Always ask yourself: Does the employer need to know this about me in order to consider me the best hire for the job? Gender, age, nationality are considered unnecessary and even inappropriate information – so leave this out!

Canadians are more likely to draft a resume instead of a CV. A resume reflects your strengths, is more of a narrative, close almost to an advert for you as job seeker in comparison with the ‘shopping-basket’ style of a CV that simply lists your achievements.

Canadian recruiters do not expect you to include a photo. Refrain from including personal information such as gender, date of birth, nationality, marital status, etc – anything that could be used to discriminate or favour one person over another. Keep your resume brief and to the point; maximum 2 pages. Be honest and do not exaggerate about your skills. Try to be specific and stick to the facts.

Be aware there are differences in resumes for the English speaking and the French speaking part: If you happen to live in Quebec, the terms CV and resume tend to be used interchangeably. However in Canada’s other provinces a CV is substantially different from a typical resume with more information on hobbies and extra-curricular activities. The majority of employers want to see a standard resume.

Try to capture the best of you in 100 words or less. You can turn this into a Career Objective by describing the kind of job (and industry) you’d prefer to be hired for.

Only list relevant job experience. Use a tailor-made resume for each job you apply according to the desired skills and qualifications. Briefly mention your achievements in each job to highlight your relevant skills.

Regardless of being paid for it or not, you can flesh out certain skills or personality traits relevant to the job you are applying for, hence if you have volunteer experience mention it.