Writing a Resume

One of the most important things that an immigrant can do when coming to Canada is to prepare a resume to Canadian standards. Most immigrants are not familiar with the preferred standard in Canada, but to obtain a good job, it is critical to learn.

Sections of the Resume - What to Include

• Heading (Identification)

• Objective

• Education

• Experience

• Skills

• Activities and Interests

• Other Sections

Heading (Identification)

This section should include your name, current and home address, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Note: Current and home addresses are useful for employers who wish to contact you.

Make sure your voice mail offers a pleasant and professional greeting that clearly indicates who you are, by first and last name, asking the caller to leave a message. Please - no jokes or funny loud music.

Objectives

A clear objective statement at the top of your resume, which indicates your area of interest and skills you possess, can be very useful to many employers. An objective is optional, particularly when your cover letter fully describes your goals.

Education

The name of your school, location, graduation date (month/year), degree (either written out or the use of abbreviations, e.g., A.B., B.S.E., Ph.D.) are stated here. Your overall GPA or the GPA in your major may be included, if one or both are at least a 3.0. Honors and awards may have a subsection in this area. Thesis topics and/or Major Projects are acceptable with a brief description. Indicate courses that you may have taken that demonstrate some knowledge in an area, especially if the courses were not required for your major, but might be useful for the position to which you are applying. You may list your high school and a few of your honors and activities. However, this area should be brief.

Experience

This section is the longest and MOST IMPORTANT, and must outline your work experience including may unpaid internships, paid summer employment that was either part-time or full time. Use this section to outline the opportunities in which you have been able to demonstrate initiative, leadership or competence in an area. Be factual in your description but include information that adds to the description. Be sure to analyze each experience in terms of your responsibilities and outcomes. Did you develop a new program? Train workers? Conduct research and develop reports? How many staff were you responsible for? What was the size of your budget? List major accomplishments? Who did you report to?

Special Qualifications & Skills

You may want to include a section for skills or qualifications that enhance your prospects of employment and have not already been reflected elsewhere. Computer skills (Languages, Hardware, Software), foreign languages you can read or speak, certifications (such as specific examinations passed, i.e., Actuarial Exams), and sophisticated or technical equipment that you can operate may be mentioned in this section. This category is optional, but advisable, and allows an employer to easily pinpoint your accumulated, special and/or technical areas of expertise. For many applicants, it is useful to indicate their level of language proficiency in English and/or French as being either fluent, advanced, moderate, beginner or none.

Activities & Interests

Extracurricular activities, such as involvement in charities, service clubs, sports, hobbies, etc., can be excellent experiences to include on your resume. Through your involvement in activities, you are developing communication, leadership, teamwork, event planning, budgeting, and other skills that are highly values by potential employers. A word of caution should be offered, however. There are organizations and hobbies that may provide information about your political, religious or personal interests that you would prefer not to discuss or have known. Be selective in what you choose to list; if you do list these activities, be sure to emphasize relevant skills developed.

Other Sections

The categories included above are the most "typical," but do not be confined by these headings. If you have significant leadership experience, describe it in a section titled LEADERSHIP. If you have performed a great deal of volunteer work, create a section called COMMUNITY SERVICE and highlight your contributions within that section.

Resume Formatting

Language-Avoid first person pronouns (I, me, my). Make sure your punctuation, spelling and grammar are correct. Use action verbs but avoid repeating the same ones too frequently. Steer clear of technical jargon or acronyms unless you are sure your reader will understand. Avoid flowery or vague language and be specific about your past experiences. You can't assume that you'll get the chance to explain something in an interview.

Length-Your resume should be no more than two pages in length. Remember, there is no need to include everything, just those things that are relevant for the particular job or industry to which you are applying. Visual Appeal-Your resume should have adequate margins (no smaller than 0.75") and use formatting strategies that highlight rather than clutter. Use bold, italics, and capitalization in a consistent manner. Do not use unusual fonts or fonts that are too small (10-12 point is acceptable). All text should be the same font size with perhaps the exception of your name which can be a couple sizes larger. Use high-quality resume paper in white or off-white.

Things to Avoid- Resumes used in the Canada do not require you to list your age, gender, religion, political affiliation, martial status or social security number. Don't include salary expectations or salary history on the resume. If you worked part-time, it is not necessary to include the number of hours worked per week. Don't write "References Available Upon Request." Employers will ask for references if they want them.

Format Types - Chronological resumes list your experience in reverse chronological order starting with the experiences that are most recent. This format is the most common and therefore familiar to employers and committees. It emphasizes consistent history of experience and highlights where you've gained your experiences. However, it can also highlight gaps in employment if those exist. A functional resume is organized by your most significant skill ("functional") areas, but should only be used in the most exceptional circumstances. For almost all applicants, a Chronological resume is preferred. A functional section of the resume might be Leadership; within that section, you would then list any leadership experiences or accomplishments, regardless of where it took place or was acquired. A functional resume can help emphasize skills and minimize gaps in employment but it is also less traditional, less common, and more difficult to compose.