There aren't enough summer jobs in Windsor-Essex for all interested students: analyst
Mikal Fakhreddin offers tips to those trying to land a job in a competitive market
It's the time of year when post-secondary students are making the transition from exams to four months of trying to earn enough money to pay for the next school year.
And a time when high school students are beginning to look for jobs that can give them their first work experience - and some extra spending money.
But finding a summer job can be stressful and difficult.
Parents may be of limited help in assisting their teens land these part-time positions too, since the landscape of how to get hired has changed so much from the time when they were on the hunt.
In March 2025, the jobless rate across the country for people aged 15-24 rose to 13.7 per cent from 12.9 the previous month, according to labour force survey results courtesy of Statistics Canada. For young women in that same age range, the rate of unemployment jumped 13.1 per cent (from 11.7 over the same time period comparison). The jobless rate was little changed across other major demographic groups.
Mikal Fakhreddin is a project coordinator and research analyst at Workforce WindsorEssex — a non-profit group focused on regional employment initiatives. She also recently wrote a youth employment strategy plan.
Fakhreddin talked with CBC Radio's Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge about the best practices for students and young adults looking to land jobs in the area. Here's part of their conversation:
Are there enough jobs out there for students who are looking?
Unfortunately, no.
What we've seen this year is that the unemployment rate for youth [in the region] — those age 18 to 25 — is extremely high.
It's about 19 per cent for 2024.
It's pretty abnormal.
What we're seeing really is an oversaturation of the job market. When there are job shortages in other fields, people with too much experience start applying for those entry-level positions that are usually reserved for young people.
That's really what we're noticing now.
What type of sectors are students most likely to find jobs for the summer?
Amusement, recreation, retail trade — and they really hire a lot seasonally, so you'll see a big uptick in hiring.
Those are their best bets for the season, and there are a lot of entry level positions in both of those industries.
Let's say someone in high school is wanting to land a part-time job at a store or a restaurant and they don't have any experience. What would you practically suggest they do?
Certifications are a good way to go.
A restaurant, they could consider getting their food handler certification. That's a course online. It takes about four hours and it's just about $15. If they're 18, they could get their Smart Serve, and that'll give them an edge as well.
Volunteer work is always a good option too. If they don't have any practical paid experience, volunteer work is a great thing to add to your resume.
Traditionally, job seekers would drop off a resume in person, maybe ask to talk with the manager. But now, many chain companies want everything done online. How can students or their parents know how things work in this kind of environment?
Employers actually prefer online resume applications now because a lot of them use an AI system that kind of weeds out what they're not looking for and automatically just filters in the resumes that apply to the job.
The best way to go about that system is to tailor your resume to the job that you're looking for.
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That might mean making multiple resumes, which is totally fine, reading the job description very thoroughly and writing almost exactly what they expect from you on your resume. As long as it's applicable of course.
That's the best way to go about online applications.
If the description says "competent in computer literacy" or something like that, would you have to write, "I am competent?" Do you need to be that exact?
It's not always about how exact it is. It could be about level of experience and not always skill set, but sometimes it really depends on how they program it.
But if you are competent in computer literacy and they have it in their job description, definitely just write "competent in computer literacy." You don't have to embellish it any further, really.
But should you use the words[from] the description in your cover letter, for example?
That's always a great way to go on. Cover letters are always an asset, and then writing them and gearing them exactly to the job description is always the way to go.
We've heard that the threat of tariffs has companies concerned. Is this affecting how much hiring they're wanting to do for the summer?
As of right now, I don't think we could speak to that. I don't think we've seen the effects directly of tariffs, especially not on summer jobs, but it may become a factor in the next few months. We'll have to see.
You wrote a report about youth employment, and you had an action plan in there with some solutions. What are some of the things that could help young people seeking a job?
A big one is career information.
We found a lot of students don't actually know what kind of jobs are out there or where to start their job search.
I think a solution we suggested was a presentation program — going into schools, getting employers going into schools and telling them about top industries, the wages they can make, the education they have to pursue to get those jobs.
We think that might be a big factor in students reaching the level of employment that they want to reach in their lifetime.
Is there anywhere in Windsor-Essex for somebody to get help with this?
Guidance counsellors will usually do that in high schools. [There are] employment services or a few different employment services where you can drop in.
Youth wellness … has a drop-in service and you can ask them about resume help.
There are definitely resources you can use. A resume builder ... will usually tell you any clear errors in your resumes.
What do you want to leave with young job seekers that would be an encouragement for them?
Though the market might seem scarce at this point, there are still are jobs out there, and most people who look for jobs will find jobs.
Honestly, just stay confident and keep motivated and keep searching, because someone will definitely take a chance on a student these days.
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity