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Job search is a difficult process, you spend hours writing the perfect resume and cover letter to impress the reading party for a chance to land an interview. You write about your experience, skills set, how you can be an asset and why to choose you over others. Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes with the same format that they see in a day. An average recruiter spends less than 10 seconds to scan each resume and separate them into potentials or maybe.

There are many blogs on how to write a resume, this blog is no different but hopefully it makes things simple. Believe it or not, it is not just the resume or cover letter but also the timing and placement of your interest into the company that can land you the job.

Your resume is your portfolio, use proper grammar, avoid using colour that makes it hard to read the words or writing long paragraphs. Colours such as red, green, yellow (bright colours) should be avoided, sure they will make your resume stand out but also make it hard for it to be read. If a recruiter cannot read it, your application will not go any further. Choose action words to describe your duties and experience. If you have been working in the industry, highlight your professional experience but keep it short no more than 4-5 points in this section.

Are you a newcomer into Canada, the resume that you have written previously may not be the right format. Such as in Asian countries, most candidates include all their personal details – their marital status, religion and so forth. However, in Canada, these details can create hiring bias and cause potential cases for discrimination under the charter, thus most people are advised against adding the personal details. Your name, address (can be just the area name), phone number and email are only essentials required as your personal details.

If you have been working for over 5 years, place your experience before education, it helps companies understand what kind of work you are most skilled in and/or the field you have experience in. On the other hand, if you are a student, highlight your education, course work that would be beneficial to the role you are applying to. It is critical to use the job description as a guide to highlight your experience, it is what the recruiters are searching for in a candidate. Don’t assume that recruiters will know what you are doing or have done. If you have the experience, don’t worry about length of your resume, emphasize on relevant experience.

Read your resume at least 3 times with intervals, it will help reset your eyes and locate your mistakes. Always rewrite the resume before you apply to a new job, especially if you are directly applying to a company. A recruiter is not a professional resume writing service-provider, they may guide you. If you are a fresh graduate or an alumnus of a college and university, use their services to perfect your resume and interview skills.

Disha

disha@mtsrecruiting.com

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