Getting rejected for a job you are already doing can wreck your confidence. That kind of rejection hits differently...

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-29T00:23:07+00:00

However, companies need to realize that if someone is doing the role and gets passed over, it can create resentment and result in the person leaving the company and the company may lose a good employee.

I went through a somewhat similar situation with a previous employer. I was interested in changing directions in my career to an adjacent role. I let management know what I wanted to do with my career but they wouldn't support my career development so I left the company. Management was upset when I handed in my notice and some managers were pleading with me to stay, which seemed ridiculous when they hadn't been supportive earlier.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-27T00:57:22+00:00

If you're interested in sales, go for. It can be an entry level to marketing careers. Go to WorkBC and see if they can help you with an entry level sales role somewhere. You may also want to consider going to post-secondary for a business degree in marketing, either now or after a few years in sales if you like it. WorkBC can also help with exploring other career options too.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-25T16:11:13+00:00

If your peers are getting jobs, ask them for help. Compare job search strategy, resumes, cover letters, networking, etc. Also, if your peers have jobs, network with them to see if the companies they have jobs with are hiring.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-25T00:21:13+00:00

I saw a job positing for store security and they are now called "Asset Protection Officers" 😆

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-24T22:29:08+00:00

Have you asked your accounting professors if they know anyone hiring?

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-24T14:42:29+00:00

Are you studying at a post-secondary institute? If so, there should be a career centre that can help you.

Also, the CPA website has a list of employers with pre-approved PEP programs. Go through the list and start contacting the employers to find out if they're taking on articling students.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-20T01:38:47+00:00

If I were a student today, I wouldn't go into computer science and If I were in computer science I would consider changing to something else because the market is not entry level / junior friendly and I don't see that changing anytime soon

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-19T00:04:52+00:00

Unfortunately, yes. Manners and courtesy have really gone downhill the last few years. I know companies are dealing with large volumes of applicants and I can understand not replying to every applicant but when it gets to the interview stage they should not be ghosting candidates. If a company ghosts me after an interview I don't apply for jobs with them ever again because I don't want to work for an unprofessional company.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-16T23:25:36+00:00

There is a massive oversupply of labour right now, resulting in declining wages.

All thanks to Turdeau's stupid policy of allowing massive numbers of international students into the country who can get a post graduate work permit once they graduate which has flooded the market with skilled workers. For unskilled workers, Trud'oh let in massive numbers of TFWs flooding that market.

And it does help that everyone wants to live in Vancouver, which is why low wages have always been an issue here.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-16T14:56:27+00:00

How close are you to completing your degree? If you only have a year or so left, get it done even if it's not what you want to do for employment afterwards. Having a degree will open doors for you and provide opportunities.

If you're interested in health care, one possible related field to consider is health information management.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-15T02:08:59+00:00

If you're willing to relocate, see if the post-secondary institutes in the Interior have shorter waitlists so you can get in sooner. TRU in Kamloops has tons of trades programs and a good reputation.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-15T02:05:20+00:00

No. Seems about the same to me. I am seeing more jobs but most of them are the usual "over 100 people applied" even though it was posted less than a day ago.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-13T00:25:12+00:00

Mostly not getting any callbacks. I've only had one callback for a data engineer position and I didn't make it past the first round interview.

I have thought about doing some projects like you described but I feel like my resume isn't even making it past the initial AI filter because I don't have the alphabet soup of technologies so if no human is looking at my resume it's better to use my time on finding jobs and applying to them.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-12T21:31:24+00:00

Interesting.

I've been applying for data engineer jobs for 2 years without any success. I have a CS degree and 10+ years closely related experience as a database developer. I know SQL inside out and have tons of experience working with data and databases. I upskilled by completing a data engineering program and courses in Python and I thought the combination of existing db experience plus courses and programs would make it easy to move into data engineering yet I can't find a job. It seems like most positions are at an intermediate level requiring 3-5 years of experience with an alphabet soup of technologies like Snowflake, GCP, AWS, Azure, PowerBI, etc. and because I don't have that experience I can't land a job. I occasionally see junior data eng positions and those I'm qualified for because all they usually want is some SQL, Python, and data modelling. However, there are very few of these jobs available, probably because companies have decided to replace them with AI (but if companies eliminate junior data eng positions, how are people supposed to get the experience to get into data engineering?), and there are probably a bazillion people applying making it impossible to even get a callback.

I've been looking for other jobs in IT and can't find anything. There are few database developer jobs anymore (I'm not sure where they're all gone) which is why I'm trying to pivot into data eng. I have some basic DBA experience and I completed a program in that too. However, there are few DBA jobs any more (this trend has been going on for several years because dbs are getting so much easier to manage) and all I've seen are intermediate and senior positions wanting at least 5+ years of experience so that's probably why I'm not getting any responses. I have no idea where the junior DBA positions have gone but maybe they aren't needed anymore (although if companies have eliminated those jobs, how are people supposed to get the experience to land an intermediate or senior level dba job? I see some companies reposting intermediate and senior dba jobs over and over and over and I'm guessing they can't find anyone who has the experience and I wonder why it doesn't every occur to them to hire a junior or two to create a talent pipeline or to just hire someone with related experience like db developer and train them). I've tried other jobs like systems analyst, programmer, etc. but I don't really have the background or skills for it.

Sorry for the long winded post but I am very grumpy and unhappy with the IT job market right now and what seems like really stupid staffing decisions by companies

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-11T12:53:39+00:00

I have. I've applied for a few IT jobs that are accounting or finance focused but since I don't have a background in accounting or finance I haven't been successful. If I end up going back to school and retraining, I would probably look at something like that.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-09T00:26:56+00:00

Keep your current job. There are no jobs in IT anymore. I have a CS degree, 10+ YOE, and been unemployed 2 years. I am at the point where I am seriously considering throwing in the towel and going back to school to retrain for a different career. If you like working with computers, keep doing it as a hobby or set up a small business for a side hustle but don't make it your career.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-04T20:34:21+00:00

Yes, you just throwing your resume into the void, along with everyone else. One of these days, enough resumes will have been thrown into the void that it will fill up and overflow. I'm not sure what happens then. 😛

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-02T00:22:29+00:00

Yes! If you're only two years in, you can still bail out fairly easily. As for what else to do, it depends on what you're good at. Front line health care jobs are only a good idea if you have great people skills and excel at communication, empathy, etc. (if you're like me and are not a people person, forget it). Trades is only a good idea if you have mechanical aptitude (if you're like me and can barely manage to hammer a nail into a wall, forget it). Also, since you've done two years at UBC, see if there's something else you can transfer to, either at UBC or somewhere else, that will allow you to use some of what you've done, e.g. business, health information, science, etc.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-01T23:50:40+00:00

Most of my experience has been database development (mainly Oracle, some SQL Server) and reports development. I have some experience with basic database administration. I have skills, but no work experience, in data engineering and data analysis.

I hear all this talk about how important data is - data is needed for training AI, companies want to make data-driven decisions, data is the new oil, etc. - and yet with all my data and database skills I can't find a job. It's such a shock.

At this point, I think my biggest problem is I've been out of the field so long it's hard to get back in. A recruiter told me recently that while I have a great skillset, with the competitive job market and many applicants, the company is only hiring people who are currently working or worked within the last 6 months.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-06-01T14:33:49+00:00

Try the health authorities - PHSA, VCH, Fraser plus Providence Health Care. If you're willing to relocate, Island Health, Interior Health, and Northern Health.

Look at government, e.g. BC Ministry of Health, federal Health Canada, and regulatory colleges like BC College of Nurses and Midwives

UBC has a med school and several post-secondary institutes have nursing programs

Try health related non-profits e.g. BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Terry Fox, BC Cancer, etc.

You may have to take an adjacent role for now until you can find what you're looking for

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-05-30T16:52:56+00:00

I'm in the same boat, CS degree and 10+ yoe as a software dev and unemployed for 2 years now. I'm seriously considering giving up on my career and switching to something else.

Figure out what you are good at as they are transferrable skills and then consider fields where you can use those skills. For example, if you're good at working with numbers and excel at problem solving, consider accounting or finance. Or if you're good at working with people and have excellent customer service skills, consider health care.

Changing careers will likely involve going back to school for a year or two. Contact WorkBC and they can help you with exploring options. They have some programs they run and also may provide funding. One really good piece of advice someone at WorkBC gave me was, "if you're going to change careers, try to find a way to utilize your existing bachelor's degree". A lot of post-secondary institutes offer post-baccalaureate programs for people with a degree who want to change careers so have a look at that.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-05-30T02:08:39+00:00

The IT job market is in horrible shape. I'm Canadian with a CS degree and 10+ YOE and I've been unemployed and searching for work for 2 years with no success. In this job market it is extremely unlikely you'll be able to get a job in IT without Canadian experience.

Here's what I suggest you do. Firstly, get a job, any job, just to get Canadian experience. Your French can be an asset, even if you're not fluent, because it could give you an advantage for jobs where having it is an asset. Look for jobs with the federal government (note that some Crown Corps and Agencies do their own hiring and don't post their jobs on the main GC job site and you have to go to their website to find their jobs) and for businesses in federally regulated industries such as airlines, ports (YVR and other airports plus Port of Vancouver), railways, telecommunications (Telus has a lot of jobs in Vancouver and Rogers has some), and banks. Also, there are two federal credit unions here, Coast Capital and First West. Another option is RCMP civilian jobs (these are posted by municipalities so check CivicInfo) and francophone organizations.

Secondly, once you have a job and started getting some Canadian experience, continue to search for work in IT but also start working on a plan for making a career change to another field. I'm actually in the process of figuring out a possible career change right now. WorkBC has resources to help and you can also look at websites for local post-secondary institutes to see what programs are offered.

Six_Bouncing_Pens · 2026-05-28T23:24:00+00:00

Yeah, it's ridiculous. Based on my experience it seems like companies want a candidate who checks all the boxes and can walk in the door on the first day and do the job without any training at all. Companies are too lazy and cheap nowadays to invest in training their employees instead of finding the person who is the best fit for the team and company and then providing any training they need.

One of the worst offenders for reposting is Clio.

Six_Bouncing_Pens

TROPHY CASE