How Do I Write a Resume After Prison?
Leading with your skills when your work history has gaps.
Your resume has one job: to get you an interview.
You’re not hiding your past, and you’re not lying. You’re choosing what goes on paper and what you say in person. A resume that shows your skills gets you into the room. Once you’re there, you can explain your story yourself, in your own words. See our guide on telling your story in an interview.
Two things often hold people back. One is leaving a long, blank gap in your work history. The other is explaining everything up front, in a long cover letter about your charges and your past. This guide covers the resume. Our interview guide covers what to say once you’re in the room.
In short: build a resume that earns the interview. Save your story for the conversation.
SKILLS FIRST, DATES SECOND
A common belief: “I have to explain everything on my resume so they understand.” It feels honest. But a resume isn’t the place for your full story. A hiring manager reading it is looking for skills and reliability, not background.
A better approach: “My resume earns the interview. My story earns the job.” Keep the two separate. Your resume shows your skills, your certificates and what you bring.
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Instead of starting with a list of jobs by date, use a skills-first resume (sometimes called a functional or combination resume). Put a short “Skills Summary” at the very top.
Example (fill in your own):
Experienced general labourer: site clean-up, material handling, demolition
WHMIS, Working at Heights and Standard First Aid & CPR
Comfortable with power tools and basic equipment
Reliable, on time, safety-minded
This puts what you can do at the top of the page, where people look first.
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A blank stretch of years makes readers guess. Instead, add one short, true entry for that time. List what you actually did: courses you finished, certificates you earned, programs or work you took part in, volunteering. Only write what you can explain comfortably if someone asks.
Example (fill in your own):
[Years] | Training and skills development
Completed WHMIS and Worker Health and Safety Awareness training
[A course, program or work placement you completed]
[Volunteer work, if any]
Use a plain label that honestly describes what you did. Keep it short. You don’t need to explain the reasons on paper. That conversation can happen in person.
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Every certificate you earn shows that you’re moving forward. Employers mostly care that you have the training, not where you took it.
Certificates many employers ask for:
WHMIS
Working at Heights (asked for on many construction sites)
Standard First Aid & CPR
Forklift or skid steer training
Smart Serve (for serving alcohol in restaurants and bars)
List each one with the month you earned it. Together they show steady effort. Our checklist below has links to official course information.
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A cover letter should say what you bring to this job. It isn’t the place to explain your record.
Instead of: “I want to be upfront that I have a criminal record and I hope you’ll give me a chance…”
Try: “I bring hands-on experience, current safety training and a steady work routine. I’m looking for a role where reliability and hard work are valued.”
The second version keeps the focus on what you can do for the employer.
“COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
Telling your whole story on paper. Save personal details for a face-to-face conversation, when you can explain them yourself.
Leaving a long gap blank. An empty stretch of years makes readers guess. A short, true entry about what you did during that time is better.
Relying only on online applications. Some application forms ask about criminal records. What you have to disclose, and when, depends on the job and the type of check. Read our guide on telling employers about a record, and for questions about your rights, contact a community legal clinic. When you can, also hand your resume to a person at the shop, site office or front desk.”