The Big Picture
Before you prepare your resumé, think about what you want from your job search. Your choices include the type of support work, the setting, whether you want to be self-employed, and whether you want full-time or part-time work.
Your clinical placements might help you decide which work setting suits your goals. If you are still unsure, you can apply to different types of settings.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
Decide What You Want Before Writing Your Resumé
Before creating your resumé, identify your job priorities and goals.
Ask yourself four main questions:
- What type of support work do you want to pursue?
- Would you prefer a facility or community setting?
- Do you want to be self-employed ?
- Do you want full-time or part-time work?
These questions help you think through your job priorities and goals before creating your resumé.
Use Your Clinical Placements to Help You Decide
There are different types of support work settings.
If you were unsure about your preferred setting during your program, your clinical placements might have helped you make that choice.
If you are still undecided, consider applying for work in a variety of settings.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition asks you to consider whether you want to be self-employed. In Nova Scotia, current CCA standards describe CCA work through an employer-defined scope of employment . The standards define an employer as a service provider, agency, or individual who hires a CCA.
Nova Scotia also requires CCAs to work as part of a care team and receive direct, indirect, or remote supervision from another member of the care team. The job-search question does not change these provincial practice conditions. (novascotiacca.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: When you study different work arrangements, remember that Nova Scotia CCA practice still includes employer-defined responsibilities, care-team participation, and supervision.
Official source: Continuing Care Assistant Occupational Standards of Practice (CCA OSoP)
Last checked: September 6, 2026
What Is a Resumé?
A resumé is a short summary, usually one or two pages, of your:
- experience
- education
- work-related skills
- personal qualities
Thinking about your job goals comes before creating this document.
Fast Review
Focus on these points before moving on:
- Decide what type of support work you want.
- Think about whether you prefer a facility or community setting.
- Decide whether you want to be self-employed.
- Decide whether you want full-time or part-time work.
- Use your clinical placement experiences to help guide your choice of setting.
- If you are still unsure, consider applying for work in different settings.
- A resumé summarizes your experience, education, work-related skills, and personal qualities in one or two pages.
Final Pep Talk
You do not need to choose every part of your future career at once. Focus on the four job-search questions, then use your placement experiences to help narrow your choices.