Mid-level jobs seem few and far between for some Albertans

Some Albertans who have a few years of career experience under their belt say they're struggling to find mid-career jobs that match their skill level and knowledge.

A senior economist with the Indeed Hiring Lab — a research division of the job listings website Indeed — says mid-level roles can be defined as having an authority position over entry-level employees while also reporting to someone with more seniority.

"Jobs in the mid-career are more so for people where they've got some experience and they want to be compensated for that experience, because hopefully it's valuable to an organization," said Brendon Bernard. 

In a December survey within Canada, Indeed found around 44 per cent of job seekers surveyed expressed confidence they could find work quickly. This was down from similar surveys the company had done previously. Prior to December 2023, this number had been closer to 51 per cent. 

Devon Hawkins, a Calgary-based entrepreneur who is looking to find a full-time job that isn't quite entry level, but also isn't quite senior level, says his job hunting experience has been stressful and surprising. 

"I probably applied to 40, maybe 45, and I heard back from two," he said, adding that because he's searching for jobs that require more experience, the application process also takes longer. 

"Quite a few of these jobs required some pretty extensive application processes, like sending in pretty rigorous portfolios or kind of like pitch presentations."

Hawkins is looking for a brand development, business marketing-style role. He also runs his own photography and videography company, and previously founded his own business focused on plant-based snacks.

Although he feels qualified, he believes that even the jobs that do exist don't seem to be adequately compensating employees for their skills. 

So, after spending months job hunting and applying to any postings that might fit the bill for his career, now he's switched his focus to chatting with people he actually knows. 

"Now it's mostly just kind of putting it out there that I'm looking for a job in [my field], kind of leaning in on the connections that I have in the various spaces within Calgary, and then just try to get more of an informal interview process going through word of mouth," he said.

CBC News spoke with two other Calgarians like Hawkins who were seeking mid-level opportunities in fields like communications and executive administration. Both just landed new jobs through networking with their contacts after months of searching.

Connections are crucial

Taking advantage of one's connections to land a job is something one local career counsellor recommends, as she believes many available jobs in Alberta often aren't even posted. 

"Alberta is a larger populated space — especially in your major cities like Calgary and in Edmonton — it's a major market nationally and in some cases internationally. But it's still a very relationally based space," said April Dyrda, registered psychologist and practice director at Canada Career Counselling in Calgary.

"What's extremely unique to Alberta is we've got this really competitive labour market and economy here, but we also still operate very relationally.… So using a network of people to support you through your job search is going to mean that you're not only tapping into job opportunities now, but also job opportunities to come."

Alberta's job vacancy rate hit 3.3 per cent halfway through 2024, according to the most updated provincial government data. However, the unemployment rate for that same period was over seven per cent, the fourth highest in the country.

Dyrda believes these numbers are discouraging for mid-career professionals who are looking for a change.

"There's a lot of slowdown, I would say, in … people moving around from job to job, and there's not a lot of vacancy as a result of that, especially as you start to move into mid-career or senior level positions," said Dyrda, noting the average age of her clients ranges from mid-30s going into their 40s.

"Mid-career professionals … is a big cohort of our clientele. So folks who have been in their careers for maybe around 10 years and have moved up that corporate ladder and are now finding that there's not a lot they're getting from their work anymore," she said. 

Dyrda says she's often working with people "who know what they want to do, but they just can't get that job."

"They will be looking and searching, and the average job search right now can take three to six months for those mid-level positions, six to eight usually," she said. 

Alberta leads country in job growth

That said, Alberta continues to lead the country in job growth. In 2024, employment grew by four per cent in the province, twice the pace for Canada as a whole, which was only two per cent. 

The province's unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 per cent in December 2024, falling 0.8 percentage points from a month prior, according to Statistics Canada figures released earlier this month. 

The trend follows a national pattern that saw the Canadian economy add 91,000 jobs, with Alberta posting the majority of the gains. Calgary and Edmonton added roughly 20,000 and 11,000 jobs, respectively, on a three-month average basis. 

Also according to the report, most of those job gains were in construction and manufacturing, which doesn't necessarily help job seekers like Hawkins.

For now, he said, he's fortunately to have other skills to lean on, and he's taking a break from the full-time job search to focus on freelancing. 

"I learned a lot about what kind of jobs I'm more interested in, what I definitely do not want to apply for," he said. "I think I'll be a lot more efficient … next time. But we'll see."