1. When in Canada, do as the Canadians do.
In many countries, the letter with your education and work history is called a bio-data or a Curriculum Vitae (CV). In Canada, it's referred to as a resume. And that's exactly what you should title it.

2. Forget the sex stuff.
Are you used to listing items like your age, sex, marital status, father's name and nationality on your ràresume? Forget all that stuff. In Canada, it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, age or nationality, and so these details are never mentioned. Keep the focus of the resume on your skills - both transferable to your job and otherwise.

3. Keep it short.
From a perspective of an employer who often has to wade through dozens, if not hundreds, of applications,  one page is adorable, two pages is tolerable, anything more is deplorable.

4. Who are you and what do you want?
"If you are preparing a resume without first clearly identifying what your objectives are and how you want to be perceived, your resume will have no focus and no direction," says Expert Resumes for Computer and Web Jobs author Wendy Enelow. Before you even think about what to include in your resume and how to organize the information, take some time to consider your career goals and objectives. Doing so will allow you to write a resume that precisely targets the roles you are interested in.

5. Sell it to me... don't tell it to me.
A resume is basically a sales tool. It must clearly and strongly communicate the value of a specific product - you. Don't just state the facts of your training, experience and skills. Promote and advertise your achievements with examples and language that describes the benefits you can offer prospective employers. Detail the results you have achieved for past employers.

6. Use key words.
Every role has specific key words that indicate a whole range of related skills and experience. For instance, systems architecture is a key word that implies knowledge of hardware, software, systems configuration, functionality and more. While you may be concerned with over-using key words, they can be very important in getting your r resume noticed, especially when dealing with larger companies who use electronic sorting methods to search through piles of resumes for a few interview possibilities.

7. Draw the big picture.
The interview is when you can bring out the specific details of your experience. For your resume, stick to the big picture. Provide a broad description of your responsibilities and successes. Not only will doing so help to keep your resume to a readable length, it will leave you plenty of new information to discuss at the interview stage.

8. Make it interesting.
Interviewing is a difficult process not only for the candidate but also for the person conducting the interview. Take the time to consider how your resume can be structured to stimulate an interesting and informative discussion. An interviewer will take their cue from your resume about what kinds of questions to ask you, and in what order. By featuring your selling points prominently and providing a logical flow from your objectives to your experience and training, your resume can become a tool not only for securing an interview, but ensuring that the discussion focuses on topics that will help you land the job.

9. Cut your long story short.
Your r resume will likely be only skimmed through by hiring authorities. Don't expect that the person receiving your resume will have the time or interest to read through dense paragraphs. Quick bullet points will be much more effective. As well, organize your information consistently. Put job titles and company names in the same position throughout and use visible headings to separate sections, such as experience and education. Provide context by explaining the situation in which you worked - a brief company profile, a key challenge you were hired to resolve - before launching into the meat of your experience.

10. It's not the title that counts.
With the recent vogue for self-chosen job titles, employers are focusing more on achievements and less on what your last business card read. Rather than reciting your job description in flat terms, emphasize the actual achievements you provided to your employers. For example, "integrated 220 new users while enhancing network performance by 125%" is much more interesting than "added new users and router system."

11. Don't stretch the truth.
Although your resume is a sales tool, don't think that you can get away with the exaggerated claims. Don't push your skills and experience outside the realm of truthfulness. An increasing number of companies follow up with your past employers, even if they happen to be outside Canada.

12. Tailor the resume to the job.
Don't give in to the temptation to rely on cookie-cutter r resume styles, nor should you use the exact same language for every resume you send out. Look at the job description and outline your descriptions to more closely match the skill set being sought.

Above all, learn to develop a thick skin, don't take rejection personally, and have confidence in yourself. Your personal experience, skills, and interests are unique - they are the competitive advantage you are bringing to the job market.

_{Here are some links to some of Canada's biggest job sites.}


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