Where the jobs are now: Sectors hungry for talent and opportunities for graduates

If the Canadian job market feels like it’s been taking one step forward and two steps back, Michael Shekhtman may be able to explain.

The senior regional director for recruiting firm Robert Half in Vancouver says the pent-up demand for talent coming out of the pandemic led many companies to hire in droves. This was followed by what he describes as a “correction,” owing to a range of external factors, including high interest rates. Slowly, he suggests, the dust is settling, and organizations are figuring out how many employees they actually need.

“Companies are still very much looking to, at the very minimum, replace or add to their teams, which is good news,” Mr. Shekhtman says.

This will play out differently from one industry to another, but here are five sectors with some of the most in-demand jobs, according to job site Canada Hires.

Sales and Marketing

The job titles can vary from “associate” to “account manager” or simply “rep,” but knowing how to drive demand and convince customers to make a purchase remain highly coveted skills.

For marketing specialists and related professions alone, a projected 73,700 new job openings are expected between now and 2031, according to Canada Hires. Data from Glassdoor indicates entry-level sales associates make an average of $56,575 per year, while Jobted says those starting out as marketing specialists make an average of $38,700.

Employers trying to fill sales and marketing roles aren’t always looking for proficiency in a particular digital platform or industry accreditation. Instead, job seekers should try to demonstrate their strategic thinking skills, along with a growth-oriented mindset, says Brent Dul, executive vice-president at recruitment firm Randstad Canada.

Even if you’ve only worked as a restaurant server while you’re in school, for instance, pay attention to data such as which food and beverage items are more popular at different times of the day, and be prepared to show how you’d optimize the restaurant to attract more diners and greater profit.

“That’s going to jump out [to employers] as someone who is setting themself up for success in their next job,” says Mr. Dul.

Finance and Accounting

At various stages of growth, companies need to make sure they capture relevant data and use it to inform their future direction. This means those working in finance and accounting are far more than “bean counters” but integral team members. Despite that, a survey from recruiting firm Morgan McKinley found 34 per cent of finance and accounting hiring managers say a lack of skilled candidates is their biggest challenge.

Mr. Shekhtman points out that some of the demand for finance and accounting jobs can come from initiatives companies are running to comply with industry regulations or to digitize the way they capture and analyze the numbers. This is spawning a growing interest in contract or temporary roles.

“Companies are taking on individuals based on the projects that they’re running, not necessarily adding more headcount to their organization,” he says, adding that many of these jobs turn into permanent roles once a new grad gets their foot in the door. For those hired full-time, research by Robertson College shows entry-level finance and accounting roles pay $57,660.

Health Care

“Health care roles like registered nurses and physicians are right up there and are constantly in demand. That hasn’t changed significantly,” says Randstad’s Mr. Dul.

Don’t limit yourself to those roles, however, or thinking about health care as it’s delivered during urgent care settings like a hospital. According to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, long-term care needs are expected to grow 71 per cent over the next 30 years. That could fuel strong demand for roles such as personal support workers (PSWs), where the average starting salary is more than $36,000 a year, based on data from Talent.com.

Skilled Trades

Beyond health care, the work done by electricians, plumbers, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and construction professionals are essential to our everyday lives. However, with an estimated 700,000 skilled trades workers expected to retire between 2019 and 2028, there is a pressing need to attract new talent.

Demand for skilled trades workers is also being driven by Canada’s housing shortage. According to an RBC report, Canada could need more than 500,000 additional construction workers on average to build all the homes that will be needed between now and 2030.

Mr. Dul advises those still studying these fields or recent grads to make the most of co-op placements, internships or partnerships between their school and the industry to connect with the right opportunities. “It’s about using that time that you have while you’re still learning to try and gain some experience,” he says.

Technology

The Government of Canada’s Job Bank shows there are more than 288,000 people working in information technology (IT). Yet the data also shows an ongoing talent shortage that’s expected to persist through 2031.

This is partly because a “tech job” doesn’t necessarily mean working for a company that manufactures computers or produces software. It could cover everything from data analysts to programmers to cybersecurity specialists and more.

Last year, The Dais, a think-tank based out of Toronto Metropolitan University, published a report called The Skills Algorithm that looked at what kind of digital talent was in demand across Canada. It found more than 20 per cent of job postings required digital skills in using common programs like Microsoft Office. Job postings requiring skills in artificial intelligence (AI), on the other hand, only grew to 1.7 per cent last September from 0.6 per cent in early 2023.

Vivian Li, a senior economist with The Dais, says jobseekers should bear in mind that employers are seeking hybrid digital skills, where candidates are as good at communicating and leading as they are at writing code. While entry-level developers make an average of $69,000, according to data from Glassdoor, their career growth may depend on how well they work with people.

“Some digital skills might go out of fashion and get replaced by other digital skills,” Ms. Li says. “But those non-digital areas, even if they’re hard to measure, represent the core skills that all workers will need to some extent.”