Job applications

Resume guide

Your resume is the document which summarises all of your skills and personal attributes. It is a significant tool in getting an interview and therefore should be presented in an appropriate and professional manner.

The aim of a resume

It should be used to persuade the employer you are a suitable applicant for the job. You can target you resume specifically to the job you are applying for. In doing so it is likely that it will only need minor alterations, but this makes clear to the employer your interest in that particular position. Your resume should be presented in a clear, easy to read format. List the most recent/relevant information first and make sure your strengths stand out. An appropriate length is about two to three pages.

Contact details

Your name, address and contact details should appear at the top of the resume. Do not include details such as marital status unless it is relevant to an overseas position.

Education and training

start with your highest qualifications and work backwards. You may like to state your majors if this is relevant. Make sure you highlight the elements that are relevant to the position you are applying for (eg only in some cases will listing a first aid course or classes in French be appropriate).
only put in your GPA if it is 5.5 or above (or specifically requested). Do not assume employers will understand what your grades and qualifications mean (eg, O level, HSC, MAPS, GPA). Particularly if you are applying for a job overseas or in another State, try to find out what the local equivalent would be and provide a supplementary translation.
if your thesis topic or projects you have worked on for university are relevant to the position you should mention this here. If relevant, list any additional training or qualifications beneath your formal education. This may include workshop presentations, foreign language classes, trade certificates, computer software skills and first aid certificates.

Work skills and attributes

list generic work skills that you believe you excel in if they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. These can be positioned on the front page of the resume below your qualifications. Next to each briefly summarise how you have evidenced that trait in your professional or personal life. For example:

Teamwork: Demonstrated by my active participation in sport and community committees.

Professional experience

in place of the traditional work experience heading, write about your professional experiences. Most graduates may not have had a paid work history in their chosen profession, so any placements, work experience, projects or volunteer activities you have done which relate to the profession should be listed here. Present them in the same manner as you would a traditional job:
- start with the most recent experience and work backwards
- include the years or months of the activity, your nominal title or position, the employer's name and city location.
list your key accountabilities and achievements and these can include:
- completing something successfully
- an outcome that can be attributed in at least part to you
- something that is measurable (profits, turnover, savings, words per minute, targets)
- something that you can prove to have happened or can be verified
- making a change or a difference.

Work history

list your paid employment here. Do not go back over 10 years unless it is highly relevant to the job you are applying for.
as with the professional experiences, start with your most recent position and work backwards. Include the dates of employment in years (or months if worked less than a year), the job title, employer's name and city location, and your key accountabilities.
if you have a long previous employment history before study you will need to explain any gaps in your work history (unless there are particularly unflattering reasons for it eg imprisonment).

Professional membership

list any memberships of committees, boards, community groups, or professional associations.

Referees

you should provide at least two referees, but some employers may request three. List the referee's name, position title, employer, city, phone and email address.
if you do not have enough referees for whom you have worked, you may also put down the name of a lecturer or family friend in a profession who has known you for some time.
make sure you contact your referees and ask their permission to list them so that they are not taken by surprise when the employer calls. This could lead to a less than glowing reference!

Proofread the finished product

Once your resume is complete you should proofread it and also give it to a friend to look for any mistakes. Make sure you have not forgotten any relevant experience you have, or left out any other important details. A good way to do this could be to look at a Sample Resume (*PDF 73 k) and follow the Sample Resume.

The Department of Education, Science and Training have provided a useful worksheet to assist in writing your resume: DEST Worksheet 7 - Write a Resume (*PDF 240 k).

*This file is in Portable Document Format (PDF) which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Acrobat Reader may be obtained from Adobe. Users who are unable to access information in PDF should contact Katrina Vagg, telephone +61 4531 1823 to obtain this information in an alternative format.