By Liana Yadav

Internships have long been the pathway to a future career, a way to gain experience, build skills and make professional connections. But as competition grows and job markets tighten, students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) feel the promise of those opportunities is fading. 

According to Universities Canada, an association that represents Canadian universities, 80 universities across the country offer over 5,600 work-integrated learning programs, which include co-ops, apprenticeships and internships. These programs are promoted as the cushion that softens graduates’ landing in the job market. 

But internships and co-ops are harder to land than before, adding obstacles for some students rather than easing their entry into the workforce. Placement match rates dipped to 81 per cent and student demand up 41 per cent, according to Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada’s 2023 report.

Shai Prieto, a fifth-year marketing management co-op student, spoke about the competition in her co-op pool in the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM).

“[I was advised] to apply for five to 10 jobs every week,” she said. “I was spending time editing my resume [and] my cover letter to fit for each job description.” Ultimately, Prieto got her second co-op placement through a recommendation from a friend.

After accepting the offer and working for the company for two terms, Prieto began apply for other intersnips, yet didn’t hear back.

“I’m not sure if it was how I did my resume but it really discouraged me,” she said, adding that she was concerned about whether she could find a different job after graduation.

The Ted Rogers Co-op Program at TMU is popular but not always what students hope for. 

“It’s definitely an excruciating process,” Prieto said. “That’s why a lot of people drop out of the co-op program because it’s just so many things that you have to do and there’s no guarantee of anything.”

In an emailed statement to The Eyeopener, the TRSM Business Career Hub shared that their co-op prep program is designed around current market needs, using regular feedback from students and employers to fill skills gaps.

Canada’s youth unemployment rate sits at 14.6 per cent as of July, a drastic swing following the pandemic peak of 42 per cent in May 2020 and the post-pandemic low of nine per cent in July 2022. According to the C.D. Howe Institute, the labour market has changed as a result of many factors including the pandemic, higher immigration, the artifical intelligence boom and tariffs from the United States.

According to Francesco Barbera, an associate professor in the entrepreneurship and strategy department at TMU, advancements in technology have contributed to the disappearance of entry-level jobs. “In the old days, if you had an undergraduate degree, that would just differentiate you somehow. The competition is becoming fiercer,” he said. 

Job boards such as Indeed and LinkedIn could rack up hundreds of postings within minutes. With so many applicants and not enough jobs, the biggest trick is figuring out how to stand out.

Sharlene Massie, founder of the recruitment agency About Staffing, says they physically screen all applicants’ resumes. 

“We have 85,000 resumes in our system of people that have applied that we’ve interviewed already,” she said. “On top of that, we have another thousand resumes coming in [each week]. If it’s a match, they get processed. If they’re not a match, they just get filed because there’s no way to manage that.” 

When it comes to standing out, Massie says honesty goes a long way. “Don’t lie, tell me the truth because I’m going to get to it anyway.” 

Whether it is salary expectations, a career pivot or preference for a hybrid role, Massie says employers value transparency. As far as rejections go, she says not to take them personally.

“It’s just a better candidate for that role, so youth may be getting frustrated because they feel it’s a personal attack if they don’t get something…suitable. But it is because the employer just needs to make the best decision and so does the student.”

On top of increased competition, students are also dealing with a time constraint due to other responsibilities. A CIBC poll reported that half of Canadian post-secondary students struggle to cover costs such as rent, transportation and groceries. 

In a difficult job market, the first employees to get filtered out are vulnerable groups such as newcomers and immigrants. While they often suffer the brunt of the blame, as previously reported by The Eye, newcomers have largely been the victims of a tough labour market.

Another choice for many is to ride the wave of education until things get better. Over the last two decades, there has been a steady increase in the number of students enrolling in a master’s program in the country, according to Statista. But while graduate studies buys time and can even lead to potential work experience, this route comes with its own risks.

Van Su, a fifth-year marketing management student, said, “I’ve heard people say that having a master’s [with] full-time experience in the workforce makes you overqualified for entry-level jobs because they have to pay you more because of your degree.”

Describing co-op as the best decision she ever made, Su plans to pursue a master’s degree in user interface and user experience design after graduation. 

“Being in co-op allowed me to follow my passion because I already tested out the career. I did design every single day in my co-op, so that made me feel more confident in going into design, knowing that that is exactly what I want to do,” Su said.

In a Jun. 24, 2024 speech, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem noted that the number of high-paying jobs has grown more than low-wage jobs since the pandemic. He warned that younger workers and newcomers are finding it harder to land jobs as hiring slows despite the growth. 

The workforce in Canada remains a seller’s market where employers hold most of the leverage. Massie expressed that recruitment agencies like hers have adapted by tightening their screening processes to match applicants more precisely with openings. 

She said her firm only earns commissions when a placement is successful, which has pushed recruiters to be more selective and efficient. 

To avoid being caught in the job crisis, Barbera said that students should work on building their strengths and their resilience. “You cannot face this kind of competition and not be extremely passionate and able to withstand great discomfort in order to push through and exit on the other side of it.”