How to Write a Tech Resume for Canada: ATS-Proof Guide for 2026

You've applied to 200+ jobs and gotten zero callbacks. Sound familiar?

A Canadian CS new grad recently posted on Reddit: "Applied to 200+ roles but haven't received many interview callbacks." The problem isn't your skills—it's your resume.

Here's how to fix it.

The Reality: ATS Filters Out 75% of Resumes

Before a recruiter ever sees your resume, it passes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These systems scan for keywords, formatting, and structure.

Statistic	Source
75% of resumes are rejected by ATS	Jobscan, 2025
Average time recruiter spends on resume	6-7 seconds
Resumes that reach human review	25%

Source: TopResume 2025

If your resume isn't ATS-friendly, you're invisible.

The Foundation: ATS-Friendly Formatting

Do This:

Simple fonts: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman
Standard sections: Contact, Summary, Experience, Skills, Education
Reverse chronological order (most recent first)
PDF format (unless job says otherwise)
One page (if <10 years experience)
Bullet points (not paragraphs)

Don't Do This:

Tables, columns, or multi-column layouts
Images, graphics, or icons
Headers/footers (ATS can't read them)
Fancy fonts or colors
Text boxes
Infographic-style layouts

Source: Resumly 2025

Canadian Resume vs. US Resume: Key Differences

Element	Canada	US
Photo	Never include	Never include
Length	1-2 pages	1 page preferred
Personal info	Name, city, LinkedIn	Same
Date of birth	Never	Never
Marital status	Never	Never
Address	City only, no full address	Same

Source: ZipJob Canada 2025

Pro tip: Canadian resumes can be slightly longer than US ones, but 1 page is still ideal for new grads.

The Perfect Tech Resume Structure

1. Header (Contact Info)

FIRST LAST
Toronto, ON | (416) XXX-XXXX | email@domain.com
linkedin.com/in/yourprofile | github.com/yourusername

Include: - Full name (as it appears on work documents) - City and province (not full address) - Phone number - Professional email - LinkedIn URL - GitHub/Portfolio URL

2. Summary (Optional but Powerful)

For new grads, a 2-3 line summary can help:

Good example:

Software engineering graduate from University of Waterloo with internship experience at Shopify and Amazon. Built full-stack applications using React, Python, and AWS. Passionate about distributed systems and developer tooling.

Bad example:

Hardworking team player looking for an opportunity to grow and learn in a dynamic environment.

Pro tip: If you can't make it specific and impactful, skip the summary entirely.

3. Skills Section (Keywords for ATS)

This is where you include keywords from the job description:

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, SQL
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django, Spring Boot
Tools: Git, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda)
Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
Other: REST APIs, CI/CD, Agile/Scrum

Critical: Match your skills section to each job posting. If they ask for "React.js," write "React.js," not just "React."

4. Experience Section (The Most Important Part)

This is where most resumes fail. Don't list duties—list accomplishments with metrics.

Bad example:

Responsible for developing new features

Worked on the backend team

Attended daily standups

Good example:

Developed payment processing microservice handling 50K+ daily transactions, reducing checkout failures by 23%

Optimized database queries, improving API response time from 800ms to 120ms (85% reduction)

Led migration from monolithic architecture to microservices, enabling 3x faster deployment cycles

The XYZ Formula

Use this formula for every bullet point:

Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]

Examples: - Reduced page load time by 40% by implementing lazy loading and image optimization - Increased test coverage from 45% to 92% by writing 200+ unit and integration tests - Deployed production ML model serving 100K predictions/day using AWS SageMaker

5. Education Section

EDUCATION
University of Toronto | Toronto, ON
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science | Expected May 2026
GPA: 3.7/4.0 | Relevant Coursework: Data Structures, Algorithms, Databases, Machine Learning

Include (if relevant): - Scholarships or Dean's List - Relevant coursework (especially for new grads) - Capstone/thesis project - GPA (only if 3.5+ or top 10% of class)

Don't include: - High school - GPA below 3.5 (unless required) - Irrelevant coursework

6. Projects Section (Critical for New Grads)

If you lack work experience, projects become your proof of skills:

PROJECTS
E-Commerce Platform | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS
- Built full-stack marketplace with 50+ product listings and Stripe payment integration
- Implemented CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions, achieving 95% test coverage
- Deployed on AWS EC2 with auto-scaling, handling 1000+ concurrent users
github.com/username/project-name

What makes a good project: - Deployed and accessible (not just on localhost) - Has real users or measurable metrics - Uses relevant tech stack - Clean README and code

Keywords That Get You Past ATS

Based on Canadian job postings analysis, include these terms where relevant:

For Software Engineers:

Agile, Scrum, Sprint
CI/CD, DevOps
REST API, GraphQL
Microservices
Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Docker, Kubernetes
Git, GitHub Actions

For Data/ML Roles:

Machine Learning, Deep Learning
Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow
Data Pipeline, ETL
SQL, Spark
A/B Testing
Statistical Analysis

For Frontend:

React, Angular, Vue
TypeScript, JavaScript
Responsive Design
Accessibility (WCAG)
Performance Optimization

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Resume

1. Generic Bullet Points

Bad: "Developed software applications" Good: "Developed inventory management system processing 10K SKUs, reducing stock discrepancies by 35%"

2. No Metrics

Bad: "Improved performance" Good: "Improved performance by 60% (3s to 1.2s load time)"

3. Missing Keywords

If the job posting mentions "React.js" and you only write "React," ATS might miss it. Mirror their exact terminology.

4. Wrong File Format

Use PDF unless they specifically request .docx
Name file professionally: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

5. Typos and Grammar Errors

50% of hiring managers will reject a resume with typos. Use Grammarly or have someone proofread.

Tailoring for Each Application

Yes, you need to customize for each job. Here's a quick system:

Read the job description carefully
Highlight 5-7 key requirements
Match your experience to those requirements
Mirror their language in your skills section
Reorder bullet points to put most relevant first

Time investment: 15-20 minutes per application Payoff: 3x higher callback rate

Speed Up with AI Tailoring

Manually tailoring takes 40+ minutes per application. AI tools can reduce this to 5 minutes:

Tool	What It Does
LetterGen.io	AI resume tailoring + free cover letter generation
Jobscan	ATS keyword matching and scoring
Resume Worded	AI feedback on resume improvements

LetterGen is particularly useful because it: - Extracts keywords from job descriptions automatically - Rewrites bullet points to match JD requirements - Generates a tailored cover letter for free - Use code Hanzi20 for 20% off

For a complete guide on AI-powered resume tailoring, see: How to Use AI to Tailor Your Resume

Canadian vs. International Experience

If you're an international student or new immigrant:

What Canadian employers look for:

Canadian work experience (co-ops, internships count)
Communication skills in English (and French for Quebec)
Understanding of Canadian workplace culture
Valid work authorization

How to position international experience:

Focus on transferable skills and technologies
Quantify achievements (numbers are universal)
Highlight any North American experience first
Include language proficiency if relevant

Resume Checklist Before Submitting

[ ] One page (unless 10+ years experience)
[ ] Contact info at top (city, phone, email, LinkedIn, GitHub)
[ ] Skills section matches job keywords
[ ] Every bullet point has a metric or outcome
[ ] No typos or grammatical errors
[ ] PDF format with professional filename
[ ] Links are clickable and work
[ ] Consistent formatting throughout
[ ] No photos, graphics, or fancy formatting
[ ] Tailored to this specific job

Tools to Help

Tool	Purpose	Cost
Jobscan	ATS keyword matching	Free tier available
Grammarly	Grammar and spelling	Free tier available
Resume Worded	AI resume feedback	Free tier available
Tech Interview Handbook	Resume templates	Free

Key Takeaways

75% of resumes never reach human eyes—beat the ATS first
One page, simple format, no tables or graphics
Every bullet point needs a metric or outcome
Mirror job description keywords exactly
Tailor for each application (15-20 min investment)
Projects matter as much as experience for new grads

Sources: - TopResume: ATS Resume Guide 2025 - Joinleland: Software Engineer Resume Guide - Tech Interview Handbook - Resumly: ATS-Friendly Templates 2025 - BeamJobs: Software Engineer Resume Examples - Reddit r/EngineeringResumes