Everyone wants the dream life; a great job, a big house and a beautiful family. Getting a job in Canada is becoming more complicated with each passing day; resume robots have been deployed and hurdles have doubled. Applying for a job in Canada can be frustrating if you keep doing the wrong things. There are set rules that must be followed if you want to be hired.

When Stephen Noah, Ottawa based Human Resources expert said; “Finding a job is a full time job,” he knew what he was talking about. If you’re a Canadian job seeker, you need a Canadian-styled resume. And if you don’t know how to do that, I’ve got you covered. Here are a few tips when writing a Canadian Style Resume.

 

DO’S OF A CANADIAN STYLE RESUME

 

Do your research:

This can mean anything from researching regulations about a certain profession, background of the organisation you’re applying to, and the keywords in the job description. It is important to arm yourself with vital information before you write your resume.

 

Include a Career Highlights section:

This is like a summary of accomplishments from previous jobs you’ve done. Be specific about the achievements you brought to your former organisations and how that impacted them. This will give the recruiter a quick insight into what you’re able to do. It will also help the Applicant Tracking System identify those keywords easier.

 

Write your accomplishments with action verbs:

This is very important. Be direct about all the things you have achieved. Also, it is best you move from the problem or situation, to the task you were given, actions you took and the results you got. This section should also include awards, certifications, qualifications and other achievements.

It is also important to show numbers and statistics where possible. Figures are symbolic, and they give a clearer picture with a lasting impression. For example; “Implemented an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign that saw brand loyalty hit an all-time high of 76% in 2010”.

 

Past jobs should be written in past tense:

This doesn’t only seem like the normal thing to do, but shows that you’re detached from your past employers and colleagues, and are ready to move on. This is how a Canadian-styled resume should be written.

 

Reveal only basic personal information:

Basic here means information that is commonplace. You can include your name, phone number and email address on your resume. However, Canadian employers do not require you to fill out your age, religion or marital status. Those are not necessary.

 

DON’TS OF A CANADIAN STYLE RESUME

• Do not add your photograph. It is not important, neither is it professional.
• Your Nationality is also not necessary. Do not add it.
• Do not try to cheat the Canadian Applicant Tracking System. A Canadian-styled resume must be written intelligently and not crowded with repeated keywords.
• Do not add references. They are not needed.
• Personal Information such as gender, religion, age and marital status are also not required. Do not include them.
• Do not add pictures, images, tables or columns. They can distort your resume when  it goes through a Canadian ATS.

If you carefully apply these rules, then you’re one step towards landing that dream job. You can leave a comment for more tips on writing a Canadian-styled resume.