

Looking to make a move north of the border? Check out our complete guide to writing a Canadian resume for job-hunting success that's sweeter than maple syrup.
Canada. The great white north. Lumberjack country. Call it what you will, our northern neighbor offers all kinds of career opportunities.
Geographic proximity, cultural similarities and generous mandated leave and benefits can make Canada a very attractive place to work. But how to get started? How do you write a Canadian resume and is different from an American one?
We’ve got the answers. This guide will help you learn everything you need to know about Canadian resume format. And by the time you’re done, you’ll have a resume that’s more Canadian than moose, maple leaves and Medicare.
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Canadian resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.
And when you’re done “poutine” all your skills and experience into a Canadian style resume we’ve got lots of other career advice too.
Jennifer Birch
Senior Sales Associate
416-555-0134
jennifer.birch@me.com
linkedin.com/in/jenniferbirch_zety
Summary
Energetic, friendly sales associate with 5+ years of retail experience. Extensive product knowledge and technically proficient with modern point-of-sale systems. Maintained 99% positive customer feedback score. Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) certified. Seeking to leverage proven merchandising, upselling and customer service skills to become a senior sales associate at McWhirter’s Home & Office Depot.
Experience
Retail Sales Associate
Maple Leaf Home Stores, Toronto, ON
September 2017–Present
Key Achievement. Achieved a 99% customer feedback score in the first month of employment and maintained it constantly ever since.
Junior Sales Associate
Frozen North Outfitters, Toronto, ON
August 2015–September 2017
Education
Bachelor of Science in Retail Sales Management
York University, Toronto, ON
Graduated 2017
Skills
Certifications & Licenses
You’ve just seen a perfectly written Canadian resume template. Now learn how to make your own.
Canada and America have their similarities, but there are plenty of differences too. From the way they do politics, to selling milk in bags, the land that gave us Jim Carrey and Justin Bieber can seem like a pretty original place.
But do those differences extend to the Canadian resume? The answer is no. A resume in Canada is exactly the same as an American resume. No need to worry about all the differences as you would when applying for jobs outside North America.
Or to put it another way a resume that’s as American as apple pie is as Canadian as maple syrup too! But let’s not leave it at that, now we’ll take a look at some Canada resume tips to make sure your Canadian job search gets off on the right foot.
Pro Tip: If you live in Europe, Asia or the Pacific, you probably refer to a resume as a CV. A North American resume is basically the same as what you call a CV, but to get a better understanding of the two terms take a look at our guide on the differences of a CV vs a resume.
The best resume format for Canadian jobs is the same tried and true classic as in the U.S. It’s known as the chronological or reverse-chronological resume. It puts your work experience up front and it’s the format recruiters are most familiar with on both sides of the border.
Here are the sections a typical chronological Canadian resume consists of:
Standard Canada resume format also follows the same layout rules as you’d use in the U.S. A good layout ensures that you’ll have a document that looks professional and is easy to read.
Here are some basic resume layout guidelines:
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
As we’ve discussed, you follow the same rules for resume writing in Canada as you do in the U.S. You’ll find detailed advice in our comprehensive how to write a resume guide. But if you’re looking to make a quick start, here’s a brief section-by-section breakdown.
Include your full name, job title and contact details. These should consist of your phone number, email address and LinkedIn profile. There’s no need to include your address on your resume, though. It’s not needed and it wastes space.
Your resume profile acts as the introduction to the content that follows. The general rule is to use a resume objective if you’re just starting your career and a resume summary if you’re more experienced. A summary of qualifications is another good option if you’ve got plenty of experience and achievements to highlight.
This is the most important part of your Canadian resume. 91% of employers prefer their candidates to have work experience, so you need to get your work experience section right to capitalize on that demand. Here’s how to do it.
Often overlooked, but still necessary. List your degree, your school and its location, and your graduation date (use an expected graduation date if you’re still studying). Only include your GPA on your resume if you’ve just graduated and it’s 3.5 or above.
And another thing you can include in your education section if you’ve just graduated is relevant coursework and extracurricular activities.
The skills employers look for in a Canadian resume are the same as for the U.S. Be sure to include a mix of hard skills and soft skills, and target your resume to the job by keeping your skills section relevant and focused.
Extra sections are the icing on the cake, or seeing as this is a Canadian resume, the gravy on the poutine. Adding them gives you the chance to add extra skills and achievements and stand out from other applicants.
Here are some of the best options:
And there’s no need to add references to your resume or even to write “references available upon request.” If an employer needs your references they’ll ask for them later on in the recruitment process. Including them now is just a waste of valuable page real estate.
You guessed it, the same rules apply as for an American resume. Here are the things you shouldn’t include on your resume.
And that’s it, you’re all set to craft the perfect Canadian style resume.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Canadian resume format is exactly the same as American resume format. Follow the same guidelines and focus on writing a resume that’s tailored to the job you’re applying for and best shows off your strengths as a candidate. It’s that simple. All the best for your Canadian job search!
Thanks for reading. If you’d like to know more about Canada resume format then please ask in the comments section and we’ll be happy to help.
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