Everyone, I have found a job after 8 months of unemployment and increased my previous salary in a great company with meaningful work!

I just wanted to say to anyone who are still struggling, please don’t stop from applying! ❤️ I got this job without a reference! I think the market is slowly opening again as I managed to get 3 separate interviews in one month.

My heart goes out to all of you. Please stay strong!

Our laid-off hiking group is still going strong! 🥾

We've had more and more people joining us each week, and it's been great seeing everyone come out, meet new friends, and enjoy some time outside together.

This Monday, we're heading back to Ashbridges Bay for a relaxing walk along the boardwalk and waterfront!

📍 Meeting Point: Booster Juice, 1681 Lake Shore Blvd E, Toronto, ON M4L 3W6

📅 Monday, October 19

⏰ 11:00 AM

🥾 Route: Ashbridges Bay Boardwalk

Same idea as before — a casual walk for anyone who's laid off, between jobs, taking a career break, or just figuring out what's next.

No networking event, no pitches, no pressure to talk about work. Just come walk, meet some new people, enjoy the waterfront, and get out of the house for a bit.

DM for more details

If you're going to the Toronto game fest please message me as I may have a paying gig for then.

I got a job offer but it’s 20k lower than my expectation, lower than my previous job, and lower level position. However, I accepted it anyway because I want to pause a little bit of going through all the applying process as I’ve been applying since July. It’s a bit tiring. I don’t know if it’s a ‘me’ problem or the economy is a highly competitive right now especially in Accounting and Finance field. I’ll try again next year or see if this company will give me a better opportunity inside the organization.

Hi!! I’m a current undergrad student, and I work part time, but I was wondering what kind of jobs can be done around the city to make some extra cash? I missed the deadline to sign up for elections Ontario, but I’m looking for something similar to that, in which I can make some extra money committing a few days/few hours.

I need to vent about a wildly unprofessional bait-and-switch and free consulting extraction I just went through with Insight Global recruiting for a contract at BMO (Bank of Montreal).

They pitched me an incorporated Senior Data Architecture contract targeting $70/hr. That's a low wage for this role but it sounded like a solid fit, so I went through multiple interview rounds. Then, they asked me to do a massive, time-consuming case study and present my architecture recommendations directly to the bank's hiring manager.

This wasn’t a simple technical assessment. I spent hours building a complete 24-slide enterprise architecture deck (a 16-slide core strategy presentation plus an 8-slide technical appendix). I mapped out their data ingestion, ETL/ELT pipelines, audience segmentation rules, privacy compliance controls, incident response playbooks, and a full 4-week rollout plan.

During the video call, I noticed the BMO hiring manager immediately reaching for her keyboard the exact second I transitioned to a new slide. She was very obviously taking screenshots of my core presentation step-by-step as I walked through my strategy.

The presentation went perfectly. The feedback from the BMO Director was glowing. Then the Insight Global recruiter reaches out: "You were the strongest candidate, but they're going with someone whose rate aligns with the budget."

I was confused because I had never asked for more than the $70/hr listed on the job description. I emailed the recruiter back and said, "I really liked the team and the architecture challenge. If the other candidate falls through, I'll take the role at the original $70/hr rate."

The recruiter’s response? They admit the actual approved budget from BMO was only for a $50/hr T4A contractor all along.

Here is the part that really pisses me off. The recruiter explicitly told me they knew the budget was $50/hr T4A, but deliberately pitched me as a $70/hr incorporated consultant because they wanted to prove a point to BMO about current market rates. They used my unpaid labor as a free bargaining chip to educate their client, without ever telling me I was participating in their experiment. I wasn't looking to help an agency prove a point to a bank. I was looking for a job.

When the bank predictably said no, the agency just shrugged and walked away. Insight Global gambled with my time, and the BMO hiring manager walked away with screenshots of a free senior-level architecture blueprint.

If an agency ever asks you to do a massive presentation or a take-home project, demand written confirmation of the actually approved budget first. And if you do present, watermark your slides. Do not let recruiters and clients use your interviews to test budget elasticity and harvest free consulting.

Hey everyone! I run InfaWeb, a web design business based in Markham. I’m available for website projects with businesses in Toronto and across the GTA.

If you need your first website or want to refresh an existing one, I build mobile-friendly sites that clearly explain your services and make it easy for customers to get in touch.

I typically custom-code my projects to suit each business’s design and functionality needs. I can help with landing pages, full business websites, and redesigns. Hosting and ongoing maintenance are available too.

Send me a message with a little about your business, your timeline, and what you’re looking for, and we can discuss the scope and a quote :)

You can see my work at infawebdesign.com.

Hey everyone, I’m Omar. I’m building OVERTAKE, an Ontario-based content agency, and I’m looking for a creative, reliable video editor to work with regularly.

We shoot content for local businesses, including barbershops, automotive businesses and other brands. Most projects will be Instagram Reels and short promotional videos, with some skits and longer videos mixed in.

I’m after clean, polished, cinematic edits with strong pacing, colour grading, music, sound design, and creative transitions and effects that suit the video. I’d love to find someone who can spot the best moments in the footage and bring their own ideas.

I’ll handle filming and provide the footage, direction and references. You’ll handle the editing, and we’ll work together on getting the style right.

The work is fully remote and project-based. You must currently be based in Canada, with Ontario preferred. Students, recent graduates and experienced freelancers are all welcome.

Budget: CAD $50 to $75 per standard 30 to 45 second reel. Rates can vary for simpler or more involved projects. I’m also interested in batch pricing for several videos from the same shoot.

We’ll agree on the scope, revisions, deadline and fee before starting.

If you’re interested, DM me with:

1. A quick introduction, your city, and whether you’ll be editing the work yourself or with a team.
2. Two or three relevant videos you personally edited, with a brief note on what you handled.
3. Your rates in CAD for one reel and five similar reels from the same shoot, including revisions and any extras.
4. Your earliest availability, usual turnaround time and capacity for recurring work.

If your work looks like a fit, we’ll have a quick call and discuss the first project.

I’m hoping to build an ongoing working relationship, although there’s no guaranteed monthly volume initially. Reviewing replies as they come in. Open until filled!

​

I did business for my undergrad finished in Dec 2024 and been searching since and been struggling to land anything for a while due to crazy competition and lack of entry level and new grad opportunities. Can't believe I would be able to find a job but I ended up getting something full time finally since I graduated. Been doing on-call part time work with very limited hours. I have been just networking, and applying along the way. I got a sales representative job that's a good foot in the door and seems like there's some opportunity to build skills and experience. Recommend definitely anyone looking for entry level work to consider sales as they are typically hiring in cohorts and you have a way better chance than your other typical jobs in marketing, finance, supply chain, data, project management or other fields where you are just competing for one position or well a position you have no chance of getting due to competition as a new grad.

DO NOT apply/work there. Making this so people see it for the upcoming seasons they look to hire. They have a couple of locations in ontario. They will literally drag you there and have you doing absolute bullshit while telling you their "clock in" system doesnt work, and that they will fix it later. They did this to all of us. So you're not even clocked in on any basis, and this was for sure calculated. Me and 3 other people I talked to had such bad experiences we quit after just 2 shifts. (From the first shift, at the end of the day they told us to clock in while we were already hours in to our shifts. But we do it anyway. And then it doesn't let ANY of us clock out, so our clock was just running continuously, and so they I guess deemed the whole thing illegitimate even tho it was their fault.) And now it is the Friday they were supposed to pay us for our first shifts. Absolutely nothing was received of course. They literally just hire young people to take advantage of us all.

Edit: I also have to mention that now thinking back, a lot of things they’re doing is illegal as they NEVER asked me as a new employee for identification to even prove I’m allowed to work etc. So they will hire people without any ID I guess, which is illegal. (The only thing we were asked to do is the tax forms which by default have a spot for your SIN)

Hi, I’m an independent flooring contractor with a lot of work. This post is directed to experienced installers who are out of work or looking for change.

I am not looking for inexperienced individuals.

I’m not sure how many people I can get to in this group but I thought I’d give it a shot.

I specialize in commercial Carpet, LVT, and various resilient tiles.

I’m located in Markham Ontario with lots of work downtown Toronto.

Pay and wages will be discussed in private base on experience as it varies for many.

I hope I get to hear back from some of you!!

Hi everyone!
I have an upcoming in-person assessment for a Plans Examiner (Zoning) position with an Ontario municipality. It’s a 90-minute, open-book assessment, and I’ve been asked to bring a ruler and calculator.
Has anyone taken a similar assessment? I’d really appreciate any advice on what topics to focus on, what types of questions to expect, and how best to prepare.
Thanks in advance for your help!

I've always been hesitant to use the Open to Work banner because I worry it might affect how some recruiters perceive candidates. I don't have data or evidence that it hurts your chances, but I've personally preferred to market myself as a professional exploring opportunities rather than someone urgently looking for work.

(I sometimes compare the job market to dating. When you've been single for a long time, some people start wondering why nobody has picked you. But when you're already in a relationship, suddenly you seem more desirable and get more attention.)

From my experience, recruiters reached out to me far more often when I was already employed.

During COVID, I was laid off and managed to get several interviews within the first three months, but couldn't land a job. Hiring managers frequently asked why I left my previous company, and some seemed skeptical when I explained that my entire department had been laid off. A few even gave me attitude.

After about four months, interviews became increasingly rare. I suspected that my growing employment gap might have been affecting my chances. So I changed my approach.

I started freelancing and added that experience to my resume. I wasn't making much money, but I was genuinely working with clients. Instead of presenting myself solely as an unemployed candidate looking for a full-time job, I positioned myself as an independent contractor open to freelance projects or the right permanent opportunity.

My biggest takeaway is that how you position yourself during a job search can matter just as much as how you communicate your experience.

For those who've used the Open to Work banner, did you actually notice an increase in recruiter messages or interview opportunities?

Hi, I'm a junior software engineer with 2 and half years of full time experience and a year of a half of internship experience. I'm currently unemployed after taking an intentional one year gap. I'm currently based out of Alberta and I'm hoping to find a role in Toronto as I want to move there for a change in pace. I've been spending the last 3 months applying on LinkedIn, but haven't heard back. I feel like LinkedIn is not showing all the roles available. What are some unconventional things you did to find a role in Toronto?

Im turning 25 soon , i have done a diploma in computer programming but honestly just passed without learning much and as a result couldnt get a single intership or job so ended up working a minimum wage job for the past 4 years . thinking to go back to school for a 2-3 diploma can do more and focus on studying it its a lucrative profession .Does anyone have any recommendations for diplomas in healthcare (as that has the most demand in ontario )that can get you in the workforce after graduation and have a opportunity for growth and development as you keep working over the years. i have a interest in computer repair and hardware stuff but not much for coding etc ,but ive heard the IT industry is basically done for new grads with how advanced ai is now so i want to avoid everthing IT related and jobs involving physical work like skill trades I want to primarily reside in ontario and not have to move elsewhere please share your wisdom with me .Thank you for taking the time to read .

Basically its been utter shit since 2023 and have had a few random jobs here and there but nothing worthwhile or stable, mostly contract work.

Did like 2 interviews this year, one told me they would get back to me, so it is basically a dud.

The other was more "entry level" and said they would train which I got through my recruitment advisor and she told me they interviewed a total of 3 people total but did not seem to hire anyone even though they said training would be provided, which baffles me like, are these companies extremely picky with even getting people through the door or what?

The longer the gap gets I reckon within my own industry the harder it becomes and the harder it becomes the longer I sit out of work, like is there anything I am missing? How are people actually getting employed is just nepo-babies and favourtism?

Friday favour for anyone job hunting in Toronto/GTA.
Whether you’re a new grad or an experienced professional trying to get back into the market, do your research before wasting your time applying to certain companies on LinkedIn.

In my experience, some companies keep posting the same jobs for months, and you’re left wondering if they’re even hiring. Meanwhile, the pay is dog water, they underpay people, especially at TC and DCM and the work environments can be extremely toxic.
And let’s be real: favouritism and nepotism are absolutely a thing. Sometimes, knowing someone on the inside matters more than your qualifications.

Companies I’ve personally had concerns about:
TC Media
DCM
MARKS formerly under Southern Graphics)
BGB
KLICK

Don’t take my word for it. Google them, check LinkedIn, and do your own research.
There are a few others I can’t remember offhand.

This market is already brutal enough and these companies need to get called out. Still, don’t give up and good luck!

We are hiring a Business Analyst / Operations Analyst for a 6-month contract opportunity with a financial institution in downtown Toronto.

📍 Location: Downtown Toronto, ON
🏢 Work Arrangement: 100% onsite, 5 days per week
📅 Contract Duration: 6 months, with potential for extension and full-time employment
🕒 Working Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM (37.5 hours/week; occasional overtime may be required)
💰 Pay Rate: $50–$55/hour
📌 Number of Openings: 1

Key Responsibilities

• Process, review, and validate quarterly client investment statements.
• Review portfolio data, investigate discrepancies, and ensure data accuracy.
• Conduct UAT and regression testing for operational enhancements.
• Gather business requirements and prepare process documentation.
• Coordinate with Portfolio Managers, internal teams, and external vendors.
• Support client account creation, maintenance, and operational reporting.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Business Analyst or Operations Analyst within a financial institution.
• In-depth understanding of the Canadian investment industry, with exposure to US and global markets.
• 3+ years of UAT and regression testing experience.
• 3+ years of Wealth Management experience.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• CGI Mpower experience.
• Investment statement generation and portfolio data validation.
• Knowledge of ROR, Jira, and Confluence.
• Canadian Securities Course or relevant financial services education.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can DM me their updated résumé or LinkedIn profile for consideration.

Referrals are welcome. Please apply only if your experience aligns with the requirements and you are comfortable with the fully onsite arrangement in downtown Toronto.

Thank you!

Currently making 72k in Ottawa. Have a house (on mortgage), and my partner works from home. If I get an offer and they ask me to move to Toronto I would try renting our house and renting a small apartment in Toronto.

edit: we need at least 2bd apartment for my partner office space, + parking for 1 car and ideally option for an electric car charger. 2 cats, no kids. 90k would be my income, + partner income that can vary anywhere from 50$+/hr or just minimum wage. (unstable industry)

But does it make sense financially? is 90k enough for such a change?

Hi!

Yesterday I watched an animated movie. It’s called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. I think you should set aside 34 minutes, get a blanket, and get ready for an absolute treat. You might wonder why I’m starting with this when I’m here about a job. I’ll get there.

I won’t say I’m unemployed. I know that’s the real term for my situation, but I’d rather call it a long vacation (7 months) that I never asked for. The second version is a gift to keep my morale up.

Quick background: I have nearly 5 years of experience in C#/.NET, SQL, and Azure, and I’m AZ-204 certified. I’ve shipped applications through Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines and spent a lot of time on performance tuning. On the frontend I’ve worked mostly in Vue.js, so I’d be coming to Angular with solid component-based experience and a quick ramp-up, and I’m comfortable picking up React the same way. I also have hands-on experience with Python, which comes from my postgraduate program in Applied AI Solutions Development at George Brown College (GBC).

Now, circling back to the movie I mentioned at the beginning. There’s a quote in it:

“Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s refusing to give up.”

That’s what I’m doing right now. I’d like someone to end my vacation and change my 9 AM view.

Also, I know this is Reddit, not a job board. But hey... who knows, someone on here might just extend an olive branch. So here it is. My tale.

Even if you can’t offer any help at this time, I hope you still watch that short film. I hope you watch it when you need to hear it the most. Good luck with whatever you’re fighting for right now. Come back stronger, okay?

I've landed all my jobs on my own, mostly by applying through LinkedIn without any referrals. So I'm not saying I expect people to find me a job or pull strings for me.

But something I've noticed whenever I've been job hunting is that people I've known for just a few months have offered to refer me to their bosses without me even asking. Meanwhile, people I've known for 10+ years who work in the same field just send me LinkedIn job postings. Lmao, thanks, I have LinkedIn too 😭

I'm not currently looking for referrals, but I've always found this interesting. I wonder if friends in the same industry sometimes see me as their competition, which makes them less willing to help.

And btw, I never expected referrals for roles above my skillsets. In the past, recruiters reached out to me about roles that were too senior and I humbly declined because I'm not willing to fake it.

Obviously, nobody owes anyone a referral, and even sharing job postings is a nice gesture. But it's interesting how people you've barely known can sometimes go out of their way to help more than people you've known for a decade.

Thought the sub might find this interesting. Posting on behalf of my partner who is 30F with 5+ years of experience in marketing.

She was looking for a new job while working a full-time job, so most of the searching and applying was during evenings and weekends. This also meant she could afford to be a little picky and withdrew early from a few positions where the fit didn’t seem right.

Started applying a bunch in December and January, a bit in February, then slowed down and did a little over the summer until the last bunch in September finally led to an offer.

A couple of the final round exits were rejections, but she also had one where the position was paused indefinitely, and one where she backed out because she got bad vibes from the hiring manager.

Graphic made with AI from a spreadsheet she kept tracking all of her applications.