Evan Switzer, a data-science graduate from the University of Guelph, at his home in Oakville, Ont., last Thursday. Since graduating last August, he has applied to around 600 jobs, but only secured five interviews.Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail
Name, age: Evan Switzer, 27
Education:
Bachelor of Computing from the University of Guelph (2021)Master of Data Science from the University of Guelph (2024)
Where he lives: Oakville, Ont.
His dream job: A sports analyst with the NHL
Roles targeted: Data analyst, data scientist, data developer, business analyst
The job search so far: Since Mr. Switzer graduated in August, 2024, he has applied to approximately 600 jobs, but only secured five interviews. Currently, he tries to apply to 10 to 20 jobs per week, however: “I got a little disheartened, so I slowed down a lot.”
Most applications are sent through the Easy Apply function on LinkedIn, but when he thinks he has a good shot at landing an interview, Mr. Switzer will instead apply from the company’s website, if possible, with a tailored resume and cover letter.
Still, Mr. Switzer has not received much feedback from hiring managers, so he finds it difficult to understand where he is going wrong. In his spare time, he posts videos on LinkedIn featuring his ongoing personal project, an end-to-end data collection project on the NHL. “I hope someone will see it,” he said. “Probably not, but it’s there.”
His main challenge: Mr. Switzer says it’s discouraging to apply to jobs on LinkedIn that already have 100 applicants in less than 24 hours. He has asked friends to pass his resume on to their hiring managers, but some friends have said hiring managers were not looking for someone that junior.
However, many entry-level data scientist roles require three to five years experience, which Mr. Switzer technically has. “I could say I have three years. I sort of do, including my internship and my master’s,” he said. Still, he feels unsure.
Finally, Mr. Switzer finds networking difficult. “How do I do that from Oakville, when I don’t have a car, because I don’t have a job? I’m also not working in the field, so I’m not making connections,” he said. About five times per month, he will message people on LinkedIn in a bid to boost his chances of landing a job. More than one year into the job hunt he struggles with perseverance. “It’s hard to keep going when you’re getting no feedback.”
A career counsellor’s take
“Evan is far more qualified than he gives himself credit for,” said Sarah Groom, a Montreal-based career counsellor at Mindful Career who previously spent a decade as a recruitment director specializing in STEM.
“He is doing many things I wish more candidates would do,” Ms. Groom said, including having an active LinkedIn account, a website with portfolio items and a GitHub profile with ongoing projects.
Though Mr. Switzer has all the foundations that employers look for in a junior analytics candidate, nowadays a strong resume and LinkedIn profile only gets candidates halfway. Because many applications are screened by software, Ms. Groom says the modern job hunt requires action beyond the application itself – and that means targeted outreach.
“Networking has become a scary word, so I try to reframe it,” Ms. Groom said. “It is about connecting with people who understand the reality of the job because they are living it.” Networking can include publishing your own work, commenting on other’s work or initiating conversations on chat.
Avoid mass-application
Hitting Easy Apply is tempting, but Ms. Groom says this approach is rarely effective. “He is applying too broadly and too anonymously,” she said. Instead, he should submit three to eight thoughtful applications per week and reach out to people at those companies every time.
Oftentimes, the best people to contact are actually not recruiters, Ms. Groom said. Instead, he should message potential colleagues, recent hires, people who commented on the listing or employees with similar backgrounds, such as University of Guelph grads.
“These people tend to respond because they understand the role and relate to his journey,” she said, though it might take a few attempts to get a meaningful response. A realistic response rate on LinkedIn is about 20 to 30 per cent, so he may have to send out four or five messages before he gets a reply. “That is normal, and it is not rejection,” Ms. Groom said.
What outreach looks like, practically
Many grads don’t understand what “online outreach” actually looks like, says Ms. Groom. Here’s what she suggests. First, go to the company’s LinkedIn page. Click “employees” and then filter by department, such as analytics, data or business intelligence, or by keyword, such as analyst, data, machine learning or platform. Look for active users who comment, post or react often, and select one.
What should the message say? It should be simple, light and human, Ms. Groom said. “It’s not a plea for a job.”
To a recently hired employee, for example, he could say: “I noticed you recently started at (the name of the company) – congratulations. I’m a data science grad, and I’d love to hear what helped you land the role or what surprised you in the process. Totally understand if you’re busy, I appreciate your time either way.” Ms. Groom says this works because it’s asking for lived experience, not a favour, and people like sharing.
To a potential future colleague: “I noticed your team posted an opening for a data analyst. I’ve spent the last few years working across end-to-end analytics projects and I thought it aligned well with my background. If you’re open to a quick chat, I’d love to hear how the team defines success in this role.” This works because it connects the dots without asking for anything.
To a sports analyst: “I came across your profile and saw that you work as a sports analyst. I’m working on an NHL analytics dashboard and exploring junior analyst roles in sports data. If you’re open to sharing how you approached the early career transition, I’d really appreciate it.” This works because people respond when they recognize themselves.
Before he starts networking
Ms. Groom suggests one quick tweak to his LinkedIn: Add a custom banner that visually reflects his interests. It’s easy to create one using a free online photo editor such as Canva. He can adjust a template to include data visualizations, data dashboards or sports analytics.
“Recruiters skim,” she said. “This is a small detail that makes a large impact over time.”
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