Canadian resume format: what employers expect

Leave these out

• Photo, date of birth or age, marital status, gender, religion and nationality.
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) or other ID numbers.
• Your full street address and postal code. City and province are enough, for example Guelph, Ontario.
• References. Have them ready, but you do not need to list them or write references available upon request.
• High school details once you have a diploma, degree or several years of work.

Include these

• Name, city and province, phone, email and a clean LinkedIn URL such as linkedin.com/in/first-last.
• A job title that mirrors the posting, and a short professional summary.
• Key skills: up to 15, the ones the posting asks for and your experience proves.
• Experience in reverse chronological order, with month and year for each role.
• Education and relevant certifications, licences or professional development.

Length and layout

One page for early-career applicants, two pages for most experienced professionals. Use a single column, standard section headings and a common font, so applicant tracking systems read it correctly. Save as Word or text-based PDF.

International and newcomer experience

Experience from outside Canada counts. Translate job titles to their closest Canadian equivalent, explain the size or scope of the employer in a short line, and convert results to terms a Canadian recruiter recognizes. Roles that ended more than 15 years ago can be grouped under Additional relevant experience without dates.

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