“Canadianize” your resume while highlighting your international credentials

A resume is a crucial part of the job application process. It demonstrates an applicant’s ability to perform a specific role, and it should pique the recruiter’s interest in order to secure a job interview.

The Canadian resume format is vastly different from the one used in many countries. This means those seeking employment in Alberta need to stick to the Canadian format to maximize their odds of success.

To help you “Canadianize” your resume while playing up your international credentials, CPA Alberta’s Career Services team offers the following tips:

Do use Canadian words and grammar and incorporate action verbs such as analyzed, audited, budgeted, balanced, and capitalized into your resume. Avoid words such as whilst, forthwith, therein, wherefore, etc.

Do optimize your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)—software that collects, filters, and categorizes resumes in a database before an employer looks at them. You can achieve this by including key skills in your resume and avoiding complex templates and advanced formatting. Simple formatting is always better! ATS-friendly resumes stand a better chance of being reviewed by a person.

Do state your accomplishments, not just tasks. Show the value of your work with measurable results, outcomes, or any data that demonstrate the scope of your work.

Do provide a brief explanation under a role to clarify its Canadian equivalent, if required. Job titles from overseas may not always match standard Canadian titles.

Do highlight your bilingual skills and your mastery of particular computer applications that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Do not include personal, religious, family, or non-relevant protected information that does not pertain to professional employment.

Do not write your resume in first person; avoid personal pronouns such as I, my, and me.

Do not start the resume with an objective statement. Instead, start with a professional summary stating specific skills that are relevant to the job.

Do not list specific international locations where you gained past work experience, if you are concerned about hiring bias. Simply stating “overseas” as a location is acceptable.

Do not sign your resume.

CPA Alberta’s Career Services team offers a variety of resources that help CPAs and candidates effectively market themselves in the Alberta job market. For more information, visit cpaalberta.ca/Services/Career-Centre.