Building a profile employers notice: 10 details that make the difference
Out of 100 match points, 35 depend on a single field: your trade. The rest comes down to your location, availability, cards, pay and languages, and almost nobody fills in those fields as well as they could. Here are the 10 details that move a profile up in employers' results, with before-and-after examples.
What employers actually see
Before you fill in anything, you need to understand what shows up on the other side. In the profile bank, employers see neither your name nor your cell number: both are encrypted and hidden. They see an anonymous profile with your trades, region, availability and cards. If they are interested, they invite you; you accept or decline, and if you decline, they will never know who you are. In other words, your profile has to convince without your name, with facts.
Profiles are ranked by a match score out of 100, which is always explained. Here is how it breaks down:
| Criterion | Points | Details in this article |
|---|---|---|
| Trade | 35 | 1 and 2 |
| Location | 20 | 3 |
| Availability | 15 | 4 |
| Cards | 15 | 5 and 6 |
| Pay | 10 | 7 |
| Working languages | 5 | 8 |
Nothing else goes into the calculation: not age, not sex, not origin. That is consistent with section 18.1 of the Quebec Charter of human rights and freedoms, which prohibits asking for information related to grounds of discrimination (age, civil status, ethnic origin, etc.) before hiring, unless it is linked to the real requirements of the job. So do not waste space on your age or family situation: it earns you no points. The whole process is explained on the how it works page.
Details 1 and 2: the right trade, then related trades
Detail 1: choose your main trade precisely. The trade is worth 35 points out of 100, more than anything else. If you mostly do mowing and lawn care, "grounds maintenance" describes you better than "handyman". Employers filter by trade; if you are not in the right one, you simply do not appear on their list.
Detail 2: add the related trades you have truly mastered. A lot of service work is seasonal: landscaping or hedge trimming in summer, snow removal in winter. Adding next season's trade keeps you visible all year. The rule: only what you can do from day one without close supervision. Three well-chosen trades beat ten ticked at random.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Handyman | Grounds maintenance + hedge trimming + snow removal |
| Cleaning | Residential cleaning + window washing |
Action step: reread your list of trades and remove the ones you would need training for.
Detail 3: a precise location and how far you travel
Location is worth 20 points. A cleaning employer in Saint-Jérôme wants to know whether you can be at their client's door at 8 a.m. without crossing the region. Enter your actual town, not "Quebec" or "anywhere". A vague location costs you points against someone who lives ten minutes away.
Then say clearly in your introduction how far you travel and how: "I have a car and cover Saint-Jérôme, Mirabel and Saint-Colomban." If you do not have a vehicle, say so too, with your solution: "No car, reachable by public transit along Route 117." An employer prefers a clear limit to a surprise on the first morning.
Detail 4: availability that is true, not generous
Availability is worth 15 points. The temptation is to tick everything so you show up everywhere. Bad idea: a snow removal employer who invites you for storm nights and finds out you work days elsewhere will move on, and you will have lost an invitation. Tick what is true today, and update your profile when it changes.
Think about seasons too. In moving, demand peaks around July 1; in snow removal, everything happens between the first snowfall and spring. If you are free only part of the year, say so in your introduction: "Available November to April, nights and weekends." For winter trades, also read Snow removal worker in Quebec: pay, hours, licences and how to get hired.
When you are free right away, use the "Disponible maintenant" (Available now) button on your dashboard: your profile moves to the top of employers' lists for 48 hours. Action step: turn it on only when you can really answer and start quickly.
Details 5 and 6: your cards and your driver's licence
Detail 5: fill in your Passeport. Cards are worth 15 points, and they often decide between two similar profiles. The Passeport brings together your cards and licences: ASP Construction, RBQ licence, driver's licence, first aid, permit from a professional order. Our team checks licences against the public registry, then a badge is displayed. Some construction work also requires a verified RBQ licence to bid. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) registry shows, among other things, the licence number, the Quebec enterprise number (NEQ) and the licence's categories and subcategories: enter the exact number to avoid back-and-forth.
For ASP Construction, the 30-hour course is mandatory to work on construction sites; a provisional attestation is issued when you pass, and the official card arrives by mail within up to 12 weeks. ASP Construction cards have no expiry date. If you took it ten years ago, it still counts: add it.
Detail 6: specify your licence class. "Driver's licence" does not say it all. According to the SAAQ, driving a two-axle truck over 3,000 kg net, or a truck with three or more axles, requires a Class 3 licence, which you can get only after holding a Class 5 licence for at least two years. In snow removal or moving, that one line can make the difference. Action step: open your Passeport and check that every card is there, with its class or number.
Details 7 to 10: pay, languages, introduction and alerts
Detail 7: realistic pay. It is worth 10 points. Since May 1, 2026, Quebec's general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour; every job posting on GPP Emploi is checked to respect it. Aiming far above what your trade pays takes you out of the matches; aiming too low does not help either. For what the minimum covers, read Minimum wage in Quebec: what it covers and what it does not.
Detail 8: your working languages. Only five points, but decisive for an employer whose clients speak English or for a team that works in French. List the languages you can really work in with a client, not the ones you studied at school.
Detail 9: an introduction that answers the employer's questions. Three or four sentences: what you do, for how long, with what equipment, and one fact that proves you are reliable. Do not include your name or number: your profile stays anonymous until a contact is accepted.
Before: "I'm hard-working, punctual and motivated."
After: "Residential painter for 4 years, mostly interiors. I do prep, light plastering and finishing. I have my own basic equipment and a car."
To help you reword it without making anything up, read Using AI for your job search: profile, messages and interviews.
Detail 10: set your alerts and visibility. Alerts come by email (right away, as a daily or weekly digest) and by text for very strong matches (85% and up) and invitations, never at night. The threshold can be set from 50% to 90%. An invitation is valid for 7 days: if you only check your alerts once a week, choose at least the daily digest.
In short
- The trade is worth 35 points out of 100: choose the right main trade and only the related trades you have mastered.
- A precise location, true availability and clear travel limits beat an "anywhere, anytime" profile.
- Fill in your Passeport with your cards and licence class: it often decides between two profiles.
- Write a factual introduction, with no name or number, and set your alerts so you never miss a 7-day invitation.
- No profile yet? Create one for free in about 3 minutes, and read Finding a job without a résumé in Quebec: the complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should I put in a job profile if I don't have a resume?
GPP Emploi does not ask for a resume. You fill in 8 steps, in any order: what you are looking for, trades, location, availability, cards, pay and languages, introduction, visibility and alerts. Precise facts (trades, cards, availability) matter more than a long text.
How do I show up higher in employers' results?
Profiles are ranked by a score out of 100: trade 35, location 20, availability 15, cards 15, pay 10 and languages 5. A well-chosen trade, a precise location and a complete Passeport make the biggest difference. The "Disponible maintenant" (Available now) button also puts you at the top of lists for 48 hours.
Can employers see my name and phone number?
No. Your name and cell number are encrypted and hidden, and employers see only an anonymous profile. Your contact details go only to the employer you accept. If you decline an invitation, the employer will never know who you are.
Does the ASP Construction card expire?
No. According to ASP Construction, its cards have no expiry date, including the one for the 30-hour course. If you got it a long time ago, it is still valid and worth adding to your profile.
How many trades should I choose in my profile?
Choose your main trade, then only the related trades you can do from day one. Two or three well-chosen trades, for example one summer trade and one winter trade, keep you visible all year without muddying your profile.
Sources
- Hausse du salaire minimum - Dès aujourd'hui, le taux général du salaire minimum s'établit à 16,60 $ l'heure
- Cours 30 h | ASP Construction
- Truck Driver's Licence (Class 3)
- Check a contractor's licence
- Outil d'aide au traitement des dossiers : L'article 18.1, Les questions discriminatoires avant l'embauche (CDPDJ)
