Resume Format for Jobs in Canada

As remote work becomes more common, your pool of possible employers may grow to include people from all over the world. If you intend to apply for employment in Canada, you need to be aware of the proper resume format and language peculiarities to impress hiring managers in this market.

Understanding how to prepare a resume in Canadian format will help you increase your chances of landing a job in Canada.

This post will explain the resume format for Canada and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create one.

Resume Format for Canada

As previously indicated, you follow the same resume-writing requirements in Canada as you do in the United States.

In our resume format for Canada guide, you’ll find detailed tips. If you want to get started quickly, here’s a section-by-section breakdown.

1. Include a Contact Information Header

Include your complete name, job title, and contact information. Your phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile should all be included. However, there is no need to provide your address on your résumé. It is unnecessary and wastes space.

2. Develop a Resume Profile

Your resume profile serves as an introduction to the next piece of information. If you’re just starting in your profession, use a resume objective; if you’re more experienced, use a resume summary.

If you have a lot of experience and accomplishments to emphasize, a summary of your qualifications is another acceptable choice.

3. Describe Your Work Experience

This is the most crucial section of your Canadian CV. Because 91% of employers favor applicants with job experience, you must nail your work experience section to capitalize on that desire. Here’s how to go about it.

Use a reverse chronological sequence, beginning with your most recent or current position.

Start with the fundamentals: your work title, the name and location of your employer, and your dates of employment.

For increased force, use up to six bullet points explaining the role, beginning with resume action words.

Use accomplishment statements to highlight your professional achievements. And don’t simply mention what you did; demonstrate how well you did it with quantifiable results.

Include keywords in your CV to help you pass the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan your job application.

4. Include Your Education

Often neglected but essential. List your degree, your school and its location, and your graduation date (if you’re currently in school, use a projected graduation date). Include your GPA on your CV only if you have recently graduated and it is 3.5 or higher.

If you’ve recently graduated, you can also mention relevant coursework and extracurricular activities in your education area.

5. Include a Skills List

Employers search for the same talents in a Canadian resume as they do in the United States. Include a combination of hard and soft abilities in your CV, and tailor it to the position by keeping your skills section relevant and focused.

6. Make Use of Extra Sections

Extra parts are the frosting on the cake, or, if you’re a Canadian, the gravy on the poutine. Including these allows you to differentiate yourself from other applicants by highlighting additional skills and achievements.

Here are some of the better alternatives:

• Hobbies and personal interests
• Foreign languages
• Certifications and licenses
• Projects
• Volunteer work
• Publications
• Achievements and awards

There’s also no requirement to include references on your resume or to mention “references available upon request.” If an employer requires your references, they will request them later in the hiring process. Including them now is a waste of precious website space.

7. What Shouldn’t Be on a Canadian Resume

The same rules apply as they do for an American resume. Here are some things you should avoid putting on your resume.

• A photograph for your resume
• Personal data such as marital status, age, and race
• Salary expectations
• Lies

That’s it; you’re now ready to create the ideal Canadian-style CV.

Furthermore, a strong cover letter that complements your resume will put you ahead of the competition.

FAQs

1. What are the best typefaces and margins for Canadian resumes?

Use a typeface that is easy to read, professional, and consistent throughout your document when selecting the ideal resume font for your Canadian job application.

Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia, and Verdana are some popular fonts for Canadian-style resumes.

In general, keep font sizes between 10 and 12 and avoid choosing extremely sophisticated or colorful fonts that may make your resume difficult to read for companies.

Finally, utilize 1″ resume margins to uniformly disperse your material around the page.

However, you can change your margins within a 12″-1″ range if necessary.

2. What should not be on a Canadian resume?

What should not be put in a Canadian resume is:

• personal information such as age, birth date, passport information, SIN number, marital status, race, and religion
• your salary specifications
• your references (place them on a separate page and submit them later if you advance in the recruitment process)

3. Is the term resume or CV used in Canada?

Both the terms resume and CV are used in Canada, although for distinct purposes.

4. How does the Canadian resume format differ from the American resume format?

There are many parallels between Canada and America, but there are also many distinctions. From the way they conduct politics to selling milk in bags, the land that brought us Jim Carrey and Justin Bieber can appear to be a very strange place.

Conclusion

Because of historical ties between Canada and the United Kingdom, the terms “CV” and “resume” are occasionally used interchangeably in Canada. This is most likely because in the United Kingdom, “CV” is the conventional name for a broad job application document.

To clarify, in Canada, a “resume” is a compact document that summarizes your most recent experiences and qualifications and is used for entry-level or mid-career roles.

A Canadian “CV,” on the other hand, is a lengthy, detailed document used for academic or research positions that includes information about your schooling, work experience, publications, and other academic accomplishments.