Entry-Level Marketing Jobs in Canada: How to Get Hired in 2026

Every marketing listing you open wants two years of experience you don't have, and the rejections pile up because your resume has no numbers, no portfolio, and no proof you can actually do the work. That's the catch. Here's how to break in anyway.

What the market looks like right now#

As a snapshot dated 14 October 2026, the JobRise live jobs feed showed 62 open Marketing jobs in Canada. Of those, 37 were posted in the last 30 days, and 18 in the last 7 days. Postings are moving.

These are open listings, not a market survey. Treat them as one live feed on one day.

The uncomfortable part: 0 of 62 listings had a title containing intern, graduate, junior, trainee, or similar. Employers here rarely advertise "no experience needed," they post a coordinator title and expect you to show proof anyway, so you'll be applying to roles that look slightly out of reach on paper. Apply anyway.

The country picture is bigger. Across all categories, Canada had 1,255 open listings, with 880 posted in the last 30 days, per the JobRise Hiring Report: Canada. Marketing is a small slice of that.

Titles that actually mean "entry-level"#

Ignore the word "junior." Search by function instead.

• Marketing Coordinator
• Marketing & Events Coordinator
• Communications Coordinator
• Community Coordinator
• Growth Marketing Associate
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Content Coordinator
• Social Media Coordinator
• Email Marketing Coordinator
• Marketing Assistant

Two real examples from the snapshot: "Marketing Coordinator" at Victor Energy, and "Marketing & Events Coordinator (Fixed-term Contract)" at Greentank. Fixed-term contracts are common at the junior level, they aren't glamorous, but they give you the first real line on your resume and a reference you can actually name. Worth it.

Other titles in the same snapshot ran more senior, like "Mobile Marketing Operations Manager, Firefox" at Mozilla and "Staff Product Manager, SEO and AI Visibility - CANADA" at Luxury Presence. Use those listings to read what skills the market values, then work backwards from there.

Where the jobs concentrate#

Montreal led with 22 listings, Toronto had 14, Vancouver 7, Québec City 3, and 2 were listed as "US / Canada." If you're bilingual, Montreal is your best bet by a wide margin.

By job type, 53 were full-time, 7 contract, and 2 part-time. Contract roles are a legitimate way in. Take one, do good work, and convert it into a reference at minimum.

By company, Ubisoft had the most open listings in this slice at 14, followed by FLO EV Charging at 6 and Red Bull at 4, while Brex, Asana, and Genetec each had 3 and Valsoft Corporation, Stripe, AlgaeCal, and Aviso Wealth each had 2. Ubisoft's roles were French-titled community positions, for example "Développeur.euse de Communauté Senior - For Honor." That's community and content work, adjacent to marketing.

Watch those listings. They move fast.

One more blunt note: no listing in this slice showed a salary. When a posting omits pay, ask about the range in the first call. Typical Canadian marketing coordinator pay varies by city and industry, so verify current ranges on official job bank sources rather than trusting any single number.

The proof employers actually want#

Employers don't need "passion." They need evidence you can do the work.

A portfolio. Three to five pieces is enough. A landing page rewrite, an email sequence, a social calendar, a small SEO audit. Show the before, what you changed, and the result.

A project with a number. Any number. "Grew Instagram followers 40 percent in three months for a campus club" beats "managed social media," and if you can't measure growth you should measure output instead: 12 posts, 3 campaigns, 1 event with 80 attendees. Numbers stick.

A certification that maps to a tool. Google Analytics, HubSpot, Meta Blueprint, Google Ads. Free ones are fine. What matters is that you can use the tool on day one.

A resume bullet with zero experience#

Most beginners write this:

"Helped run social media for a student club and posted content regularly."

Rewrite it like this:

"Ran the Instagram and LinkedIn accounts for a 200-member university consulting club, publishing 3 posts a week and growing follower count from 310 to 520 over one semester (68 percent)."

Same facts. The second version names the scope, the cadence, and the number. That's what a hiring manager scans for.

The 7-step plan#

1. Pick one lane. Content, social, paid, email, events, or SEO. Generalists get hired later. Specialists get hired first.

2. Build three proof pieces in four weeks. Use a real local business with permission, or a made-up brief with realistic constraints. Write the strategy note alongside the deliverable.

3. Rewrite your resume around results. Use the free resume builder to get the formatting out of the way, then spend your time on the wording of each bullet.

4. Learn one analytics tool well. Google Analytics is the default. Be able to explain a bounce rate and a conversion to a non-marketer.

5. Target 20 specific employers, not 200 applications. In this snapshot, Ubisoft, FLO EV Charging, Red Bull, Brex, Asana, Genetec, Valsoft Corporation, Stripe, AlgaeCal, and Aviso Wealth all had open marketing listings. Follow those companies and check back weekly.

6. Apply to coordinator and contract roles, including fixed-term. Say yes to a six-month contract if the work is right. It beats six more months of waiting.

7. Follow up once, seven days after applying, with one useful thing. A short note about their recent campaign, a relevant article, or a small observation about their site. Not "just checking in."

How to write the application#

Keep the cover letter to 150 words. Open with the specific role and where you saw it, give one proof point with a number, then close by naming the tool or skill you'd use in week one. Short and specific.

Example opening: "I am applying for the Marketing Coordinator role at Victor Energy. I recently grew a student club's Instagram following from 310 to 520 in one semester by moving to a three-post-a-week schedule with a consistent visual template. I would use that same cadence approach for your project updates."

Easy to forward to a hiring manager. That's the goal.

FAQ#

Do I need a marketing degree to get hired in Canada?

No. A degree helps at larger employers, but portfolios and proof of results carry more weight for coordinator roles. If you have a degree in anything plus three strong projects, you're competitive.

Should I take an unpaid internship to break in?

Avoid unpaid work where you can. Contract and part-time roles pay and count as experience. If an internship is the only door, cap it at three months and get a written reference at the end.

How long does it usually take to land an entry-level marketing job?

It varies widely by city, language, and portfolio strength. Plan for two to four months of focused effort with 20 targeted applications rather than hundreds of unfocused ones.

Do I need to speak French for marketing jobs in Montreal?

For many of them, yes. The snapshot showed 22 listings in Montreal, and several Ubisoft roles had French titles. Bilingual candidates have a clear advantage there.

Are contract roles worth taking at the start?

Yes. Seven of the 62 listings in the snapshot were contract. A six-month contract gives you real work, real references, and often a path to a full-time role at the same company.