Free Canadian resume template
A resume in the format Canadian employers expect: one to two pages, a summary of qualifications, recent work first, and nothing personal that doesn’t belong. Download the Word template, replace the prompts in square brackets, and send it. No sign-up.
- Word and PDF
- US Letter
- No sign-up, no watermark
What’s in it, in order
- Name, city and province, one phone number, one email, and LinkedIn if you use it
- Summary of qualifications: three or four lines, rewritten for each job
- Skills: job-related skills, then software and tools
- Work experience, most recent first
- Education, with a Canadian equivalent for studies abroad
- Certifications and licences, volunteer experience and languages
The blank template
Template (Word)
Also available: the example as a Word file.
Already have a resume?
See your resume in the Canadian format
Upload the resume you have now, from Canada or from abroad, or paste it. In about 20 seconds you see it in this template: US Letter, Canadian section order and headings, every page as it prints. Your words are copied as written, never rewritten. Save it to download as PDF or Word, then take out what a Canadian resume leaves out, like a photo, your date of birth or a list of references.
How it follows the rules
Built from Job Bank’s advice
Each choice in the template, and the official advice behind it. The full rules, with what to leave out, are in the Canadian resume format guide.
Room for two pages, not more. The template has space for three jobs at two to four points each, which keeps most people within Job Bank’s two-page limit. Older roles get one line.
Summary of qualifications first. A short pitch above the work history is what a combination résumé looks like, the style Québec.ca sees most. Dates stay on every job: alis notes that many Canadian employers don’t like functional résumés, which put skills ahead of a dated work history.
One column, details in the body. No tables, no side columns and nothing in the page header or footer, as alis recommends for résumés that go through application software.
No photo field, no personal details. There’s simply no place for a photo, birth date, marital status or SIN. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says employers shouldn’t seek photos or ages when people apply.
No references section. Job Bank, WorkBC and Québec.ca each say references belong on their own sheet, sent when an employer requests them, so the template ends with volunteering and languages instead.
Optional work eligibility line. The line under your name can say “Eligible to work in Canada”. That’s a common practice rather than an official rule; the details of your status stay off the page.
US Letter. No official source sets a paper size; Letter is what Canadian offices print on.
Also useful
Newcomers, and one resume for every posting
New to Canada? Read the guide to resumes for newcomers: how to describe work and study from abroad, credential assessments, regulated occupations and free help with your resume.
Applying to many jobs? In CandidThread you enter your experience once and pick from 8 free templates, with PDF and Word downloads. For each posting it shows which requirements your resume proves and helps you reword it, using only what you’ve really done. Before you apply, check your resume against the posting, free and with no account.
Questions
About the Canadian resume template
Checked October 2026. Sources: Job Bank (Government of Canada): How to write a good resume; alis (Government of Alberta): Avoid making common mistakes on your resumé; alis: Which resumé type fits you best?; WorkBC (Government of British Columbia): Resume and cover letter; Québec.ca: Résumé; Ontario Human Rights Commission: Designing application forms.
Is the template really free?
Yes. Download it directly, with no account, no email and no watermark, and use it for as many applications as you like.
Will it fit on two pages?
With three or four jobs and two to four points each, yes: the filled-in example fits on one. If yours runs long, shorten the oldest jobs to a single line before you cut anything recent.
Word or PDF?
Whichever the posting asks for. Alberta’s alis leans to Word because some application tracking software can’t read PDFs, while Settlement.org says a PDF is fine. When an online system doesn’t say, upload the Word file.
Can I use it in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs. The layout carries over; download it as a PDF or Word file when you’re done.
Is it right for jobs in Québec?
The layout is, but write it in French for French-language employers. Québec.ca’s guide lists education and training before work experience; move Education up in the template if you prefer that order.
I’m new to Canada. Does it work for me?
Yes: there are prompts for employers outside Canada and for a credential assessment. The guide to resumes for newcomers covers describing experience from abroad, licensing for regulated jobs and where to get free help.