Job Resume - Guide
(ver: 08/01/2002)
General Tips
If you want to send your resume by e-mail, save it in *.RTF format and make your e-mail address and web page as an active link.
Adapt your resume for your wanted position and for the firm where you will want to send it.
If you are seeking a job in a field in which you have no prior experience, don't use the chronological format for your resume. By using a functional or skills-oriented format, you can present your relevant experience and skills up front.
Don't include information on your marital status, age, race, family or hobbies.
Don't confuse a resume and a curriculum vitae, your employer wants to obtain only relevant informations connected with your prospective position.
Mistakes
Your future employer really hates on you resume:
- Grammar errors. Ask your friend for review the resume.
- More than two pages long.
- Old irrelevant jobs.
- Fancy graphics.
- Bad quality paper, xerox of xerox, coloured paper, coffee stains.
Content Areas
Name, Address, Telephone, E-mail (REQUIRED)
- If you are a foreigner with the strange name mark what is your surname.
- Don't forget the phone area code.
Objective (REQUIRED)
- Write what do you want to do? If you have 2 goals, write 2 resumes.
Education (REQUIRED)
- Write in the reverse chronological order.
- Degree, institution, date of graduation.
Highlight of Qualifications (Optional)
- You can include this section if you want to emphasise certain skills, qualities, abilities and accomplishments, especially those that would not be obvious from your education or a work experience.
- Example : reliable and responsible worker, work under pressure, ...
Work Experience (REQUIRED - MOST IMPORTANT)
- Include: the title of your position, the name of organisation, the location of work (town, state), and dates, responsibilities, obtained knowledge, projects, used technologies.
- Write in the reverse chronological order.
- Write relevant and most important experiences first and describe them fully. Be brief with the irrelevant experiences or omit them.
- It is sometimes useful to divide your work experience into two categories: Relevant Experience and Other Experience.
- It's more important to emphasise your abilities and accomplishments more than past duties.
Job Skills (Optional)
- Summary of all your work skills, divided by topics - managing, security, hardware, software, programming languages, databases, ...
Additional Informations (Optional)
- Computer Knowledge - Subsections - software, hardware, ...
- Your web page.
- Interests - Include social or civic activities.
- Activities, Honours, Leadership, Awards, Achievements, Accomplishments.
References
Links
Resume
content.monster.ca - good database, resume advices
www.123-jobs.com - very good tips about resume
www.headhunter.net - good database of jobs, good list of links to resume pages
Job Search
www.workopolis.com - best and largest jobs database, very good advises for immigrants
www.jobshark.ca - e-mail posting of daily search results.
english.monster.ca
jobsearchcanada.about.com - find job before immigrating, many good links
www11.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca - official pages of Human Resources Development Canada
worksearch.gc.ca - good advices
www.dbm.com/jobguide - good links list
www.brainiacsonline.com - resume with video and photo, web video conference through local office
Job References
Printable Versions