Resume · Apr 29, 2026
What to include in your resume before applying
A clear checklist for building a resume that gives employers the details they need before deciding who to contact.
Prepared and reviewed by the Bulbul editorial team. This guide provides general career information; confirm current legal, employer, and program requirements with the appropriate official source.
A resume does not need to be complicated. Its job is to help an employer quickly understand what you can do, where you have worked, and whether your experience matches the role. Before applying, make sure your resume gives the right details without making the reader search for them.
Start with your basic contact details
Your resume should begin with your name and the best way to contact you. Keep this section simple.
Include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- City and province
- LinkedIn or portfolio link, only if it is useful for the role
You do not need to include your full home address. City and province are usually enough for the first stage of hiring.
Add a short profile summary
A profile summary helps the employer understand your fit quickly. Keep it to 2 to 4 lines. Focus on the kind of work you are looking for and the experience that supports it.
Example:
Customer service representative with 3 years of experience handling inbound calls, email support, order updates, and complaint resolution. Available full time for roles in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and remote support environments.
Avoid summaries that only say you are hardworking, motivated, or a fast learner. Those qualities are helpful, but they are stronger when connected to actual skills or experience.
List your key skills
A skills section helps employers scan your resume. Choose skills that match the jobs you want.
For warehouse and production roles, this could include:
- Picking and packing
- RF scanner
- Shipping and receiving
- Palletizing
- Inventory counts
- Machine operation
- Quality checks
- Safe lifting
For office or customer support roles, this could include:
- Data entry
- Microsoft Excel
- Email support
- Customer calls
- Appointment scheduling
- Order tracking
- CRM systems
- File organization
Keep the list honest. Only include skills you can explain in a conversation.
Show your work experience clearly
For each job, include the job title, company name, location, and dates. Then add a few bullet points explaining your main responsibilities.
Use this structure:
Job Title
Company Name, City, Province
Month Year to Month Year
- Explain the work you performed.
- Mention the tools, systems, or equipment you used.
- Add numbers where accurate.
- Include safety, quality, attendance, or customer service responsibilities where relevant.
Example:
Production Associate
ABC Foods, Guelph, ON
January 2024 to Present
- Completed packaging, labelling, and quality checks on a production line.
- Followed food safety and workplace safety procedures during each shift.
- Supported team targets by keeping work areas clean and organized.
- Reported damaged products and equipment concerns to the supervisor.
Include education and certificates
Add education that supports your application. This may include high school, college, university, trade school, or training programs.
Also include certificates that matter for the role, such as forklift training, First Aid, WHMIS, Smart Serve, food safety, security licence, bookkeeping, software training, or other job-related certificates.
Make sure certificates are still valid if they have expiry dates.
Add availability when it helps
For many roles, availability matters. If you are applying for shift-based, temporary, part-time, or onsite work, add a short availability section.
Useful details include:
- Full time or part time
- Days, evenings, nights, weekends, or rotating shifts
- Earliest start date
- Preferred work locations
- Commute limits
Example:
Available full time for afternoon or night shifts. Can start with one week notice. Open to Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and Guelph.
Keep formatting simple
A simple resume is easier to read and easier for hiring systems to process. Use clear headings, consistent spacing, and normal fonts. Avoid large blocks of text, too many columns, and designs that make important information hard to find.
A resume should be easy to read on a computer and on a phone.
Final resume checklist
Before applying, check that your resume includes:
- Name, phone, email, city, and province
- A short profile summary
- Relevant skills
- Work history with dates
- Education and certificates
- Availability, when useful
- Correct spelling and consistent formatting
Closing thought
A strong resume is not the longest resume. It is the resume that makes your fit easy to understand. Keep it clear, accurate, and focused on the jobs you actually want.