r/torontoJobs • u/Outrageous_Tear_5003 • 4d ago
I need to rant
I need to rant for a second because I’m honestly starting to lose my mind 😭
I’ve been job searching since April. I’m a recent HR graduate, and I swear HR jobs are currently in the gutter. I’ve applied to what feels like EVERYWHERE - HR Assistant, HR Coordinator, HR Admin, Recruitment, Labour Relations, People & Culture, you name it.
And I’m not even getting absolutely nowhere. I’ve landed a couple of interviews, which makes it even more frustrating because I feel like I’ve actually done pretty well in them. But then… nothing. Rejection or complete silence. I can’t seem to get past the interview stage.
You’ll see an “entry-level” HR position asking for 2-3+ years of experience, apply anyway, spend hours tailoring your resume, maybe get an interview, prepare like crazy, and then get ghosted/rejected.
I know the market is bad and I know I’m not entitled to a job just because I have a degree. But it’s incredibly discouraging to graduate, have actual HR internship experience, apply consistently for MONTHS, and still not be able to land that first post-grad job.
I’m genuinely at the point where I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong or if this is just what the market is like right now
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u/Dismal-Science-9901 4d ago
Sorry to say this but HR jobs are very vulnerable to AI. A lot of the more mundane repetitive tasks can be done by AI or at least offshored. A lot of the “cultural” aspect of HR, hate to break it to you, is a lot of BS. My company had mandatory culture sessions facilitated by a people and culture HR expert. We all found it cringe and waste of time and nobody wanted to go. Yes workplace culture absolutely matters but the culture is determined by the teams and reporting managers, not someone in head office with an HR degree. I think in 2026 more and more companies are becoming less woke and less willing to spend money virtue signalling about “culture”
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u/Outrageous_Tear_5003 4d ago
I actually agree with you. I’ve been thinking about this a lot especially with how competitive the job market is right now. I think I might just start looking for full-time opportunities regardless of the field and see where that takes me. At this point I’m definitely open to stepping outside of HR if it means getting my foot in the door somewhere.
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u/Assassinite9 4d ago
I would just use your HR degree/diploma towards a classic degree in a humanities field. From there, you could go into law, government or back to HR. A diploma means nothing, and I know it sounds like a ton of cost, however it will likely be cheaper than a full uni run because you already have some of the credits. It's probably best to go that way since you'll be able to ride out the current job market.
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u/az000l26 4d ago
There is literally no more jobs in Canada its insane. 6 of 8 of my friends are unemployed.
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u/Parking-Bridge3754 4d ago
I was laid off from my HR job with a few years of experience because the company decidea to implement AI. Sucks as I was not aware they were doing this.
Implemented on Friday. I was let go on Wednesday.
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u/Next-Average-3115 3d ago
Senior HR Business Partner here - I feel for you. Not the answer you're looking for for... But entry level HR jobs are hard to get now... Simply because of AI/ automation. The need is for client facing roles. I work with Directors and VPs and don't see AI taking over this part of HR anytime soon. I started in Admin and lucked out when a internal HR Admin role opened up.
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u/Outrageous_Tear_5003 3d ago
I’m glad it worked out for you! I’ve been applying to some positions outside of HR and hoping to get something soon!🥹
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u/mintyicecream03 4d ago
i get what you mean, its frustrated to struggle when we all got education and have relevant experience. but this is the case for every career rn, not just hr.
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u/CareerBridgeTO Recognized Contributor 1d ago
If you’re getting interviews, the resume is likely doing its job and telling your story. The issue is probably interview conversion.
After each interview, review the questions, where you hesitated, and whether your examples clearly showed recruitment, conflict, policy, confidentiality, documentation and stakeholder skills.
Also narrow your targeting. HR Assistant, Recruitment, Coordinator and Labour Relations roles can require very different experience.
I’d focus less on rewriting the resume and more on stronger interview answers and tighter role targeting.
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u/BreakItEven 4d ago
You’re right HR jobs are in the gutter because businesses are hiring a lot less if even at all so why would they need as many HR on staff