What should a first-time job seeker in Canada include in the work experience section of a resume for part-time roles?

You do not need a formal job history to build a strong Canadian resume. Rename your section Relevant Experience or Volunteer and Leadership Experience, and fill it with volunteer work, school leadership and informal gigs framed the same way a real job would be.

What Counts As Experience And How To Format It

Turning It Into Transferable Skills

• List each entry with a role title, organization name and city or province, dates in month and year format, and two to four bullet points starting with strong action verbs.
• Frame skills employers want directly: helping at school open houses shows customer service, and managing bake sale funds shows cash handling.
• Use numbers wherever possible, such as accurately managed 500 plus rupees or dollars in cash transactions, and match keywords from the actual job posting.
• Leave out your photo, date of birth, marital status, gender and any national identification number, since Canadian hiring practices do not expect these details.

My Advice

Before you apply anywhere, sit down and list every volunteer shift, school event and informal gig from the last two years, then rewrite each one as a bullet point with an action verb and a number, so your resume reads like real experience rather than an empty section.