Resume Writing Tips for Australians
What Australian employers and recruiters actually look for in a resume - and how to make sure yours gets past ATS screening.
Australian Resume vs American Resume
Australian resumes follow different conventions compared to the US. Getting these basics right signals to employers that you understand local norms.
Length: 2-3 pages
Australian resumes are typically longer than American ones. Two pages is standard for most roles, three for senior positions. Graduates can use one page.
No photo
Unlike Europe, Australian resumes should not include a headshot. It is considered unprofessional and may trigger bias concerns with employers.
Use "Mobile" not "Cell"
Australian terminology matters. Use "Mobile" for your phone number, format it as 04xx xxx xxx, and use DD/MM/YYYY for dates.
No personal details
Do not include date of birth, marital status, nationality, or religion. These are protected attributes under Australian discrimination law.
"References available on request"
It is standard practice in Australia to not list referees on your resume. Add the line at the end, and provide references when asked.
Include your suburb/city
Employers want to know your general location for commute and work rights. Include "Sydney, NSW" or similar - no full address needed.
Writing a Strong Professional Summary
Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. In 2-4 sentences, cover your experience level, your speciality, and your biggest achievement.
Good example: "Operations manager with 12 years of experience in logistics and supply chain across Australia and New Zealand. Led a team of 45 to reduce delivery costs by 18% while improving on-time delivery rates to 98.5%. Seeking a senior leadership role in a growing organisation."
Weak example: "I am a hard-working professional looking for a new opportunity. I have experience in many areas and I am a team player who is passionate about delivering results."
Summary tips
- Start with your job title and years of experience
- Include a specific, quantified achievement
- Name your industry or specialisation
- End with what you are looking for (optional)
- Keep it under 4 sentences - recruiters skim
Writing Achievement-Based Bullet Points
The biggest mistake on Australian resumes is listing duties instead of achievements. Employers know what a "Marketing Manager" does - they want to know what you accomplished.
Formula: Action verb + what you did + measurable result
Example: "Redesigned the onboarding process, reducing new starter ramp-up time from 6 weeks to 3 weeks and improving first-year retention by 22%."
Strong action verbs for Australian resumes
Leadership
Led, managed, directed, oversaw, coordinated, mentored, established, built
Achievement
Delivered, increased, reduced, improved, achieved, exceeded, generated, saved
Problem-solving
Resolved, streamlined, optimised, automated, redesigned, consolidated, transformed
Communication
Presented, negotiated, collaborated, facilitated, advocated, influenced, authored
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Basics
Most medium-to-large Australian employers use ATS software to screen resumes before a human sees them. Here is how to make sure yours gets through.
Do
- Use standard section headings: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills"
- Save as PDF (unless the job ad specifically asks for .docx)
- Mirror keywords from the job description exactly
- Use a single-column layout
- Spell out acronyms at least once (e.g. "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)")
Do not
- Use tables, text boxes, or multi-column layouts
- Include images, charts, or icons
- Use headers or footers for critical information
- Use creative section names like "My Journey" instead of "Work Experience"
- Submit your resume as a .jpg or .png
Common Mistakes on Australian Resumes
Generic objective statements
"Seeking a challenging role in a dynamic organisation" tells the recruiter nothing. Replace with a specific professional summary.
Listing every job ever
Only include the last 10-15 years of relevant experience. Older roles can be summarised in one line or omitted entirely.
No tailoring per application
One resume does not fit all. Adjust your summary, skills, and bullet points to match each job description.
Typos and inconsistent formatting
A single typo can get your resume rejected. Use consistent date formats, bullet styles, and font sizes throughout.
Including an Australian flag or photo
It looks amateurish. Australian employers expect a text-only resume with clean, professional formatting.
Email address like partyguy99@
Use a professional email - ideally firstname.lastname@gmail.com. It takes 30 seconds to set up and it matters.
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