“Working for an Indigenous organization can be a great way to build a network of Indigenous and equity-minded people and to gain valuable experience and skills which can help you in your search for a stable long-term career. Even if your future jobs take you out of Indigenous-focused spaces, remember to still make time to be with community and connecting with your support systems!”
– Leith Bulford
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Note: Each person’s identity comprises multiple social factors and experiences, creating unique experiences of discrimination and privilege. These identities can impact our access to resources and inform how we interact with the corporate hiring system. Indigenous students’ experiences can vary greatly, depending on whether they live on a reserve, have family on one, are diasporic or are status or non-status. |
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If you have suggestions for this guide or would like support navigating it further in another format, please get in touch with us by email or phone, and we will try our best to add the resources that you need. Alternatively, you can book an appointment to discuss this guide further with a career advisor in person or virtually.
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Reflection |
When beginning your work search, a good place to start is to take time to reflect on what you are looking for in a job opportunity. Consider the issues that impact your community or are important to you. What organizations are you familiar with that do work in these areas and might interest you? What is it about those spaces that you are drawn to?
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Consider the following:
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A résumé is typically a one-to-two-page document that tells a potential employer what you can do, who you are and what you know. This could include information about your past volunteer and work experience, your education, interests, hobbies and skills you possess that would allow you to succeed at the job. There’s no one way to create a résumé. Ultimately the goal is to provide enough information to allow the employer to evaluate your qualifications and to convince the employer to invite you for an interview. There are Find more resources on the purpose of a résumé and what employers are looking for on CareerHubin application documents.
When building your résumé, consider your strengths and experiences and how they relate to the job description. Some job descriptions will state explicitly that they are looking to recruit Indigenous learners and others will not. In either case, all the skills acquired in all contexts of your prior work, volunteer and lived experiences are invaluable in workplaces. The difference is that it might be easier to translate your experiences while embracing your identity for a job that values your Indigenous identity. For other job postings, you may have to build some context for yourself and your employers. It might even feel a little uncomfortable when you are telling others about the wonderful skills you have.
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Type of experience | Questions to ask yourself | Transferable Skills Used skills used (examples that could be used in a resumerésumé) | Value of skills in Resumerésumé |
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Assisting an Elder in the community | What skills did I use while assisting? |
| Each one of these skills has value in the workplace. Make sure to let your employer know the work you did and the skills you have and how you used them in that work. The provided example is a generic statement and it can be personalized further by adding specifics of the task. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Communicated respectfully with supervisor/Elder to understand their needs to complete a task efficiently (this example includes your Indigenous connection. Feel free to keep it or remove it per your situation.) |
Pow wow volunteer | What skills did I use while volunteering? |
| All these are aspects of community care and excellent customer service. All these skills also have a lot of value in the workplace. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Created a plan to help various people find their way to the pow wow venue to ensure that they use their time effectively to enjoy events. (This example includes your Indigenous connection. Feel free to keep it or remove it per your situation) |
Work done in community/with a group of people | How did I get the work done with others? |
| All these qualities of working in a team, collaborating and applying principles of diversity, inclusion and respect can make all the difference in working together. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Adapted and learned about cultural differences to work collaboratively and delivered high-quality work in a team (This example does not include your Indigenous connection). |
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Find more support with application documents or check out appointments and workshops.
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Interviewing |
Job interviews can be daunting and nerve-wracking for many. Most corporate jobs are only beginning to understand Indigenous ways of being and are still more accepting of Eurocentric ideas of politeness, communication and ways of being. Something to keep in mind is that the employer may not fully understand Indigenous ways unless people are interviewing you in an Indigenous organization. Considering these systemic challenges, some folks choose to code-switch/mask in their work environment.
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Job Resources: |
- The Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT) job boardis an Indigenous non-profit organization providing employment and training support to Six Nations band members regardless of their residency, job seekers and employers across Ontario.
- Indigenous Careers is a part of the Indigenous Works, an Indigenous-led organization governed by a board of directors (Indigenous-majority governance), set of resources that connects First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis with inclusive employers across Canada.
- Government of Canada’s portal for jobs for Indigenous People is dedicated to seeking First Nations people, Inuit and Métis with all levels of education and experience to help build a more inclusive and representative public service.
- Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training – job board is part of the The Miziwe Biik Employment Resource Centre (ERC) and offers regularly updated job postings and resume and cover letter support for Indigenous people in various career stages.
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