The format and layout of Resume writing in Australia is slightly different from that in Asian Countries, especially the introduction section. We will provided some helpful tips below to assist you in writing your resume, however you should also allow your individuality to shine through.
Content
Personal information
Your name and contact details should be listed at the top of the first page. Make sure these details include your postal address, a direct telephone contact and a personal email address.
You will need to include information relevant to the position you are applying for such as qualifications and/or professional memberships.
Career summary (optional)
You can summarise your career to date, outlining your strengths, major skills and achievements in one paragraph.
Skills summary (optional)
You can also provide a quick reference point to specific skills relevant to the position you are applying for.
Education
Present the highest level of education you have achieved first, working backwards from the current or most recent qualification. The level of detail you provide will depend on the balance between your qualifications and your work experience.
- As a general rule, list:
- the name of the institution
- the qualification you received
- the date you received your qualification
Summary of awards, memberships and additional courses
Support your application by providing additional information using a similar format as your education section.
Employment history
If you are a student, you can cover your part-time work experience and remember also to include your oversea's working experience.
Present your employment history starting with your current or most recent position and working backwards.
You should include as much as experience accroding to the job's requirement. If you don't, please also state it clearly.
We recommend you use the following format to present your employment history in your resume:
- Employer and organisational history
List the name of the employing organisation, including a brief overview of the business of this organisation. - Dates of employment
Outline the duration of your employment, listing the month and year.
(e.g. November 2005 – March 2006). - Position Description
State your job title. - Responsibilities
Your position description provides the outline for this section. You should detail aspects that relate to skills and experience of interest to the position you are applying for. Make sure you maintain confidentiality by avoiding specific details of projects, clients or business domains.We recommend that you use bullet points in this section so we are able to easily assess your skills and experience.
- Achievements
Provide an overview of the projects you have worked on and highlight specific achievements. This will help demonstrate your contributions and success.
Referees
If your previous experience is an international company or Australian Own company, please conclude here in this section.
You can choose to conclude your resume with a list of referees or alternatively, you can offer to provide them later in the recruitment process by writing on your resume “advised on request”. We recommend you use your two (2) most recent managers/supervisors who are able to confirm your skills and experience.
Tips:
- Seek permission from your referee before you list them in your resume.
- Remember to inform your referees that they may be contacted and provide them with some background information about the position you have applied for.
Resume checklist
- Does your resume look professional and clear with a good balance of text and white space?
- Is your resume easy to follow and does it feature blocks of text that sit beneath major headings?
- Are there any obvious gaps in the resume content? For instance, breaks in employment adequately explained.
- Are all headings the same font type, point size and text style?
- Is the body copy (that is, text other than headings) presented in the same font type, point size and text style?
- Have you checked and rechecked the spelling and grammar of your res