8 Horcruxes of Job Search in Canada. Part 3
Horcrux #4: Resume.
As it turns out, creating a resume is not nearly as straightforward as I once thought. If I compare the version of my resume I had before arriving in Canada to the one I used for my most recent interview, they are practically two different documents.
Back in Poland, I connected with several Canadian career coaches through LinkedIn and asked them to validate my resume for the Canadian job market. They provided a lot of feedback, which I later incorporated.
When we arrived at our host family’s home, they became my biggest supporters and trusted advisors in my job search. They also offered valuable edits for my resume. Using this updated version, I began applying for roles.
In general, a resume for the Canadian (and international) job market must meet three key criteria:
Answer the question “So what?”. For example, let’s say you delivered 30 training sessions in a year. And so what? You need to show the coverage rate, the knowledge level impact, and the end results—what goals were achieved.
Numbers and facts wherever possible. Writing “Was responsible for L&D strategy” means very little. Specify the type of strategy, what measurable results it produced, and how it impacted the organization.
Customization for every role. While you shouldn’t copy and paste the job description, you must carefully read the responsibilities and qualifications, align them with your experience, and reflect that alignment in your resume.
How do you manage that within the ideal two-page limit? That’s where the dreaded cover letter comes in. It complements your resume, allowing you to showcase why you are the perfect fit for the role and the company.
By the way, Canada is a hiring manager’s market. I can say that with confidence.
Initially, I got creative with my cover letter, and it received very positive feedback. I still like it. But it didn’t work. As I mentioned in my previous post, during the first month, I faced nothing but rejections and received only three interview invitations.
So, I had to revisit my cover letter. It was painful, but I rewrote it from scratch.
I’ll leave links to the literature and resources I used in addition to insights from career coaches and Canadian HR professionals in the comments.
Resume: Keep it Simple.
Design plays a minimal role. I eventually rewrote my CV in plain Word and converted it to PDF.
The key here is conciseness, simplicity, and maximum clarity. This isn’t just because fancy designs often overshadow content, but also because applicant tracking systems (ATS) scan resumes. The simpler the design, the easier it is for the system to read your data—which means the employer gets more information about you.
Less creativity, more facts.
Good News: There’s Still Room for Creativity.
That space is the interview.
Horcrux #5: Interview.
I’ll try to be concise.
If you’re a professional who knows how to navigate interviews, prepare for business meetings, and showcase your work results effectively — take all of that and multiply it by 10 when preparing for a Canadian interview.
You need to be 200% prepared, no matter how tough it feels.
Canadian interviews, especially for leadership positions, are often fast-paced, involve precise questions and quick reactions, are strictly timed, and leave little room for filler or small talk.
As they say: “You’ve got a work permit? Now show us what you’ve got.”
Luckily, a year ago, I went through a rigorous job search in Ukraine, which wasn’t easy either.
My last employer instilled in me a high standard for interview preparation — and that experience helped immensely here. Even though success didn’t come immediately (oh, how I wished it had).
Canadian interviews reminded me of Navy SEAL training — I walked out of each one drenched in sweat and a few pounds lighter.
Phone Interviews: My Personal Nemesis.
Canadians are huge fans of phone interviews, and I dreaded every single one. Here’s the hack that saved me:
If you’re invited to a phone interview in Canada, get the best headphones you can and close your eyes while speaking. It’s the only way I managed to fully focus on the English language without seeing the person I was speaking to.
Showcase Your Best Work.
Key takeaway from this horcrux.
In interviews, you must deliver your absolute best. For Canadian interviews, that “best” needs to be multiplied by 10.
What helped me was preparing a Google Drive folder with my most impressive work materials — case studies, posts, articles, and presentations. I didn’t wait for interviewers to ask; I proactively shared these resources.
In 30 minutes, you need to show the very best of what you can do. Simply talking isn’t enough.
An interview is your star performance. You need to bring your A-game and Rock it!