondary institutions provide career services—resume help, job fairs, interview coaching, employer connections—but quality and accessibility vary. Students who use these services often benefit, but many do not engage with career supports until they are already struggling. Better integration of career development throughout education, rather than just at graduation, might improve outcomes.
Family and Community
Family support—financial, practical, and emotional—affects how young people navigate job searching. Those who can live with family rent-free while searching have different options than those who must take any available job immediately. Communities with strong youth supports, mentorship opportunities, and employer engagement provide better environments for first-job transitions.
Mentorship
Mentors can provide guidance, encouragement, and connections that significantly ease the first-job transition. Formal mentorship programs exist through schools, professional associations, and community organizations. Informal mentorship emerges through family, community, and early work experiences. Young people without access to mentorship miss important support.
Questions for Further Discussion
- How can employers be encouraged to reduce unrealistic experience requirements for entry-level positions and invest in training new workers?
- What policies would most effectively address discrimination and bias in youth hiring?
- How can work-integrated learning be expanded and made more equitable so that all students have access to meaningful experience?
- What support do young people in rural and northern communities need to access first-job opportunities without being forced to relocate?
- How should the balance between individual preparation and systemic change be struck in addressing youth unemployment and underemployment?