By Sharon Graham
http://www.SharonGraham.ca

If you are targeting a position in Canada, you don’t want a recruiter to discount you just because you don’t know the country’s norms when it comes to spelling and grammar. After all, in Canada, there is no such thing as a paycheck. Your goal is to secure a position and get a paycheque. To overcome the Canadian recruiter’s scrutiny, you’ll need to make some subtle, but important changes to your resume.

By showing that you have impeccable spelling and grammar, you’ll pass the first test with flying colours. Canadian employers regularly run into the issue of “Canadian English” versus “American English” when they are assessing resumes that come in from applicants around the world. If you submit a resume with a glaring mistake, the recruiter may feel that you do not care enough to do your homework. This could be just enough to eliminate you from the running.

Canadians have a way with words. Although Canadian English is not exactly the same as American English, it is not British English either. We employ subtle differences in spelling and grammar, which are unique to our country.

Canadian spelling takes on influences from our British and French ancestry, with a touch of Americanism. For example, in Canada, just as in the United Kingdom, we insert “u” in “labour market.” Yet, we opt for a “z” in “organize” just as our American friends do. A hint of French comes out when we use “centre” instead of “center.” Here are some examples of words that are sometimes spelled incorrectly in resumes and cover letters:

Canadian Word	American Word
B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science)	B.S.
Behaviour	Behavior
Calibre	Caliber
Centre	Center
Centred	Centered
Colour	Color
Counselled	Counseled
Defence	Defense
Demeanour	Demeanor
Enrol	Enroll
Honour	Honor
Honoured	Honored
Instalment	Installment
Labelled	Labeled
Labour	Labor
Laboured	Labored
Licence (a certificate)	License
Manoeuvre	Maneuver
Metre (unit of measurement)	Meter
Paycheque	Paycheck
Practise (to rehearse)	Practice
Rigour	Rigor

When you write your resume, targeted to the Canadian market, make sure that you change the default language on your Microsoft Word application to “Canadian English.” This will help ensure that the spelling and grammar you employ conforms to Canada’s standards. Don’t rely solely on your computer, as many Canadian words are spelled correctly when you mean to say one thing, but may be incorrect in another scenario.

For example, you may want to indicate that you practise a certain technique, and now you are opening a practice to start teaching others that technique. Note in the first sentence “practise” is a verb. In the second, “practice” is a noun. Your computer would not be able to catch this difference, so you must be diligent in your proofreading. To pass the detailed review, your resume and cover letter must have no errors at all.

If you still are unsure of the spelling of a word, use a good Canadian dictionary such as the Canadian Oxford Dictionary to verify your work. For acronyms and abbreviations, refer to The Canadian Dictionary of Abbreviations. If you are unsure of grammatical requirements, refer to a Canadian style handbook such as The Canadian Press Style Book. If you need help with your Canadian career documents, check out Best Canadian Resumes and Best Canadian Cover Letters.

Modern technology and the speed of communication have influenced how we use language. The Internet has exposed us to inconsistencies, differences, and mistakes from all over the world, making it more difficult to ensure correct use of language. Whatever you do, employ consistency in your use of language, and you will earn that Canadian paycheque.