Recruiters and hiring managers often look through many resumes for a single role. A Canadian-style resume makes their job easy: it's concise, it's tailored to the position, and it shows what you achieved, not just what you were responsible for. This guide explains the conventions most Canadian employers expect and how to apply them to your own experience.
Keep the format clean and predictable
Most Canadian resumes are one to two pages long. Early-career candidates can usually fit their experience on one page. Experienced professionals may need two, provided every line is relevant.
- Use a simple layout. Clear headings, consistent fonts and plenty of white space are easier to read, both for people and for applicant tracking systems.
- List experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role.
- Save it as PDF or Word (.docx) unless the job posting asks for something else. Give the file a sensible name, such as
Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf. - Use consistent Canadian spelling, such as labour, centre and program, when you apply to Canadian employers.
What to include
Contact details
Include your name, phone number, a professional email address and your city and province or territory. A full street address isn't necessary. Add a LinkedIn or portfolio link if it supports your application.
A short professional summary
Two or three sentences at the top should explain who you are professionally, the kind of role you're targeting and the strengths you bring. Tailor this summary for each application.
Experience framed as achievements
For each role, include your job title, the employer, the location and the dates. Then use three to six bullet points that start with an action verb and, where possible, show a result:
- Weak: "Responsible for payroll."
- Stronger: "Processed bi-weekly payroll for 400 employees across three sites with no missed pay dates over two years."
If you can't share exact figures, describe the scale or the outcome, such as the size of the team, the number of customers you served, or a process you improved.
Education, credentials and licences
List degrees, diplomas, certifications and professional designations. If you studied outside Canada, give the credential name and the country. You may also mention a credential assessment if you have one and the role calls for it.
For regulated professions, such as engineering, nursing and many skilled trades, the employer will need evidence of the appropriate provincial or territorial registration or licence. State your registration status clearly.
Skills
Include a short, specific skills section, covering software, tools, languages and technical skills mentioned in the job posting. Avoid long lists of generic traits.
What to leave out
Canadian employers generally don't expect, and often shouldn't receive, personal details that aren't related to the job. Human rights laws across Canada protect people from discrimination on grounds such as age, sex, religion, family status, marital status and disability. You can read the protected grounds that apply at the federal level in the Canadian Human Rights Act (opens in a new tab).
As a general rule, leave out:
- A photograph
- Your date of birth or age
- Marital or family status
- Religion, nationality or health information
- Your Social Insurance Number (SIN). You give this to an employer only after you're hired, for payroll
- Salary history, unless a posting specifically asks for it and you are comfortable sharing it
You don't need to write "References available upon request." Prepare a separate list of references and share it when an employer asks.
Tailor every application
Read the job posting carefully and mirror its language where it accurately describes your experience. If the posting emphasizes stakeholder communication, make sure your most relevant example appears near the top. Tailoring doesn't mean exaggerating. Every claim on your resume should be one you can explain in an interview.
A quick tailoring checklist:
- Highlight the three or four requirements the role cares about most.
- Make sure your summary and recent bullet points address them.
- Remove older or unrelated details that take up space.
- Check that the job titles and dates are accurate and consistent with your LinkedIn profile.
Proofread before you send
Spelling mistakes and inconsistent formatting can weaken a strong application. Read your resume aloud, check dates and contact details, and if you can, ask someone you trust to review it.
Useful official resources
- Job Bank's guide to writing a good resume (opens in a new tab) (Government of Canada)
- The Canadian Human Rights Commission (opens in a new tab) explains discrimination and the protected grounds
Next step
Once your resume is ready, browse current vacancies or submit your resume to Staff-Recruit Canada so we can consider you for suitable roles. When you're invited to interview, our guide to preparing for a job interview in Canada explains what to expect.
