“After more than 500 applications and two layoffs, I feel incredibly lucky just to have a contract gig”
With an undergraduate degree and two internships under my belt, I thought my resumé was competitive
Who: Ajanth, 25 Field of interest: Finance and marketing Graduated from: TMU in 2024
When I started applying for jobs during the last year of my undergrad at TMU, I thought my resumé was competitive. I was studying financial mathematics and had completed two internships with start-ups, plus I had experience at my undergraduate science society. Before my classes, three mornings a week, I would spend a couple of hours checking postings and tailoring my application materials to roles in marketing, finance and data analysis. I landed a few interviews but didn’t get a single offer.
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After I graduated in April of 2024, I ramped up my search. I applied to jobs every day for three months, averaging between 50 and 75 applications a week. It was gruelling. Sometimes I was rejected within seconds because AI was screening me instantaneously. I started including keywords designed to get past the automated screening and to a real person, but it often felt like pure guesswork. I became numb to the rejections—if I let myself feel sad every time, it would only slow me down.
In November, I finally landed a year-long contract as an analyst for a consulting firm. I was elated, but before my contract was up, the company downsized. My whole team was let go. I found my next gig more quickly, another year-long contract, but two months in, the same thing happened. Like so many students, I went into this field because of its job prospects. Now there are too many graduates and not enough entry-level work—it’s being outsourced abroad or lost entirely to AI.
This past October, I was hired at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world. In December, they extended my contract. I’m cautiously optimistic that it could turn into a permanent gig. After more than 500 applications and two layoffs, any reprieve is a godsend. But, if the time comes, I know I’ll have no choice but to get back to it.
