How to apply
This page provides all the required information you need to prepare your application package, create your profile, submit and manage your application.
Steps to apply
To submit an application, we encourage you to follow the steps in the order presented below.
Please ensure that you follow the steps to the end. As indicated at step 9, once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email acknowledging the reception of your application. You can also sign in to your account and review your applicant dashboard to confirm that your application was submitted successfully. The application status will display Complete and you will see the date and time your application was submitted.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Review the information in the Important information tab. |
| 2 | Prepare your application package. A list of the required documents with an explanation as to what should be included is available in the Application package tab. |
| 3 | Go to the Opportunities page and select the opportunity that is of interest to you. You can only apply to become a Senator in your province or territory of residency. |
| 4 | Read the information about the opportunity and select Apply now. |
| 5 | Create your account. If you already have an account in our new system, you can sign in using the same email address and password used during registration. Complete the required fields and select Create your account. You will receive a confirmation email from NoReply-AucuneReponse@hiringplatform.ca containing a link to verify your email address. If you do not receive this email, please check your spam or junk folder. After you’ve clicked on the link to confirm your email address, complete the required fields on the Log in to continue page. Select Sign in. |
| 6 | Complete the following pages:
While navigating between pages, select Save and Next after entering or updating information to ensure your changes are saved. |
| 7 | Upload your documents. To upload a document, select the Select and Upload a File button, select your document and select the Open button. We recommend naming your documents in the following format: document type month day year. For example, CV July 15 2026 or Cover letter August 1 2026. Once all the required documents are uploaded, select the Save and Next button. |
| 8 | Carefully review the Consent and Declaration message provided. Once you have read and understood the content, confirm your acknowledgment by checking the box. |
| 9 | Select Save and Next to submit your application. A confirmation page will appear once your application has been submitted successfully. You will also receive a confirmation email from NoReply-AucuneReponse@hiringplatform.ca, acknowledging receipt of your application. To verify your submission, sign in to your account and review your applicant dashboard at the top of the page. The application status should display Complete. |
Important information
- About the Senate
Information about the role and the composition of the Senate, as well as what the job of Senator involves. You will also find information on current Senators, including their mandatory retirement date.
- Assessment criteria
Constitutional eligibility requirements and merit-based criteria for appointment to the Senate.
- Questions and answers
Answers to frequently asked questions about the Senate appointments process.
Application package
Application package
Your application package documents: e.g. cover letter, curriculum vitae, etc. must be in PDF (.pdf), Rich Text (.rtf), Text (.txt) or Word (.doc/.docx) format (See: How to convert your documents into PDF or RTF, if required).
We recommend naming your documents in the following format: document type month day year. For example, CV August 15 2026 or Cover letter August 1 2026.
There is no need to prepare additional documents since the Advisory Board will only consider the ones listed below.
The following six documents are required to submit an application:
- Curriculum vitae
- Cover letter
- Reference letter 1
- Reference letter 2
- Reference letter 3
- Background check consent form
Curriculum vitae (CV)
The CV should include dates and indicate your academic qualifications and employment history. It should also indicate any professional affiliations, major achievements, distinctions and awards you have received for at least the last 10 years. The CV must be up to 1,500 words, and no attachments or other supplementary documentation are to be submitted. You may use your own CV or create one with our template.
Cover letter
Your cover letter must be up to 1,500 words and must include two sections:
- a personal statement to describe how you meet the knowledge, personal qualities and qualifications related to the role of the Senate, using specific examples to highlight your skills and experience.
- a statement to demonstrate your ability to bring a perspective and contribution to the work of the Senate that would be independent.
Reference letters (3)
You are required to provide three reference letters from individuals attesting to your suitability for a Senate appointment. You are encouraged to identify referees from your province or territory. The referee can provide the letter as an individual or on behalf of an organization, must have known you for a minimum of five years and cannot be a close family member.
We suggest sending the template to your referees so they know what information the Advisory Board is looking for. However, they may write their own letter. A reference letter must be up to 1000 words. Referees may be contacted during the course of the process; therefore, their contact information must be included. They should sign their letter, by hand or electronically, prior to sending it back to you.
The Advisory Board will only accept three reference letters.
Background check consent form
You must use the form provided. Other forms or background check results from other organizations will not be accepted. When preparing your Background check consent form, please note that you may complete and sign your form electronically or by hand. If you wish to complete and sign your Background check consent form by hand, please follow the instructions noted below:
- start by reading the instructions at the end of the form;
- ensure that all required information has been entered, including the dates in sections M and N;
- print the completed form;
- you and your partner (as applicable) sign the form by hand;
- scan the form and save it in PDF format with low resolution to reduce the size; and
- ensure that all of the content is clearly visible in the scanned file.
How to convert your documents to PDF or RTF, if required
The following instructions aim to help you convert unsupported document types so you can use them in your application.
Most word processing software contains functionality to convert documents to PDF.
Use the below link(s) corresponding to your application package document(s) format to learn how to convert to PDF:
If the above links do not help, you may be able to convert your document to PDF format using a PDF printer.
Print to PDF in Windows
The following instructions provide the steps necessary to convert a document to PDF format using a printer in Microsoft Windows:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the document in your word processor. |
| 2 | Select the File menu. |
| 3 | Select Print. |
| 4 | In the Printer selection field, choose your document converter (Adobe PDF, Microsoft Print to PDF, Universal Document Converter, CutePDF, etc.). |
| 5 | Specify the filename and location for your PDF file. |
| 6 | Select Save. |
Note: If you are using an older version of Windows, you will likely need to install 3rd party software to convert your document.
Print to PDF in OSX
Mac OS X includes a built in PDF export functionality. Follow the steps below to convert your word processor document to PDF format on Mac OS X.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the document. |
| 2 | Select the File menu. |
| 3 | Select Print. |
| 4 | Select the PDF button at the bottom left corner of the Print window. |
| 5 | Select the Save as PDF… option. |
| 6 | Specify the filename and location for your PDF file. |
| 7 | Select Save. |
RTF
To save a file in Rich Text Format you will need:
- a word processor (WordPerfect, Wordpad, Pages, etc.); and
- your document.
To convert a document to RTF:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the document in your word processor. |
| 2 | Select the File menu. |
| 3 | Select Save As. |
| 4 | Choose Rich Text Format from the dropdown menu in the Save as type field. |
| 5 | Specify the filename and location for your RTF file. |
| 6 | Select Save. |
Update your application
To update the information you provided with your application:
- Sign in to your account and select Application.
- Select Next until you reach the information you want to update.
- Update your information. Select the Save and Next button at the bottom of the page.
To update previously submitted application documents:
- Sign in to your account and select Application.
- Select Next until you reach the Upload Your Documents page. Any documents you have previously uploaded will appear as hyperlinks beside the corresponding upload fields.
- Select Select and Upload a File beside the document you would like to update.
- Navigate to the document you wish to upload, select it, and then select Open to upload the file. The newly uploaded file will replace the previously uploaded document.
- Select Save and Next to save your changes.