Canadian resume vs US resume: 8 things to change before you apply

A resume that works in Toronto will mostly work in Boston, and the other way round. Both countries use the same basic layout: contact details at the top, a short summary, experience in reverse order, then education and skills. Nobody will throw out your application because it came from across the border.

But a handful of small differences tell a recruiter, in about six seconds, whether you know their market. Here are the eight that matter, and exactly what to change.

The short version

1. Spelling: pick one country and stay consistent

Canadian English sits between British and American spelling. It keeps the British "-our" and "-re" endings (colour, labour, behaviour, centre) and words like cheque, but most writers keep the American "-ize" verbs (organize, recognize). American English drops the "u" and flips the "-re": color, labor, center.

Neither one will get you rejected on its own. What looks careless is a mix of both in the same document, which is what usually happens when a resume has been edited in two countries.

Quick fix: in Word, select all your text and set the proofing language to English (Canada) or English (United States). The spell checker will then flag every word that belongs to the other country.

2. Length: two pages is normal in Canada

In the US, the common expectation is one page for students and people in their first few years of work, and two pages once you have enough relevant experience to fill them. Recruiters there tend to see a second page of thin content as padding.

Canada is more relaxed about a second page. The Government of Canada's Job Bank advises keeping your resume to two pages, focused on your most recent experience, and cutting or shortening anything more than 15 years old.

Either way, the rule is the same: a second page has to earn its place. If the last third of page two is a list of duties from a job you left ten years ago, cut it.

3. Personal details: leave them out in both countries

If you've worked in Europe, the Middle East or Asia, you may be used to putting your photo, date of birth, nationality or marital status at the top. In North America, all of that comes off.

Job Bank's list of things to leave off a Canadian resume includes your age, height, weight, marital status, religion and political views, a photo, and your Social Insurance Number, which should never appear on a resume. The US works the same way: no photo, no birth date, and never your Social Security Number. Employers in both countries would rather not see details that have nothing to do with the job, because they can open the door to bias, or to a discrimination claim.

What you do include: your name, city and province or state, phone number, a professional email address, and your LinkedIn URL. A full street address is optional in both countries. Many people leave it off now.

4. Work authorization: one short line can save your application

This is the difference people miss most. If your recent experience is from another country, a recruiter may assume you need a visa and move on without asking. One line under your contact details can stop that from happening.

Keep it short and factual, and only write what's true:

• Authorized to work in Canada (open work permit)
• Canadian permanent resident
• Authorized to work in the US; no sponsorship required
• Relocating to Calgary, AB in March 2027

You don't have to explain your immigration history, and you shouldn't. The point is simply to answer the question the recruiter is about to ask.

5. Dates: use the month name, not numbers

Write dates as Mar 2023 – Present or March 2023 – Present. That reads the same everywhere.

Avoid all-number dates like 03/04/2023. Americans read that as March 4, many other countries read it as April 3, and in a resume nobody needs the day anyway. Pick one style and use it on every line.

6. Volunteer work carries more weight in Canada

Canadian employers tend to take volunteer work seriously, especially for newcomers who don't have Canadian work experience yet. Job Bank suggests listing unpaid work that shows your skills, either under Work experience or in its own Volunteer work section.

If you volunteered for a community organization, mentored in a bridging program or helped run an event, give it the same treatment as a job: title, organization, dates and two or three lines on what you did and what came of it.

On a US resume, volunteer work is welcome too. It just usually sits lower down, unless it's directly relevant to the role.

7. References: not on the resume

In both countries, references go on a separate sheet that you hand over only when an employer asks, usually near the end of the process. Job Bank says the same.

You can also drop the old References available upon request line. Every recruiter assumes it, and it takes up a line you could use for a result.

8. French: sometimes it's the whole job

For most US roles, a second language is a nice extra. In parts of Canada it can decide whether you get an interview.

• Quebec: many employers work in French. For Quebec postings written in French, send a French resume.
• New Brunswick: the country's only officially bilingual province, so English and French both count.
• Federal government jobs: many positions are bilingual, and the posting will say so.

If you speak French, say how well, in plain words: French: professional working proficiency tells a recruiter far more than just French.

One resume for both countries?

You can keep a single master resume, but export two versions when you apply. Here's what to switch:

1. Spelling (one pass with the right proofing language)
2. Length (trim the US version harder if you're early in your career)
3. The work authorization line, for the country you're applying in
4. The order of sections: volunteer work higher up for Canada if it's a strength
5. A French version for Quebec postings written in French

Everything else stays the same: results instead of duties, keywords from the job ad, a clean layout that applicant tracking systems can read, and no personal details.

Your checklist before you hit send

• One spelling system, all the way through
• One or two pages, with nothing on page two you'd skip yourself
• No photo, birth date, marital status, SIN or SSN
• City and province or state, phone, email, LinkedIn URL
• A work authorization line if your experience is from another country
• Dates written as month and year, in one style
• Volunteer work listed like a job, if it's relevant
• No references and no "available upon request" line
• Your French level, if you have one, and a French version for Quebec

Want a second pair of eyes? Our career experts write and fix resumes for jobs in both countries, in the right spelling and format for each.