Young graduates in Montreal often face many difficulties when looking for their first job. Testimonies from several of them allowed us to explore these obstacles and the strategies adopted to overcome them.
The search for a first job is an obstacle course for young graduates in Montreal. Jessica, 24, a graduate in security and police studies, is no exception. She has a warm, broad smile. Her long, curly black hair, pulled back in a ponytail, frames an expressive face. Her confident tone suggests quiet self-confidence and a clear desire to get things done. Although she completed her studies with solid training, she faced a much more difficult ordeal than she had imagined. "You leave university with a lot of theory in your head, but no practical experience," she explains.
After months of unsuccessful searching, it was with the help of a contact that she landed an internship in a government organization.
"What will also make you stand out is your contacts who are willing to refer you, because resumes are not enough," she states.
Despite a seemingly stable job market, the unemployment rate in the Montreal metropolitan area reached 7.1% in April 2025, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec. For those with a bachelor's degree, it was 4.8% nationwide in 2024. These statistics might suggest that young graduates have fewer difficulties finding a job after their studies. But that would be drawing conclusions too hastily. Why, despite a university education, is the search for a first job in Montreal a real struggle? What causes the most difficulties for these young people, between a lack of professional network or a lack of experience?
"I was on LinkedIn every day, I scrolled more on LinkedIn than I did on my other social media."
Jenny, also 24, from Montreal, went through a job search process quite similar to Jessica's. You quickly feel her sociable nature and her remarkable ease in connecting with others. Her attentive gaze betrays a great listening quality. A graduate in administration, it was finally thanks to an acquaintance that she found her current position. "It was by reaching out to all sorts of people and discussing my studies with an acquaintance that I was able to find my current position," she specifies. Her determination to succeed professionally can be read in every word.
Experience and networking, these are two essential elements, she believes. "You really have to do as many internships as you can and also go to conferences to meet lots of people who are on the job market," she advises. These events help to expand one's network, a crucial aspect for her.
LinkedIn was also an indispensable tool in her job search. She recommends using all the platform's features to connect with as many professionals as possible.
For Louise-Josée, 25, who holds a bachelor's degree in political science, the story is different. This young woman with a frank smile injects a touch of humor into her stories, her contagious laughter instantly breaks the ice. She spent more than a year looking for her first job. It was a trying period. "I knew it was a bit difficult to find work with the degree I had, but I didn't think it would be that hard," she confesses.
"I was on LinkedIn every day, I scrolled more on LinkedIn than I did on my other social media," she says, laughing. Despite her perseverance, she found this period extremely discouraging. "I had done everything by the book, working and studying, but I found nothing," she says, a hint of despair in her voice. "I had physical repercussions due to the stress of finding this job," she confides.
In her case, networking was not an effective solution.
The key element that finally helped her land her job was adapting her resume to the offers and applying relentlessly. "My advice is to apply as much as possible everywhere. If you can, apply 100 times a day," she advises, laughing.
Becoming Visible to Recruiters: Advice from Two Experts
Laura Balan, career coach, and Mehdi Bagma, president of the recruiting firm Kadmaco, make the same observation. Many young graduates do not always adopt the best strategies in their first job search, they note. The problem often lies in their approach.
Networking is one of the keys to success, says Mehdi. "Your network is your net worth," he says with conviction. "That doesn't mean there aren't job offers if you don't see any available offers; companies don't always have the funds to advertise a position. That's why you have to go forward. Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he specifies. He therefore advises not to wait and always to meet recruiters. As for networking, Laura emphasizes the importance of LinkedIn, but it's not the only way to build a network. For young people without a network, they need to take initiatives, she advises. "They should be curious about networking events organized by their university, look for these events on social media, and use their educational institution to access events that match their search," she says optimistically.
Regarding young people who haven't done internships or don't have experience, "it's not a problem," she states confidently. "They just need to emphasize the projects they worked on while they were still studying on their resume." Even without experience, "soft skills" — interpersonal and behavioral skills — can make all the difference to an employer," she affirms, advice that proves valuable for those who doubt their abilities.
According to Mehdi, it comes back to the chicken and egg question: "To work, you need experience, but to get experience, you need to work." For him, it's possible to compensate for this lack of experience by highlighting transferable skills on the resume. "You have to link
certain experiences you've had to those you're looking to get; making connections between skills can make a difference," he reminds us.
Making a Place: Networking, Visibility, and Resilience for Racialized Young Graduates
Candice Fuego, assistant, recruiter, and human resources management specialist, also highlights the difficulties faced by racialized young graduates in their job search.
"We are very familiar with the issue of systemic racism and sexism," she states. An issue highlighted in 2018 by Jean-Philippe Beauregard, then a sociology PhD student. Research conducted in Quebec shows that a fictional candidate named Marc-André has a 36% chance of being contacted for recruitment, compared to 12% for a fictional candidate named Mamadou, with equal skills and diplomas.
For Candice, it is therefore crucial to remain focused on professional skills in interviews and to avoid oversharing personal life. However, even if one does everything possible to avoid experiencing these injustices by being discreet, the final decision always rests with the manager, she reminds us. A difficult but realistic observation, since, even for an excellent candidate, certain decisions can be influenced by unconscious biases.
She also emphasizes the constant pressure to stand out: "I always think about the reality of systemic racism, which is there, and the fact that you always have to stand out." In some companies, racialized people have to make more effort to gain the same recognition as others, she adds. It all depends again on the employer and their organizational culture.
For racialized young graduates who don't know where to start building their network, Candice advises activating their closest contacts: "It's important to talk to your community, to find those people who are already in the field you're interested in, or even in other fields." This allows you to build a network in a comfortable setting. She also recommends starting, if possible, professional experience within the same community, relying on social media, community pages, or platforms like Eventbrite to identify relevant and interesting events. "You have to connect with people who are willing to help or train you."
While networking, highlighting transferable skills, and presence on LinkedIn are common tools, Candice reminds us that systemic racism imposes an additional effort on racialized young graduates.
Louise-Josée is aware of this difficulty. "Systemic racism and employer biases can occur, but when you get further in the hiring process, because without the experience, you just don't get to the first step of being noticed by the employer," she states. Today, with accumulated experience, she continues her job search. "With my current job, I've gained some experience, but it's not enough when I look at job descriptions, I don't know what the future holds for me, so I keep looking."