Resume: Civil Engineer

Language Proficiency

Challenge – There are minor grammatical challenges in the resume summary but overall the candidate’s use of the English language appears strong, but did the candidate write their own resume? There is a reference to “English” in the Education section, but this is not a reference that the hiring committee is familiar with. Do we need check language proficiency?

Solution – You may choose to first research the “CPE English” reference included under education. While the IEC-BC website lists three common English proficiency scores that candidates may reference, this is not an exhaustive list.

If you come across a reference that you are unfamiliar with, you can conduct an internet search which may provide a direct link to the information you are seeking. In this case, search results for “Brittania – POA CPE English” and variations are slightly ambiguous. The CPE is an advanced proficiency English language course, but the Brittania – POA is not clear. In such cases, you may need to conduct a brief phone interview to confirm the level of proficiency.

If resistance to the candidate still exists due to language proficiency, request that the candidate provide a language proficiency score. Find a list of potential assessments on the Assessing Language Proficiency page. If you would like suggestions about how to make the request of this candidate, check out the challenge heading: A language score is not provided on the New Canadian’s resume, what do I do?

Academic Credentials

Challenge – Being unfamiliar with the institutions or even where the institutions are located can result in reluctance to proceed due to anxieties that the next steps in the screening process will be too complex, and / or skepticism regarding the quality of the education.

Solution – While not knowing where an academic institution is located may be frustrating, finding the location is really no more difficult than doing an Internet search. The focus when it comes to academic credentials should be on the equivalence of the education.

In terms of the equivalence of the education, Engineering professionals can access the tool Engineers Canada: Academic Information Tool. Other professions can use the additional resources on the Assessing Academic Credentials to assess for equivalence.

If you would like suggestions about how to request an assessment of academic credentials from the candidate, see the Assessing Academic Credentials page, under the challenge heading: Can I request that a candidate has his / her academic credentials assessed? Who pays for a candidate’s academic credential assessment?

Academic Credentials

Challenge – Being unfamiliar with a particular rating or an accolade related to education may cause anxiety. What do you do with this information and how do you incorporate it into the screening process if you don’t know what it is?

Solution – From a resume screening perspective, the focus for the education portion of the resume is on determining if the candidate meets the requirements set for the role. While a specific academic credential may be a requirement, the level at which a credential is achieved, is not a requirement for the role.

Specific educational accolades can provide you with an indication about the candidate’s drive, interests, and achievements. These elements on a resume provide you with the opportunity to formulate questions for the interview. “Tell us about the … What does it indicate? What needs to be done to achieve it?”

Professional Credentials

Challenge – Engineering is a regulated profession in Canada, and while the work experience indicates a candidate that could possibly do the job, the resume does not indicate that the candidate is licensed to work in BC.

Solution – As Engineering is a regulated profession, the candidate cannot work in the province without a license. If the rest of the resume appears to indicate a strong candidate, contact the candidate and inquire about the status of licensure in Canada. Some regulated professions have mutual recognition agreements. In such cases a candidate may note their current licensing and assume that you know that the mutual recognition agreement exists. If the candidate is licensed in Canada but has not included it in the resume, proceed as appropriate. You may also choose to indicate to the candidate that they should include this information on any future resume. If the candidate is not licensed they are excluded from the hiring process at this time. Inform the candidate about the requirement and direct them to the licensing body so that the candidate can be in touch to upgrade their credentials for future job applications.

<h4″>International Experience

Challenge – Being unfamiliar with the organizations that the candidate has worked for may result in questions regarding the reputation of the organizations and / or the type of organizational culture that the candidate has worked in.

Solution – During the resume review process, your primary concern is ensuring that candidates meet the minimum experience requirements to move forward in the screening process. The focus is what has been done and achieved previously, rather than where.

That being said, information about the companies and company cultures that the candidate works well in can be valuable information to seek during the interview process. I am not familiar with the organizations listed, let alone their reputations, and the role titles are confusing. Should I screen this person out?

There are a number of ways to find out about the reputation / culture of an organization. Go to the company website and conduct research online (e.g., where has the company appeared in the news). Contact the professional association for the occupation and see if they can provide some insight. Ask fellow employees what they understand about the company. Further, if the resume overall is a fit and the candidate moves to the next level of the screening process, ask questions in the interview to understand more about the organizations and their work environments, plus the desired environment and culture for the candidate.