Introduction

Until now, this book has focused on who you are (Self-Assessment) and where you intend to go (Labour Market Information and Career Planning & Goal Setting). Now, we are going to look at what employers are looking for and how you can show them that you have it. The job application is often one of the more stressful aspects of career development.

When we talk about application documents, what we mean are resumes, CVs, cover letters, references, and portfolios. This chapter is not going to cover that last one, but it will:

• Explain the purpose of a resume, a CV, a cover letter, and references.
• Lay out a process for creating an effective resume and cover letter.
• Show you the difference between talking about your duties and talking about your experiences.

The resume and cover letter are distinct genres of business writing and are persuasive writing. That means that we can think of them in terms of genre conventions and the audience/purpose.

A convention is a way things are done in a genre. Think of it as the way that you know when reading a romance book that the main character will end up in a relationship at the end of the book; if they did not, then it would not be a romance book. Just like any other genres, resumes and cover letters have specific conventions to follow, certain conventions that are optional but common, and changes that evolve over time. What this means is that the resume of today may not look like the resume of 20 years ago or like the resume in the next 20 years, but it will still be identifiable as a resume and serve the same purpose. In the same way that you adapt your essays to the genre conventions expected by your professors in various departments, you will need to adapt your resume based on the conventions of different industries and, sometimes, even different organizations.

The purpose of application documents is to move you from the application phase into the interview phase. That means that the audience is the hiring manager for the position you are applying for, and the documents need to be written for and targeted at that hiring manager. The best application packages present a narrative that shows how the applicant connects to the position and how well they might perform in the posted role.

Creating a tailored, well-polished, professional application package takes time, but it is worth it if you want to obtain that perfect job. This chapter will provide a step-by-step guide on how to select, create, and format a resume and cover letter that will help you secure an interview.

The Resume

Resumes are an important tool for securing employment, as they provide the employer with their first impression of you. You might be surprised what an employer can learn, or assume, about you based on only two pages! When your resume is well laid out, tailored to the position you are applying for, and properly explains your experience, it shows employers that your skills are aligned with the job description and that you are a great fit for their company and job opening.

The term “tailored” means you have created a resume specifically aimed at the job you are applying for. Many parts of your resume will remain the same between applications, but proper tailoring ensures the employer sees what they are looking for or expecting. Many employers see generic resumes as evidence that you do not care about their specific position or organization.

Resumes are usually the first thing an employer looks at when “short listing” applicants. Because of this, it needs to be competitive. Tailoring your resume involves using industry-specific terminology so your resume speaks directly to the hiring committee or individual.

Two things to keep in mind when tailoring your resume:

1. Employers want to hire people who are enthusiastic about the organization and position being advertised.
2. A tailored resume shows a company that you care about working for them.

One way to develop your tailored resume is to start with a master resume for each type of position you are looking for. This is a resume that includes everything you could possibly include, with the wording tailored to the field and position type. They are much longer than the two page maximum of your final resumes.

For example, say you are a Bachelor of Business Administration student who is interested in marketing and accounting. It would be wise to have two master resumes, one for marketing and one for accounting, with the way you describe your experience being a little different in each. When an accounting position comes up that you want to apply for, you start from the accounting master resume and do final tailoring to the specific job posting from it, cutting out anything that is not relevant to the narrative you are telling through your application.

The resume genre’s conventions differ by country and industry. But, in general, the key conventions to remember in Canada are:

• Two pages maximum
• Easily accessible contact information
• Use bullets for formatting
• Can be read by an applicant tracking system

If that last one was new to you, then you are not the only one. An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software used by organizations to accept, track, and organize job postings and applications (“Applicant tracking system,” 2025). You will learn more about what an ATS does in the Social Shadow chapter, but most importantly for now, if you are applying for a job where you are required to upload your resume instead of emailing it directly to a person, you have just submitted your application through an ATS and need to make sure your resume can be read by it.

Resume Types

As mentioned, resumes differ by country and industry, but in Canada, there are four resume styles: chronological, functional, combination, and curricula vitae (discussed in the sections below).

1. Chronological

A chronological resume is the most common resume style in Canada. In this style, you list your experience and qualifications under various headings—starting with the most recent (which is why they are often referred to as “reverse chronological” resumes)—and provide information about your achievements and experiences. Recent research confirms that chronological resumes are the most favoured layout preferred by hiring managers (Smith & Berg, 2020).

2. Functional

A functional resume is also called a “skill set resume.” In this style, you list your experience clustered by the skills you have. This resume focuses on your transferable skills; it does not include dates for employment history. This resume type is rarely used today as most employers want to see the specific dates of employment on the resume.

3. Combination

A combination resume takes the functional format and adds dates and specific employment history. Because it emphasizes skills, it is best for people who have large gaps in their employment history, are new to the workforce, or are changing careers. Many students use a combination resume when first looking for work, but its main strength is for those who have been out of the workforce for a few years.

4. Curricula Vitae

In Canada, a curricula vitae (CV) is primarily used for academic or research-based careers. In a CV, the emphasis is on the candidate’s research experience. If a job posting requests a CV or is a research-focused role, make sure you submit a CV rather than one of the other resume formats.

You will want to select a resume style based on the position you are applying for and your level of experience.

Resume Type Comparison

Table 6.1 provides a quick comparison of the four styles. Many resume sections are the same or have minor differences. The next section will explain some of these sections and give examples of how each resume might look. These sections are listed below in their traditional order, but the order may differ according to the resume layout.

Choosing a Resume Type

Although functional and combination resumes are valid formats, their use should be limited to very specific situations. The older version of chronological resumes, which has the list of jobs but includes very little information about them or the skills involved, has generally fallen out of favour with hiring managers and recruiters.

In its place, over the last twenty years, a new method of writing a chronological resume has arisen. We could call this a different form of combination resume because instead of listing skills and aligning jobs under it, this chronological resume lists jobs in reverse chronological order and then explains the job in a way that highlights specific skills the job posting is looking for. It is this type of chronological resume that this chapter will focus on, as it is the expected convention for most hiring managers. However, the tools provided here could be used for any resume style.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of my resume?
• Who is the audience of my resume?
• What is unique about the resume format for my industry?

Accomplishment Statements

Before we move into your resume layout we are going to talk about the core of your resume: the accomplishment statement. These are sentences that explain what you did, why, how, or for who you did it, and what the impact of it was. The most popular formats are:

1. Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR):
   
   • Example: “Provided quality customer service in a team of six, working quickly and efficiently, which resulted in our store receiving an award.”
   • The STAR method is discussed in depth in the Interviews chapter.
2. Challenge, Actions, Results (CAR):
   • Example: “Working in a team of six to ensure accurate and efficient service to customers, resulting in our store receiving an award from the head company.”
   • The CAR method can be seen in depth on the Career Uprising blog (Rise, 2017).
3. Result, Action, Situation (Reverse):
   • Example: “Earned an award for the best franchise in the city by collaborating with a team of six to deliver accurate and efficient service to customers.”
   • This method puts the result first, then describes the actions that led to the result, and finally explains the challenge or situation that brought about your actions and results.
4. Situation, Action, Outcome:
   • Example: “As part of a customer service team, I provided exceptional support, resulting in our store earning an award.”
   • Similar to the Result, Action, Situation example, this method focuses more on the key information the employer is interested in.
5. Action/Skill, How, Why, How Well:
   • Example: “Collaborated with team members and effectively delegated workload to best use individual strengths and maximize efficiency, resulting in project completion one week early.”
   • This method is further explored in Exercise 6.1. This method illustrates your accomplishments as more than just a list of the tasks and duties performed, and highlights what you bring specifically to the position for the employer.

Creating Your Accomplishment Statements

Accomplishment statements will allow you to avoid generic, unspecific, and over-used language. They begin with a technical skill, transferable skill, or responsibility, and finish with a description of how, why, or how well you demonstrated it. These statements describe your abilities and skills and prove that you understand your role.

An accomplishment statement moves beyond talking about job duties. A job duty is short description of the specific tasks done, but an accomplishment statement tells an employer how the work you did before has prepared you to succeed in the job you have applied for. It is what moves working at Tim Hortons from a survival job to something that prepared you for teamwork in a fast-paced environment.

The structure we are using for these accomplishment statements is:

1. Action or skill
2. How you did it
3. Why you did it
4. How well you did it

This helps you move away from boring or uninformative use of space to tightly packed interesting sentences. It gives you an opportunity to show how great you might be if they interview you and will set you apart from competitors’ generative AI written resumes and cover letters.

A strong accomplishment statement is not just for the resume, it will help you work out how to speak about your past experience in a cover letter and is even useful in preparing for an interview.

Table 6.2 provides examples of how to create accomplishment statements. Feel free to adapt the wording based on the needs of your application document, or to exclude any parts of it. Including an action or skill with how well you did it is often enough. These statements are most useful when they mention specific things you did or specific numbers within it, such as “managed daily cash receipts of $2,500” or “collaborated with a team of eight.”

Note. Adapted from Ladd (2017)

Regardless of how you write your accomplishment statements, you need to make sure they show what impact your actions had. This could be your impact on the organization as a whole, the department you worked in, the finances of the organization, clients or customers, or even your colleagues. Accomplishment statements should include specific words from the job posting, if possible, and demonstrate your technical and transferable skills. Including quantifiable information in your accomplishment statements ensures employers understand your skills and abilities.

Resume Sections & Layout

As mentioned in Resumes Types, there is some overlap between the main resume types in terms of sections. Because the new chronological resume is the expected format, the sections are presented and described in the order they appear in that style. Skills and accomplishments is a section mostly only used in functional and combination resumes, so it is described at the end of this section. The order of sections, and how to title them, depends on the industry conventions for the position you are applying for and your own preferences.

The whole purpose here is to showcase your skills and abilities in a way that a potential employer will understand (Hunt et al, 2017). To help you build your resume, review the following main sections and how they can look in your resume. You can see more examples in Appendix B: Resume Catalogue or in the Resume Catalogue OER (Arney et al. 2022).

General Contact Information

The first thing an employer needs to see in your resume is your contact information (Figure 6.1)—it needs to be at the top of your first page.

Contact information needs to include your:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email
• City

Use the name you go by professionally, as it will going to be what the employer calls you. If you have formally or informally changed your name for any reason, use the one you changed it to, rather than whatever is on your birth certificate. If you have a short and long version of your name and go by both in different situations, use the name that you feel is more formal. Make sure you include the full phone number with your area code.

Ensure your email address appears professional—the best email address to use on a resume includes your name or part of your name. Feel free to use your university email on your resume. Including your post office or mailing address is now optional, as the employer will likely contact you by phone or email, not by letter. If the application instructions specifically require your mailing address, you will need to add it in.

Some people like to put their contact information at the top of the second page, which can be helpful if organizations print out resumes. If you are short on space, you can always put it in a header that appears only on the second page—ATS may not read the contact information if it is in the header on the first page, so make sure it is in the body of the resume.

Objective Statement

Alternate headings may include “Objective” or “Purpose.”

Objective statements (Figure 6.2) are very specific statements, in sentence form, that demonstrate how you can support the organization. This is not an appropriate space to talk about your personal career goals but rather to connect your resume to the job and industry you are applying for. The more specific your objective statement, the better. Imagine this as the most important sentence you want to say to the hiring manager (your audience).

There has been plenty of debate over the last few decades about whether an objective statement is needed or helpful anymore. In some industries it is expected, in others it is allowed, and in some it will detract from the first page of your resume. This is where you need to do some networking and research. In many industries, this section is being replaced by a summary of qualifications.

Ask someone you know who has started working in the field in the last three years that you would like to be in, and see what their resume looks like.

Summary of Qualifications

Alternate headings may include “Summary,” “Technical Skills,” “Qualifications,” or “Profile.”

The purpose of the summary of qualifications section is to quickly link your resume to the job posting. This is a point-form section that lists the top four to seven skills or qualifications you offer the employer (see Figure 6.3). Just like an objective statement, these are directed to the hiring manager as your audience, so they should be written in a way that they would understand.

You may need to research some resumes in your industry, such as through Appendix B: Resume Catalogue. These need to be directly connected to the job posting, and it is best if you use the key terms from the posting in this section. What this section looks like will vary, but in general, the important part is that it lists technical and required skills.

Do not say things like “hard worker” or other subjective skills—you should demonstrate those skills through your accomplishment statements later in the resume.

Instead, your summary of qualifications will include:

• Specific software or tools that you are skilled at (which are called for in the posting)
• Specific skills that you have gained in other industries that are applicable to the posting
• Required certifications

It is best to use examples and data in this section. When saying you have experience with an industry-specific tool, say how many years of experience you have. When you list any transferable skills that the posting asks for—like customer service or communication—say how you gained these skills. This is also a great section to mention any additional languages you speak that may be useful in the role you are applying for.

Education & Training

Alternate headings may include “Education” and “Education and Professional Development.”

The education and training section (Figure 6.4) is where you will list any post-secondary programs you have completed or are currently enrolled in.

For each entry, you need to include the:

• Formal name of the program or degree
• Institution
• Location
• Date of completion or date of expected completion

You will list your most recent education first. If you are enrolled in or have completed any post-secondary education, there is no need to list your secondary school education.

Many people put additional information in bullets under each program, such as minors, relevant courses (the title of the course, not its course number), scholarships, awards, or projects they are especially proud of.

Below the post-secondary education are certificates or other professional development achievements.

For continuing education like this, list the:

• Name of the program or certificate
• Issuer or training provider
• Date completed (and expiry, if applicable)

This could also include workshops, special trainings, and seminars relevant to the posting.

Work Experience

Alternate headings may include “Work History,” “Experience,” and “Professional Experience.”

The work experience section (Figure 6.5) is the most important section on your resume. This is where an employer will look to see how much experience you have, where it was, what it was, what skills you gained, and what impact you had on the organization, customers, clients, or budget you worked with.

The key information that must be included for each entry is:

• Job title
• Organization
• Location
• Dates
• What you did there

Each entry in the work experience section needs to be formatted exactly the same as the others. The job title should be bolded and left-aligned. You can put the job title and organization name on the same line or different lines, and you can list the title or organization first. Location is just the city and province, or if it was not in Canada, city and country.

Dates need to include the month and year of starting and finishing that role and should be right-aligned. It is best to have it on the first line of the entry, across from either the title or organization. If it was seasonal, you will mention that in the bullet points, just include the month and year you started and when you finished. If this is your current employer, you will replace the end date with the word “present.” It used to be the convention, and in some industries it still is, to only list the years and not months, so make sure you research the industry you are looking to find work in.

In chronological resumes, the information about the position is followed by a bulleted list that explains what you did there. This will explain your duties, responsibilities, and special projects or initiatives.

The best format for these is the accomplishment statements you have already practiced writing (see Exercise 2.1 Creating Accomplishment Statements). You can use any format for accomplishment statements that works for you, but the important thing is to show what impact you had on the organization, customers, clients, and budget. It is not enough to list the duties you performed, you also need to show why it was important that you were there. This gives you the opportunity to better connect your resume with the posting and give examples of your technical and transferable skills.

Volunteer Experience

Alternate headings may include “Volunteer History“ and “Community Involvement.”

If you have a substantial amount of volunteer experience, you should lay this section out exactly like the work experience section (Figure 6.6). If you do not have much volunteer experience, you can instead list it in point form with the organization, title, and years involved. Do not include any volunteer experience that was less than a week. If you have very little or no volunteer experience, you will omit this section.

Awards & Achievements

Alternate headings may include “Awards.”

This optional section lets you list any awards, scholarships, grants, or other professional recognition you have received that are relevant to the posting. Only include awards that have not been mentioned elsewhere in the resume. They should be listed in point-form and include the year you received the award.

Interests

Alternate headings may include “Hobbies” and “Hobbies and Interests.”

If you have interests or hobbies that you do in your spare time that are relevant to the position, you should list them in point-form under this heading (Figure 6.7). This can make you seem like a more well-rounded person to a hiring manager. It is also a great section to include if your resume is a bit short and you need to fill up space on the second page.

References

The references section (Figure 6.8) is optional in most industries today, as it is rare for an employer to check references before meeting with you. However, some postings will require them, and it is still standard in some industries to list references.

When listing references, make sure they are appropriate for the role you are applying for.

Each reference should include the person’s:

• Full name
• Title
• Organization
• City
• Phone
• Email

Make sure to contact any references before listing them to ask if they are comfortable being a reference and to know what they would say about you.

People who have seen (or better, supervised) your work in the field you are applying to work in are the best references, followed by people who have supervised your work in other fields, and then professors who know you well. Finally, personal references who have never worked with you are your last resort.

Skills & Accomplishments

Alternate headings may include “Skills,” “Professional Accomplishments,” “Areas of Expertise,” “Experience Highlights,” and “Skills Summary.”

In functional and combination resumes, the skills and accomplishments section is your opportunity to explain, with accomplishment statements, why you have the skills required on the posting. This is normally done by listing a skill or ability that the posting calls for in bold and then having two to five accomplishment statements below it in a bulleted list (Figure 6.9).

Layout Examples

The following illustrates a number of layout examples you can try. Most word processing programs allow you to use “styles” to assist with layout, using a title for your name and then various heading levels for your headings and subheadings. This way, you can quickly and easily change the look of your resume.

To view different examples, click the arrows left and right.

Curricula Vitae Sections & Layout

The curricula vitae (CV) is a specialized genre of resume for academics and researchers. It is much longer than the two page maximum in a normal resume and has unique sections. The purpose of a CV is to provide a complete understanding of your academic career, including research, teaching, grants, and service.

CV conventions vary by discipline and focus. A CV for a research role in the sciences will look very different from a CV for a teaching role in the humanities. Just as you would with other resume formats, talk to people in similar roles to what you hope to obtain, and ask them what their CV looks like. Professors are great resources for this!

A CV generally has the following sections:

• Full Contact Information: Include an institutional address (if you have one), mailing address, email, and phone number.
• Education: Start with your highest level of education and work toward your lowest.
• Academic Appointments: Include full positions of at least a year in an academic or research role; do not include individual course contract roles.
• Areas of Teaching: List your teaching experience and the courses you taught.
• Professional Employment: Include any work experience you have that relates to the posting.
• Publications: Include all peer-reviewed and non-reviewed publications you have, in separate sections, using the standard academic citation style format for the discipline.
• Presentations: Include any presentations, talks, conference talks, or posters you have presented.
• Research Funding/Grants/Honours/Awards: Include any funding you have received, including scholarships, or any honours or awards you have been given that relate to the posting.
• Service: Include any committees you have served on, organizations you have worked with, and talks or conferences you have helped organize.

Resume Formatting

The modern resume needs to be readable by both an ATS and a human being. That means many of the formatting and design choices that have been popular for resumes—which are built into many word processing programs—actually hurt your chances of being selected by a potential employer.

An ATS is not a terrible thing that is out to stop your resume; it is just a way for organizations to deal with the large volume of resumes that comes in for each job posting. Their main function is to scan your resume and check for simple things, like your contact information or if you are using any of the keywords from the posting. Some ATS will filter incoming resumes to determine how much experience you have based on what is on the resume, or it may assess whether you have the correct education. Sometimes, it will rank the resumes, but not every ATS does that, and not every organization wants it to do that. The most advanced ATS programs use algorithms to evaluate everything from whether your work experience meets the minimum requirements for a posting to whether your grammar is acceptable. The information in this section is designed to make your resume as readable as possible—by both the ATS and a person.

Here are some simple formatting tips for your resume to make sure that it is readable by both people and an ATS.

What to do:

• Maximum two pages
• Contact information at the top of the first page
• Web-safe fonts (Arial, Georgia, Tahoma, Times New Roman, and Verdana) (see Figure 6.10)
• Font size between 10 point and 12 point, except for name and headings
• Good grammar and spelling

What not to do:

• Putting contact information in the header
• Using textboxes
• Using columns or tables for layout
• Images, backgrounds, graphics
• Multiple fonts in the same document
• Special characters
• Altered kerning or adding extra spaces between letters or words

As long as you follow these tips, your resume should look professional and will not cause any problems with online systems or ATS.

Here are some more tips about formatting and language that will make sure your resume has the best chance of being shortlisted.

• Tense: When laying out your resume, use the past tense for all your accomplishment statements for each position (including the current one).
• Formatting and Spelling Errors: These errors distract the reader and make them less likely to want to read your resume, or suspect you are sloppy.
• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Do not use abbreviations or acronyms unless they are commonly used (e.g., abbreviate degrees like MBA).
• Section Layout: Ensure all sections are laid out in reverse chronological order so the most recent things are higher on the page.
• General Formatting: Your formatting should be the same throughout the whole resume—any changes in format will distract from your skills.
• Two-Page Resume: The format used to be a single page for resumes, but for most professional positions today, a two-page resume is expected. This gives you more space to work with to make sure your resume is readable.
• Design: Major design elements like tables, columns, and large graphics cause problems, but that does not mean you cannot make some design choices, such as:
  • Using bold font to draw the readers’ eye to titles and levels of education completed is a good idea.
  • Adding elements like text, colour, colour bars, or a personal logo—as long as they do not distract from the rest of the resume.

The Cover Letter

Some hiring managers ignore cover letters, but there are many more hiring managers in Canada who see it as the most important part of an application. In general, if the posting specifies the application documents, submit whichever documents they request. If they do not specify which application documents, make sure to include a cover letter.

Just like a resume, a cover letter is a persuasive document that has its own genre and conventions and has a specific audience and purpose. This time you need to accomplish it in only one page.

The cover letter is a genre of business letter, but some of its conventions are a bit different. In many cases, a cover letter is the only type of formalized business letter that people write. Once you learn the conventions, and the reasons for the conventions, building a cover letter tailored to an employer and posting becomes much easier. A generalized cover letter implies that you are not actually interested in their specific job.

The cover letter audience is the hiring manager and the employer broadly. It has three purposes:

1. Gives them their first impression of you
2. Tests your communication skills
3. Is an opportunity to introduce yourself to the person reading your application

The cover letter shows them how you align with the job posting and how you can contribute to their organization. It is a place where you can show your passion to work for the organization and why you applied for that specific role out of all the jobs available.

Preparing a Strong Cover Letter

To write a good cover letter, you need to know what you bring to the table and why you are applying for that specific role in that specific organization. This goes back to the Self-Assessment chapter and to your creation of accomplishment statements in Exercise 2.1.

Step 1: Research

The first step is to research the organization and the role. Make sure you actually see an alignment between what you offer and what they want because your cover letter should respond to what they are asking for. Make sure you know what and why the organization does what they do, and figure out if you want to help them do it. Once you know that, you need to work out how your experience aligns with the posting and the organization. Ask yourself this question: “What do you need to highlight in your experience?” Next, look at the posting. Most postings have the most important duties and skills listed first. Those are the ones you need to connect with in your cover letter, and you will probably only be able to cover three major points.

Your cover letter will answer four questions for the employer:

1. Is this applicant actually interested in the position and organization?
2. Are they going to make a difference at the organization?
3. How good are their communication skills?
4. Will they fit in at the organization?

Step 2: Formatting

Once you have done that preparation work, it is time to get to the formatting. As mentioned, a cover letter is a specific type of business letter. That means it has a standardized format and order. Most cover letters are only one page single-spaced, and you will lose a good quarter to third of that page to the formatting. If you are applying for a position requiring more than eight years of experience then you may be moving onto a second page, and for upper management roles, you may reach three pages.

The cover letter sections are:

1. Your contact information
2. Date
3. The employer’s contact information
4. Salutation
5. Introduction (Paragraph 1)
6. Body (Paragraphs 2–4)
7. Conclusion (Paragraph 5)
8. Close

For your contact information, there are two options. The classic version is to use the formal address block for both yourself and the hiring manager (see the sample cover letter below). The more modern version is to use the same contact information “letterhead” you used for your resume. There is no major difference, so use the one you feel looks better for your industry.

Targeting a Cover Letter

There are a lot of ways to write a cover letter, and because it is a test of your communication skills, you should try not to be too constrained by templates. With the rise of generative AI, many people are able to meet the basic conventions of a resume easily. But the resumes created that way often do not understand how to properly target a cover letter to a job posting or an industry and feel like they are simply a collection of generic platitudes that hiring managers hate to read.

Instead of a fill-in template, here is a cover letter concept that you can use and adapt to your needs and think about how you would say what you want to say directly to a hiring manager:

Remember, the cover letter is your first impression—it demonstrates your communication skills and your interest in that specific role.

Another way of formatting the cover letter cane be found below.

Now that you have seen two versions of the cover letter, it is time to try it yourself.

Media Attributions

• Figure 6.1 Figure 5.1 General Contact Information by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.2 Figure 5.2 Objective Statement by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.3 Figure 5.3 List of Qualifications by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.4 Figure 5.4 Education and Professional Development Information by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.5 Figure 5.5 Employment History Information by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.6 Figure 5.6 Volunteer Experience by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.7 Figure 5.7 Alternate headings may include “Interests” by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.8 Figure 5.8 List of References by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.9 Figure 5.9 Summary of Skills and Accomplishments or Experience Highlights by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Figure 6.10 Figure 5.10 Fonts by Noah Arney (2023), via University to Career [edited by Jamie Noakes], is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

References

Applicant tracking system. (2025, February 8). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Applicant_tracking_system&oldid=1274703184

Arney, N., Mihalicz, L., & Gibson, S. (2022, September 1). Resume catalogue: Sector specific examples for students. Career & Experiential Learning, Thompson Rivers University. https://resumecatalogue.pressbooks.tru.ca/

Hunt, I., Taylor, R., & Oberman, W. (2017). Advisory board engagement: Assisting undergraduates with resume development. Journal of Education for Business, 92(6), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2017.1365680

Ladd, S. (2017). Accomplishment statements. [Departmental handout]. Career & Experiential Learning, Thompson Rivers University.

Ladd, S, & Forseille, S. (2016). Cover letters. [Departmental handout]. Career & Experiential Learning, Thompson Rivers University.

Rise, L. (2017, February 27). C.A.R. – Challenge, action, result. Career Uprising. https://web.archive.org/web/20240523215901/https://www.careeruprising.com/blog/2017/02/27/c-a-r-challenge-action-result#expand

Smith, A. B., & Berg, M. D. (2020, March 22). Business professionals’ rankings of applicants’ resumes: Updated considerations for resume instruction. Journal of Business Strategies, 37(1), 50–80. https://doi.org/10.54155/jbs.37.1.55-80

Long Descriptions

Figure 6.1 Long Description:

Contact format: Name centred in all capitals. Horizonal lines shown above and below name. Below the bottom line, a city location is provided. Then, on next line, different contact methods are provided: email, phone number, and LinkedIn profile.

Content shown: Amrit Singh, Anytown, BC, AmritSingh@emailprovider.com, 250-000-0000, linkedin.com/in/yourname

[Return to Figure 6.1]

Figure 6.2 Long Description:

Content format: Title centred, objective sentence below, left-aligned.

Title: Objective

Content: To use my programming and project management skills to support Stark Industries Business Analysis department as a junior programmer.

[Return to Figure 6.2]

Figure 6.3 Long Description:

Content Format: Title centred and bolded, bulleted list, key skills bolded.

Content:

Title: Qualifications

• Languages: Java, C#, Python, SQL, JavaScript, React.
• Applications & Platforms: Power BI, Unix, MySQL, MS Access, Unity.
• Excellent customer service skills from working in a fast-paced customer-oriented environment.
• 20 months experience leading projects using PMBOX and Agile methodology.
• Organized and ran event with between 10 and 400 attendees.

[Return to Figure 6.3]

Figure 6.4 Long Description:

Content Format: Title centred and bolded, next line credentials heading bolded, followed by a bulleted list of details below; date of each bolded credential is on the far right of the first line of bolded heading.

Content:

Title: Education and Professional Development

Bold heading: Bachelor of Science, Computing Science – Greendale University; (right-aligned) 2019 – present

• Computing Science Major, Project Management Minor
• Second place presentation at Greendale University Hackathon 2020
• Expected Graduation 2023

Bold heading: Accounting Diploma – Greendale University; (right-aligned) 2018

Bold heading: Continuing Education

• Project Management 1, Greendale University; (right-aligned) 2020
• Standard First Aid CPR-C, St. John Ambulance; (right-aligned) 2019 – 2020 (exp.)
• Intro to Coaching, Anytown Hockey; (right-aligned) 2016

[Return to Figure 6.4]

Figure 6.5 Long Description:

Content Format: Title centred and bolded, next line work positions or roles bolded heading, followed by a normal location subheading, and a bulleted list of details below; date of each bolded work position or role is on the far right of the first line of bolded heading.

Content:

Title: Work History

Bold heading: Business Analyst Co-Op Student; (right-aligned) Jan 2021 – Present

Subheading: Globex, Anytown BC

• Implemented new business analysis methods by gathering requirements, developing code, and testing software solution which provides up-to-date analysis to stakeholders.
• Led project to create standard operating procedures for hardware and software refresh cycles across five departments with 300 staff, completing on time and within scope.
• Organized company wide communications regarding IT security, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of information.

Bold heading: Billing Clerk; (right-aligned) Dec 2018 – Dec 2020; (right-aligned) Dec 2018 – Dec 2020

Subheading: Bailey Building and Loan Association, Anytown BC

• Processed accounts receivable and billing of up to $40,000 per transaction for small credit union, ensuring accuracy and improving efficiency in the department.
• Prepared, reviewed, and processed electronic invoices and troubleshooted e-billing issues with multiple systems and clients.
• Led project for moving the accounting department to Sage 50cloud, supporting four other staff in their training with the new program.

[Return to Figure 6.5]

Figure 6.6 Long Description:

Content Format: Title centred and bolded, next line volunteer positions or roles bolded heading, followed by a normal location subheading, and a bulleted list of details below; date of each bolded volunteer position or role is on the far right of the first line of bolded heading.

Content:

Title: Volunteer Experience

Heading: Tax preparation volunteer; (right-aligned) 2018

Subheading: Greendale University Accounting Student Association, Anytown BC

• Supported students by helping them with tax preparation and filing as part of the Greendale University Accounting Student Association’s annual Volunteer Income Tax Program.

Heading: Vice-President, Events; (right-aligned) 2016 – 2018

Subheading: Greendale University Accounting Student Association, Anytown BC

• Organized events for over 400 students, including the annual Volunteer Income Tax Program.
• Raised $6,000 for scholarships for accounting students.

Heading: Hockey Coach; (right-aligned) 2016 – 2018

• Coached team of 15 players ages 5–6, focusing on providing a positive environment for children to learn and experience hockey.

[Return to Figure 6.6]

Figure 6.7 Long Description:

Content format: Title centred and bolded, followed by a bulleted list.

Content:

Title: Interests

• Developing video games in Unity
• Hockey, 13 years, 1 year as captain of U21 team
• Event Management

[Return to Figure 6.7]

Figure 6.8 Long Description:

Content format: Title centred and bolded, followed by left-aligned name of reference, their address, telephone number and email address on separate lines; contact information is grouped together for each reference and separated between references.

Content:

Title: References

Ruth Wong, Business Analyst Lead
Globex, Anytown BC
250-000-000
rwong@globex.com

Jaspaul Sidhu, Manager
Bailey Building and Loan Association, Anytown BC
250-000-000
JSidhu@BaileyBLA.com

[Return to Figure 6.8]

Figure 6.9 Long Description:

Content format: Title centred and bolded, followed by centred heading for type of skill on the next line, and then a bulleted list of details below.

Content:

Title: RELEVANT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Heading: Communication / Customer Service

• Handled customers’ enquiries effectively, developing and encouraging repeat business.
• Handled customer concerns in a caring, professional way, guaranteeing complete satisfaction.
• Maintained a clean, safe work environment for both customer and staff.

Heading: Organizational

• Managed a small business in the absence of the manager.
• Performed opening and closing procedures for a small business operation.
• Arranged work schedules on a weekly and monthly basis to ensure timely completion.
• Directed, trained, and evaluated new employees making recommendations to management.
• Operated office machines, computerized and manual cash registers, and credit card terminals.

Heading: Accounting

• Recorded accounts payable, accounts receivable and general ledger entries on a daily basis.
• Verified all credit card and cheque transactions.
• Handled and balanced all cash reports and used computerized registers.
• Experienced in computer inventory control, recording video rental and product sales.
• Prepared monthly accounts and year-end statements for submission to the accountants.

[Return to Figure 6.9]