How to build your resume during job search in Canada? ????
Disclaimer: I am not a professional content writer. This article is from my experience and should be used only as a guidance.
Resume is the most important document required for a job search. Even with referrals, it is important to have a resume which stand out. Resume are the deciding factor for getting selected for interviews.
In one word, your resume should be IMPRESSIVE. ??
- Resume should be:
- Impressive
- Short & small
- Easy to read
- Clear on what you are intending to communicate
What to have in Resume ?
- Name
- Role
- Phone Number
- Email address
- Location (only town, state)
- Skill set
- Current experience along with past experienceEducation
Optional, but will be helpful:
- Linked-in url
- *Certifications (adds huge value)
- *Publications (adds huge value)
- *Patents / Research paper (adds huge value)
- *Link to personal portfolio (adds huge value)
- *Link to your work, case studies etc. (adds huge value)
Should not be in the resume??
- Do not provide your resident status (e.g. PR, citizen, work permit).
- Do not mention your confidential details (e.g. SIN, UCI etc.)
- No need to mention your residential address in your resume.
- Be careful, since its public once you update the job sites.
- References (Usually references are asked after you get a job)
- Notice period details
- Irrelevant details which doesn't add value to the job you apply
How to write your experience section:
- You need to provide the skill sets which you are good at
- Ensure you mention the year gap in a nice way.
- Do not skip the years because it creates lot of confusion. You need to provide details of the experience at your previous organizations (do not mention confidential details)
- Instead of writing generic designation of your previous role (e.g. Software Developer), use focused keyword based on your role (e.g. Java developer or .net developer)
- DO NOT simply write Roles & Responsibilities of your job. Write things which you have done, achievements. Try NOT to exaggerate (e.g. Saved 500K $ in 1 year unless its green dollars) ??
Be careful??
- Do not write fake experience
- Do not write skill set which you don't know
- Proof read your resume. There have been multiple instances where the resume contains lot of errors. Usually hiring manger rejects the resumes if they see multiple issues.
- Do not confuse the readers (e.g. writing multiple experiences in same period, your linked-in profile and resume doesn't match, gap in years which is not clarified)
General guidelines??
- I usually keep my resume only 2-3 pages.
- I focus only on writing detailed experience for past 5 years.
- For the remaining career, I divert the audience to Linked-in
- I have my case studies, portfolio, research data, articles outside of resume & provide a link to those in my resume
- Keep it focused.
- Do not write lot of generic sentences which doesn't make value.
