Resume writing tips

Writing a Resumé Department of Human Resources

Writing a Resumé

Your resumé is one of the most important tools you have when looking for a job. This reference guide will help you choose the right type of resumé for your situation. It will also provide you with tips to help you adapt your resumé to the job you’re applying for, and to make sure it stands out for all the right reasons

What is a resumé?
A resumé is a document that you give to employers to tell them about your work experience, education and skills. It doesn’t need to be long but it must clearly highlight the qualifications you have that are specific to the job you are applying for.

Your personal information
The first thing your employer should see when looking at your resumé is your name.
Make sure it’s clear, stands out and is easy to read.
Your resumé should include your full address, all contact phone numbers and an email address.
If you’re Nunavut Inuit under the Nunavut Agreement, make sure you indicate it on your resumé.

Education
List your education, starting with the most recent education you’ve completed, and work backwards from there. Include the name of the school, the city or town where each school you attended is located (secondary and beyond), the year(s) you attended, and whether you completed. Be sure to list any certificates or diplomas you’ve received, including those for short-term courses like computer or software courses, first aid, driver’s licence, or any other training that might be useful in the job you’re applying for.

Skills and Experience
Use your resumé to show where you’ve worked, what you’ve learned, and how your skills and experience are useful to the job that you’re applying for. Make sure to highlight the abilities, skills and experience that relate to the specific job you're applying for. These can come from paid or unpaid work, volunteer experience, and even hobbies. Read the job description and the job ad to understand what the employer is looking for. If your experience is not related to the job you’re applying for, focus on the transferable skills you learned that can be applied to the job you’re applying for (for example: teamwork, multi-tasking, planning, public speaking, presenting and translating). When listing your work experience, include the location (city, territory) and the dates you worked (month, year) for each job or volunteer position. Use action words to describe what you did in the positions you held (for example: analyzed, coordinated, reviewed, assessed, communicated). Focus on the top-five duties for each job. In addition, make sure to include the responsibilities that you performed in your current and previous jobs that relate to the position that you’re applying for. Only listing a job title is not enough information for a selection panel to determine whether you have the transferable skills and would meet the requirements of the position.

Top 10 Resumé Tips
1. Think ahead. If you wait until the last minute to send in your resumé, you could miss the deadline and risk not being considered for the job.
2. Adapt your resumé. Include information associated with the job qualifications required for the job you’re applying for. In other words, read the job description and change your resumé accordingly.
3. Edit. If there is a lot of information, break it into separate sections with specific headings to make it easier for a selection panel to read and understand.
4. Use action words. Focus on things you’ve accomplished, and avoid starting every sentence with “I”.
5. Proofread. Never rely on spell check. Have a friend review it.
6. Repeat Tip 5. Your resumé shows the panel whether you have strong writing skills and what your level of attention to detail is.
7. Make it presentable. Make sure your resumé looks clean and organized. Use white, letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inch) and use a font that’s easy to read (for example Times New Roman or Arial).
8. Keep it short. Try to keep your resumé as short as possible – ideally two to three pages maximum.
9. Be honest. Lying on your resumé is never a good idea. Many people who lie on their applications end up losing their jobs when their employers find out the truth.
10. Be professional. Remember, this is a business document, so don’t include unnecessary additions like flashy paper or pictures. Example of resumé

Name
P.O. Box
ABC Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0
Contact: 867-979-0000
@email

Objective: This is the objective of your job search or career path, you may want to use it to explain in one sentence what your goals are: I am a Nunavut Inuit looking for a career in the field of education and teaching.

Skills: 

• Highlight your best skills, like: 
• Public speaking in both English and Inuktitut 
• Coaching students for the Arctic Winter Games’ Inuit games team Experience: Teacher, Nakashuk School Iqaluit, NU June 2000-Present 
• List the relevant duties and job outputs from the employment: 
• Preparing curriculum 

Creating new teaching materials that are culturally relevant Education: Nunavut Arctic College Iqaluit, NU Nunavut Teacher Education Program degree, successfully completed May 1999 Inukshuk High School Iqaluit, NU Secondary school diploma, valedictorian, graduated June 1994

References available upon request

For more information visit: https://www.gov.nu.ca/human-resources/information/writing-resume Contact information: @email Government of Nunavut - Department of Human Resources www.gov.nu.ca