How do I write a Canadian resume?
Categories: Resumes
You need a good resume to find a job in Alberta. If you’re new to the Canadian and Albertan job market, there are a few tips to keep in mind when writing a resume.
In general, Canadian and Alberta employers look for an emphasis on experience and skills on a resume. This can be different from other places which may put more emphasis on education or qualifications.
Your resume should make it easy for an employer to see what skills you have, and exactly how those skills fit the job they are advertising.
There are two common types of resumes that you can use. Both have strengths and weaknesses.
Skills Based Resume
A Skills based resume emphasizes your skills rather than your experience or your education. The first and most noticeable section of a skills based resume should be a brief outline of the skills you have, where you applied them before, and how you feel they can help you contribute to a job.
When to use it
Skills based resumes are best for job hunters without a lot of experience. This is a common form of resume for new graduates entering the job market for the first time and newcomers to Canada who may not have North American work experience.
Skills based resumes are best used for jobs that require cross-applicable skills. For example, a job hunter who has good writing skills can apply those skills in a variety of different jobs.
Upsides
A good skills based resume clearly demonstrates how your skills fit the job you are looking for, even if you have never worked in your field before. Newcomers can use skills based resumes to show how their experience is relevant in the Alberta employment market.
Downsides
Skills bases resumes can underplay or hide qualifications that an employer may be looking for, especially in technical fields like engineering. If you use a skills based resume, be sure that you still mention your professional qualifications.
Chronological Resume
A good chronological resume is more than just a list of jobs and education, it should briefly outline the skills you learned and the contributions you made at each stage. Employers want to know that you learned from your experience and have made a positive contribution.
When to use it
Chronological resumes are often used by people with lots of experience in their field. People with lots of work experience can point to their past history of success. Employers like to see a track-record of success.
Chronological resumes are common in technical and regulated professions, like engineering and accounting, because they demonstrate a solid history of work experience to a potential employer. They also make it easy for employers to see a qualifications and certifications.
Upsides
A chronological resume can be a great way to draw attention to your professional qualifications, education and work history.
Downsides
Many chronological resumes make the mistake of only showing work history, not an explanation of skills and experience gained from that experience. Chronological resumes with lots of experience from outside Canada, or outside North America, may not be easy for an employer in Alberta to understand.