The 7 commandments of Canadian résumés

Posted on 23. Aug, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
7 comments

Having to rewrite your résumé is never fun, and it’s hard work – especially when you cannot find relevant advice to guide you.

If you’re trying to rewrite your résumé to Canadian standards, you may have noticed that most books and websites are in fact aimed at US job seekers. There’s little Canadian-specific advice available, and much of it is too general or obvious to be truly helpful. At least that’s what I and many of my friends have experienced over the years.

Since expats often ask me to proofread and edit résumés, I have compiled a list of 7 writing tips to help you write an effective Canadian résumé without spending yet another sleepless night toiling over the darned thing!

So if you want to cut to the chase, check your résumé against this list and see how it scores:

The 7 commandments

1. Find a job title that fits you perfectly
Your title goes at the very top of your résumé.

A good title conveys a lot of information in a few words: your specialty or expertise, the problem you solve for your future employer, and the position you are aiming for.
It is worth spending the time to find the right title for you, rather than just listing the one you had at your last job.

2. Goal statement
This is where you state what kind of employer you’re looking for, and what kind of problem you offer to solve.

It may sound like you’re talking about what you want in this section, but in fact you’re telling employers about themselves, their issues, and what’s in it for them if they hire you.

It pays to be specific here – tailor your goal statement to each company you’re writing to. Avoid clichés that will make the recruiter’s eyes glaze over (“Proactive team player looking for a challenging position with a dynamic market leader blah blah”). My rule of thumb: if it sounds like something out of a Dilbert strip, it can’t be good.

3. Work experience first, Education last
Canadian employers are more interested in what you’ve achieved in your previous jobs than in a degree you earned 10 years ago.

And truth be told, if you earned your degrees outside of Canada, then they won’t mean much at all – so put the education section last and leave the prime real estate for your work experience.

4. Mine your past experiences
But what if you don’t have much work experience? This is often a concern for young graduates or expat spouses who are just reentering the workforce.

Thankfully, Canadian employers are often interested in the skills you have acquired through volunteering or internships, for example.

Unlike in other countries, it’s not just permanent salaried positions that count, so mine these past experiences for all they’re worth!

5. What is obvious to you may not be obvious to recruiters

Don’t expect employers to be familiar with the university you graduated from, or to know how big your previous organization was. Job titles, degrees, even company names all need to be translated into their closest Canadian equivalents, or explained in plain English.

Also, remember to mention that you speak your mother tongue at native speaker level. No matter how obvious it may be to you, don’t leave it up to the recruiter to connect the dots.

6. Keep your writing lively
The biggest résumé-writing sin expats commit is being boring. They want to come across as professional and trustworthy, and end up sounding terribly bland.

You want to paint a vivid picture with your words. Ideally, the reader should feel like they’re by your side, observing you while you’re working. Use action verbs and powerful adjectives, and avoid the dreadful “Responsible for…” at all costs!

7. Show, don’t tell
Instead of telling employers you have “a proven record” (ack! Cliché alert!), show them figures, measurable results, and specific experiences.
Tooting your own horn is OK, even essential, as long as you can back it up with concrete examples.

So, how does your résumé stack up? If it needs improvement, don’t be discouraged. Just give it a good edit keeping these 7 principles in mind, and before long you’ll have a solid document that you’ll be proud to send out to showcase your skills and abilities.

All the best with your writing!

Emmanuelle

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Image by Brent Nelson, via Flickr Creative Commons