“The market is tough right now!”
This is the phrase I hear the most when talking about job hunting. Right after that, the most common topic is networking, which everyone says is the most essential part of the journey. But now what? To help you in this endless and frustrating search, Wave has compiled some resources and tools to make your job hunt in Canada a bit easier.
Career Coaching
Career coaching services can be very helpful during the job search process. These professionals offer knowledge, resources, and tools that help their clients achieve desired results. Some organizations offer these services to the community for free, often targeting different demographic groups.
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) offers a variety of services for people looking for jobs in Canada. One highlight is the Career Coach in Residence Program, which connects library members with professional career coaches for one-on-one sessions. Wave spoke with those in charge of this program. Sarah Atkinson, Senior Youth Services Specialist at TPL, is responsible for the program. She emphasized that the service is open to everyone, regardless of immigration status or financial situation.
“The program is aimed at young adults aged 18 to 29, but since the library is public, our goal is to break down barriers and help the community at large. So, we also serve older adults. Many people in their 30s, for example, come to us looking to make a career transition. We also help teens who need guidance on finding their first job, building a résumé, and more,” said Atkinson.
To book a session, search for Career Coaches in Residence on the TPL website (torontopubliclibrary.ca) and book online, or contact Sarah Atkinson, the program coordinator, by email at: [email protected].
Sangeetha Dikshit, also a career coach at TPL, immigrated to Canada eight years ago and has been in similar situations as many of us. She told Wave that “as career coaches, we help people identify gaps and create a plan to overcome them.”
The nonprofit JVS Toronto also offers one-on-one meetings with employment specialists and provides other free resources and training for job seekers. For more info, visit the Find a Job page at jvstoronto.org.
The Employment Ontario program also offers free support to residents of Ontario looking for work. It includes one-on-one meetings with professionals, training sessions, courses, and even specific programs for youth, newcomers, and people going through career transitions. Visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/employment-ontario for more information.
Other provinces also offer free career support services, such as Career Support Services (www2.gov.bc.ca), Directions for Immigrants (directionsforimmigrants.ca), and national initiatives like Thrive Professional Society (thriveprosociety.com) and Canada Career Counselling (canadacareercounselling.com).
Workshops
Besides organizations like TPL, there are countless workshops and talks that can support your job search. In addition to the Career Coach in Residence Program, TPL offers tech workshops, spaces for virtual interviews, online tutorials, and database access.
“If you live, work, or study in Toronto, you can get a library card for free and access all these services,” explains Atkinson. “If you can’t visit a branch, there’s a digital card option to use online resources immediately.”
To find these services, visit the Job and Career Help page on the TPL site – a great starting point for exploring the library’s many services and resources.
“We have a lot of online resources, and LinkedIn Learning is one of the biggest, offering courses and upskilling opportunities. There are also many tech courses, including the Let’s Learn Tech series, where you take a course alongside other library users, led by a library staff member. In the end, it feels like taking a real class—but with no cost,” said Atkinson.
Career coach Dikshit also stressed the importance of continuous upskilling in today’s job market.
“A lot of people ask me if AI will replace them. That’s not the question. The real question is how to equip yourself to navigate this new landscape,” she told Wave.
Beyond library resources, studying other topics can also be super helpful in this process. It may seem like a lot of work, but the internet—and YouTube itself—is full of free courses and knowledge-packed videos. It’s totally up to you: search for topics that interest you, grab a notebook and pen, and dive in as if you were back in school. A great suggestion is starting with TED Talks—excellent for introducing you to new fields or ideas and even for practicing English, if that’s your case.
Free Templates Can Help!
Job hunting is basically a job in itself. Staying organized to avoid losing track of the countless résumés and cover letters is essential to make the process more manageable. You can find various spreadsheet templates online to organize all your job applications. There are templates for Excel, Google Sheets, and platforms like Notion and Airtable. On those sites, just search for “Job Application Tracker” and you’ll find excellent options.
Here are three Wave-approved recommendations that might help:
- Ransacked Room’s Job Search Sheets
- Job Application Tracker (w/ Notion AI)
- Standout CV’s Job Application Tracker Spreadsheet
Customize Your Résumé for Each Application
You can also find countless templates for CVs/résumés and cover letters to help inspire your application layout. Word processors like Microsoft Office and Google Docs offer many ready-to-use résumé templates. The most important thing is to avoid errors or false information. It’s also a good idea to tailor your résumé to each job you apply for whenever possible, so you can highlight the most relevant skills and experiences for each position.
As for cover letters, which are basically letters explaining why you’re the right fit for the job, the golden tip is to include keywords from the job posting. That means you should read the description carefully and match your experience to the key responsibilities and requirements mentioned. Just like your résumé, make sure the letter has no grammar, spelling, or factual errors. At this stage, AI tools can help, but avoid using them to write the whole thing—something career coach Sangeetha Dikshit also emphasized in her interview with Wave.
“My suggestion is to be creative. Let your personality shine through in your résumé and cover letter. You can use AI to polish sentences or get ideas for how to present a skill—and that’s great—but copy-pasting everything can be a mistake,” said Dikshit.
One More Resource
Keep an eye on the Job Bank—the Government of Canada’s job search site. It’s full of regularly updated job postings and useful tips for navigating the hiring process.
Final Note
Job searching is hard. It’s often frustration after frustration—until you get that one “yes” that changes everything. It’s important to acknowledge that this is a tough and time-consuming phase. And yes, looking for a job is a job. Be kind to yourself and lean on the many resources available to you.
This post was originally written in Portuguese and translated into English with the assistance of AI. It has been edited for clarity.
