First job: service trades that open the door

By Sandrine Côté · Published November 9, 2026 · 9 min read

Teenager on a first job raking leaves with a landscaping crew, wearing work gloves

Monday, 7:30 a.m.: you show up at a suburban house with brand-new boots, a lunch bag and zero experience. The crew lead hands you a pair of gloves: “We're starting with the flower beds.” Welcome to your first job, and to the most common way into the service trades: through the side door, learning fast.

Why service trades open the door to beginners

A law firm won't hire you without a degree. A cleaning, landscaping or moving company mostly looks at three things: do you show up on time, do you listen to instructions, and do you want to learn? The rest is taught on the job, in a few days or a few weeks.

These trades also have an advantage that young people and career changers underestimate: they follow the seasons. Landscaping runs from spring to fall, moving explodes around July 1, and cleaning and delivery keep going all year. That means doors opening at different times, and the chance to stack up experience.

No résumé? That's not a problem in these fields. The main article in this section, Finding a job without a résumé in Quebec: the complete guide, explains other ways to present yourself.

Do it today: write down three things you already know how to do (drive, lift heavy loads, speak French and English, keep a space clean, mow a lawn). Those are your first selling points.

Four ways in, one by one

Here are the four trades where beginners are most often trained on site. They don't call for the same strengths, so choose based on what you like, not just on what's posted.

Trade	What you do at first	What they ask of you	It's for you if…
Cleaning (residential or commercial)	Bathrooms, kitchens, floors, following a precise checklist	Attention to detail, independence, reliability	You like seeing results right away
Landscaping and grounds maintenance	Mowing, weeding, planting, cleanup	Stamina, working outside in all weather	You can't sit still in front of a screen
Moving	Packing, carrying boxes and furniture, loading the truck	Strength, teamwork, proper lifting techniques	You like action and days that fly by
Delivery	Parcel, meal or supply routes	Driver's licence, sense of direction, courtesy	You like driving and working alone

For delivery, check your licence before you apply. According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), a Class 5 licence lets you drive a 2-axle vehicle with a net mass under 4,500 kg. A heavier truck requires a different licence class. For the other trades, a licence is still a big plus: many crews travel from one client to the next.

Want to see every trade that's hiring? Browse the list of trades: each one has its own page, with job ads and the profiles employers are looking for.

Do it today: pick two trades from the table, not just one. You double your chances without doubling your effort.

What an employer really expects from a beginner

Nobody expects you to tell a perennial from an annual on day one. But everyone notices if you show up at 8:12 with a coffee in your hand. What gets judged in a beginner is attitude, not knowledge.

Do:

Arrive five minutes early, ready to go.
Call before your shift starts if you're sick or running late, by phone, not with a text at midnight.
Wear what's required: safety boots, gloves, clothes that can get dirty.
Ask questions when you don't know, instead of guessing.
Repeat the instructions in your own words to show you understood.
Put your equipment away at the end of the day.

Avoid: your phone in your hand while working, saying “that's not my job,” improvising with a machine nobody showed you how to use, and vanishing without a word after two days. That last one closes more doors than any lack of experience.

Do it today: set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than you need to for your first week. It's the simplest way to make a good impression.

Your rights from day one

Beginner doesn't mean no rights. Since May 1, 2026, the general minimum wage rate in Québec is $16.60 an hour. It applies to your first job too, whether you're a student or not. To understand what that rate really covers, read Minimum wage in Quebec: what it covers and what it does not.

Are you young? Since 2023, the law regulates child labour more closely:

Employing a child under 14 is prohibited, except in cases provided for by law (for example, babysitting, homework help, or a family business with fewer than 10 employees).
During the school year, a young person subject to compulsory school attendance can't work more than 17 hours a week, including no more than 10 hours from Monday to Friday. According to Québec.ca, these limits don't apply during periods of more than seven consecutive days with no educational services, such as summer vacation or spring break. Compulsory school attendance lasts until the last day of the school year in which the young person turns 16, or until they earn a diploma.

Now, your first pay. According to the CNESST, pay must be handed over at regular intervals of no more than 16 days. Québec's Act respecting labour standards (s. 46) also requires the employer to give you a pay slip that lets you check how your wages were calculated, including the net amount paid. And if you're asked to do a "trial day" or training before you start, that time counts as work (s. 57): it gets paid. Keep your pay slips and log your hours in your notebook, at least for the first few weeks.

One more thing to sort out before your first day: your Social Insurance Number (SIN). You need it to work in Canada. If you don't have one yet, apply through Service Canada now. And keep it to yourself: you give it to the employer who hires you, not to an ad that asks for it before there's even an interview.

For a specific situation (pay, hours, leave), the CNESST answers workers' questions.

Do it today: make sure your SIN, a piece of ID and, if you drive, your licence are close at hand. That's what you'll be asked for when you're hired.

Building your experience in a few weeks

Experience isn't something you wait for: it's something you collect. After a month on a landscaping crew, you already know how to read a planting plan, use a string trimmer and talk to a client. You just have to remember it and show it to your next employer.

Keep a log. Every week, write down the tasks you learned and the machines you used. Three lines are enough.
Ask for a reference. After a few weeks, ask your crew lead if a future employer can contact them.
Add a card. A first aid course, for example, doesn't take long and reassures employers.
Chain the seasons. A summer landscaper can do finishing work in snow removal in winter. A July mover can do deliveries in December.
Ask to learn a machine. Snowblower, riding mower, pallet jack: every machine you master raises your value.

By the end of one season, you're no longer “inexperienced.” You're someone who finished a full season, and employers notice that.

Do it today: open a note on your phone, call it “My experience” and write your first line.

Your safety: what you can ask for, and refuse

Week two. The crew lead hands you the gas hedge trimmer: "You'll figure it out fast." Maybe. But you have the right to ask to be shown first, and that's actually what a good employer expects from you.

Under Québec's Act respecting occupational health and safety (s. 51), the employer must give you adequate information about the risks connected with your work and provide appropriate training, assistance or supervision. The employer must also supply, free of charge, the individual protective means and equipment you need (gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, depending on the task) and make sure you use them. On your side (s. 49), you must take the necessary measures to protect your health and safety, and not endanger the people around you. In short: you wear the equipment and you follow the instructions.

The same Act (s. 12) gives you the right to refuse to perform work if you have reasonable grounds to believe it exposes you to a danger to your health, safety or physical or mental well-being, or could expose another person to such a danger. That doesn't mean refusing everything that's tiring or messy. It means saying no to the wobbly ladder, the machine nobody ever showed you, or the icy roof without a harness.

Do: ask to be shown every machine before you use it; know where the first aid kit is; report any injury right away, even a small one.
Avoid: playing the hero to impress the crew, or hiding a cut "so you don't bother anyone."

If you have a question about your health and safety rights, the CNESST can inform you.

Do it today: get ready the sentence you'll say when faced with an unfamiliar task: "Can you show me once before I do it on my own?"

Your GPP Emploi profile, no résumé needed

On GPP Emploi, everything is free for workers, always. Your profile takes about 3 minutes, no résumé, in 8 steps: what you're looking for, your trades, your location, your availability, your cards, your pay and languages, your introduction, then your visibility and alerts. You can do them in any order. To make yours stand out, read Building a profile employers notice: 10 details that make the difference.

Your name and cell number are encrypted and hidden. Employers see an anonymous profile (trades, region, availability, cards) and have to invite you. You accept or decline; the invitation is valid for 7 days. You can also apply yourself: open a job ad, click “Apply” and add a short note if you like. The employer has 14 days to respond.

Ready to start tomorrow? The “Available now” button on your dashboard puts you at the top of employers' lists for 48 hours.

Do it today: create your profile, pick your two trades, then take a look at the job ads near you.

The bottom line

Your first job doesn't have to be the right one forever: it just has to open the door. Pick two trades, show up on time, write down everything you learn, and the second door will be much easier to open.

Frequently asked questions

What job can you get with no experience in Quebec?

Service trades such as cleaning, landscaping, moving and delivery often train beginners on site. Employers in these fields mostly look at punctuality, listening skills and willingness to learn. For delivery, a valid driver's licence is generally required.

How old do you have to be to work in Quebec?

Since 2023, employing a child under 14 is prohibited, except in cases provided for by law, such as babysitting or a family business with fewer than 10 employees. During the school year, a young person subject to compulsory school attendance can work up to 17 hours a week, including 10 hours from Monday to Friday.

How much does a first job pay in Quebec?

At least the minimum wage, whose general rate has been $16.60 an hour since May 1, 2026. The actual rate depends on the trade, the employer and the region. Compare job ads and ask about pay in the interview.

Do you need a résumé for a first job?

Not always. In the service trades, many employers hire after a phone call, a trial shift or an online profile. On GPP Emploi, your profile takes about 3 minutes and needs no résumé.

Do you need a Social Insurance Number to work?

Yes. A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required to work in Canada. If you don't have one, apply through Service Canada before you start, and only share it with the employer who hires you.