Your resumé needs to stand out from the competition

Credit to Author: Staff Writer| Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:00:32 +0000

Here’s how to customize it to capture the attention of Canadian employers

Canadian job search norms are different from other countries. This is particularly true for resumés and why often, skilled immigrants feel their resumés are ignored. They may not even get a reply, let alone an interview

So, what is the best way to make sure your resumé stands out and gets noticed instead of landing in the discard pile? Read on for resumé dos and don’ts to help you in your job search.

Demonstrate the experience employers are looking for on your resumé

Early in their job search in Canada, many skilled immigrants realize many employers value Canadian experience. “It can be frustrating for newcomers, but the demand for Canadian experience on resumés is not insurmountable,” says Musenga Simwawa, a client success coach with Windmill Microlending, a registered not-for-profit that helps skilled immigrants and refugees achieve career success in Canada,

Suppose you aren’t getting any replies to your job applications and the resumés you’re sending. In that case, his advice is to find a volunteer position, job shadowing or internship in your desired field. “That experience can go on your resumé, and when it comes to finding a job, that counts as the invaluable Canadian experience that employers want to see.”

Customize, customize, customize!

Finding employment can be a time-consuming job. It requires research and preparation to reach your career goals. If you’re sending out the same generic resumé for every role you’re applying to, you may be doing yourself and your career a disservice. Resumés are not “one size fits all” documents. In Canada, resumés help you tell your story to employers. Applicants need to customize their resumés to each job posting and the position requirements in question.

First, carefully read the job description to find the required skills and experience. Then, tailor your resumé to match them. You need to clearly convey your skills and attributes that make you well suited for the role. In some cases, using some language directly from the posting itself can help.

Not only should you do your homework on the role you are applying for, but you should also research the company that you are applying to. Emphasize how your expertise will fit the company’s needs and how you can benefit the organization overall. Based on your research, you may even wish to highlight projects they’ve completed that you admired and discuss your interest in similar work.

Knowing your audience also means following the standard format and layout appropriate to your field. For example, a resumé for a graphic design role will look more creative and visual than one for an engineering position.

Keywords are king

Most recruiters use application tracking systems (ATS). Gone are the days when a human sifted manually through stacks of submitted resumés. Now, large companies filter through resumés using software that scans for keywords. If your resumé doesn’t include keywords found in the job posting, your application may not register with the ATS, no matter how qualified you are.

“The more keywords an applicant puts in their resumé, the higher the chance they might be shortlisted for an interview,” Simwawa says. A good way to find important keywords is to copy and paste a job posting into an online word cloud generator tool, to see what words are emphasized most, he explains.

You can also upload your resumé to an ATS resumé app to check if you’re hitting the mark outlined in the job description. These apps will also check other essentials, such as if you’ve got the right format and correct spelling and grammar. Some of these apps are free, while others are a paid service.

Short and sweet wins the resumé race

You’ve achieved a lot in your career but think of your resumé as a marketing tool to capture the employer’s interest enough to get you the interview. The interview stage is where you can go into more detail.

Simwawa recommends keeping resumés between 475 and 600 words, as research shows resumés in that range are more often shortlisted for interviews. A good rule of thumb is no more than two pages.

What not to do

Even though you have probably created many resumés in your life, what the Canadian job market regards as an excellent resumé may differ from your country of origin. To make sure yours is up to current standards, consider the following:

• Don’t include unnecessary personal information — nowadays, including your hobbies is a no-no.
• Avoid vague information, as well as buzzwords and cliché terms.
• Don’t include a photograph.
• Don’t just list job responsibilities. Highlight your work achievements and what you accomplished in your previous roles. Identify how you helped your previous organizations to grow or perform better.
• Don’t mention references on your resumé. You can provide those at a later date if you get an interview.
• Don’t forget you may need to prepare a cover letter. This may require you to highlight your relevant experience and pull language from the job posting, too.
• Don’t submit a resumé or cover letter without proofreading! So many candidates fail to check for grammar and spelling, meaning that their resumé ends up in the “no” pile despite being a good fit for the role. Having a trusted colleague or mentor review your documents before submitting is a helpful practice.

Ultimately, creating a winning resumé is not easy, but if you use these strategies, you will be well on your way to achieving your career goals.

The Immigrant Career Planning Guide presented by Windmill Microlending shares how newcomers can reach their full career potential by taking advantage of in-demand areas and employment opportunities across Canada. Growing opportunities await you, whether you’re just starting your career, looking to move up, or retrain for a new field. Now is the time to accelerate your career in Canada. Windmill’s Career Success and Planning Centre offers tools, tips and online digital resources to help skilled immigrants and refugees reach their professional goals, sooner. Visit windmillmicrolending.org to take the next step in your career, today.

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