How to write a CV for a job in Australia

Your CV is the first introduction that an employer will have to you, so it is essential to include as much value as possible. Start with a snapshot of your personal details of name, address and email address. Supply the contact details that you use most often. It is important to show recruiters and employers that you are on the ball with a quick response time, so use your private phone number.

1. What does a good CV look like in Australia?

Your CV is the first introduction that an employer will have to you, so it is essential to include as much value as possible. Start with a snapshot of your personal details of name, address and email address. Supply the contact details that you use most often. It is important to show recruiters and employers that you are on the ball with a quick response time, so use your private phone number.  

2. What do employers look for in a CV?

Providing a neat CV with an organised format keeps things easy to read for a time pressured recruiter. Skills-based information and details of qualifications and work experience are important. This information should be clear, concise and easy to read. Avoid including unnecessary information that does not relate to the job description or requirements. 

3. Steps in preparing a Good CV or Resume for Australia

Short Summary

A summary tells recruiters and employers what makes you suitable for the job you are applying for. This is your elevator pitch, and it should be tailored to the specific job advert by referencing the skills you have which are required for the job.

Work Experience and Qualifications

Your job application may be scanned through very quickly. Include your skills and qualifications in bullet form, making it immediately clear what you can bring to their company. List work experience starting with the most recent. Provide relevant information for each job such as the length of time and what the job entailed. Again, keep it clear and concise.

Volunteering experience away from the workplace or place of study is also relevant for this section. If you don’t have a great deal of work experience, include voluntary work and avoid gaps in time to ensure that your resume is clear to browsing recruiters. For a leadership or management position, include details such as number of people directly reporting to you.

Education

Common sense should prevail here. Keep it short, sharp and in date order starting with the most recent. If you have completed a post graduate degree, then employers aren’t going to be concerned about your school results! Include training courses or tickets that you have which are relevant to the job that you are applying for.

References

Owing to tightened privacy laws, you don’t need to provide contact details for your referees. It is sufficient to say ‘’References can be supplied on request’’, which would show reliability and credibility. An employer will only check references at the time of making an offer. List the most recent job at the top of the section.

4. How long should an Australian CV be?

Most countries have differences in culture and expectations from employees, and Australia is no different. For graduates or people early in their career, two pages is sufficient whereas for experienced professionals 3-5 pages is what is acceptable. Focus on the quality of the information you are providing before overall length, to ensure that you are keeping to what is relevant for the job application.

5. Use bullet points to keep information clear.

6. Provide gaps between sections to ensure clarity.

7. Don’t use colour.

8. Include links to relevant websites or your social media accounts, such as LinkedIn.

9. Focus on your achievements. Don’t sell yourself short but also make sure your CV is honest.

10. Proofread and check your CV spelling and grammar – more than once!

11. Don’t use boxes or tables in your CV. This is difficult for recruiters’ systems to scan and retrieve information. A Word document with bullet points is best.

12. CV should be saved as a document or PDF. Don’t save as any other file format such as jpeg or png.

13. Avoid lengthy sentences. Be factual and supply detail without rambling on or exaggerating the truth!

14. Avoid including personal details such as Date of Birth, Marital status, and photographs unless you feel it is relevant and necessary in the application.

15. Don’t make your CV too long.