Australian-style resumes
Write a resume Australian employers expect
What to put in, what to leave out, and a before and after example. Then build yours on Career Calling Resume.
The basics
What to include, and what to leave out
An Australian resume is about your skills and results. Personal details that do not relate to the job are left out.
Include
- Two to three pages is common for experienced workers.
- Start with a short summary of who you are and what you do well.
- List your work history with the most recent job first.
- Show achievements and results, not only duties.
- Explain overseas employers and qualifications in a few words, so a reader here understands them.
- Use Australian spelling, for example "organise" and "colour".
- Save it as a PDF or Word file with a clear name, such as your full name and "resume".
Leave out
- A photo
- Your date of birth or age
- Marital status, children or religion
- Passport, visa or identity numbers
- Your full street address (your suburb and state is enough)
- Long paragraphs. Use short lines and bullet points.
Before and after
The same person, two resumes
Alex Morgan is a fictional example, not a real person. The details are made up to show the difference.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal details
- Name: Alex Morgan
- Date of birth: 14 March 1990
- Marital status: Married
- Photo: attached
- Passport number: listed
Objective
- To obtain a challenging position in a reputed organisation where I can utilise my skills.
Work experience
- Accounts Officer, a manufacturing company
- Responsible for invoices.
- Responsible for payments.
- Responsible for reports.
Education
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Personal details that employers here do not expect
- An objective that could fit any job
- Duties, but no results
- No local experience shown
Alex Morgan
Parramatta NSW / 0400 000 000 / alex.morgan@example.com
Summary
- Accounts officer with six years of experience in accounts payable and month-end reporting. Accurate, organised and confident with Xero and Excel.
Key skills
- Accounts payable and receivable
- Bank reconciliations
- Xero, MYOB and advanced Excel
- Clear written communication
Experience
- Accounts Officer, a mid-sized manufacturer, overseas (2019 to 2024)
- Processed supplier invoices for a team of 12 buyers, with every invoice matched to an order.
- Cut the month-end close from eight days to five by building an Excel checklist.
- Trained two new team members in the payments process.
Local experience
- Volunteer Treasurer Assistant, a community sports club (2025 to now)
- Prepare the monthly report for the committee.
Education
- Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), overseas university
Referees
- Available on request
- A clear summary at the top
- Skills that match the job ad
- Achievements with real results
- Local experience, even volunteering, counts
Cover letters
A short cover letter for each job
One page is enough. Say which job you are applying for, why you want it, and two or three ways your experience fits the job ad.
End with a polite line, such as: "I would welcome the chance to discuss the role."
Ready to write yours?
Career Calling Resume helps you write an Australian-style resume and cover letter, step by step.
Go to Career Calling ResumeTalk to us
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