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Australian Resume Examples and Templates

Practical, clearly labelled example resume sections for four common situations, plus the formatting Australian employers expect and the mistakes worth avoiding.

What makes a strong Australian resume

Australian employers usually skim a resume in a short first pass, looking for whether you can do the job described in the advertisement. A strong resume makes that easy: a short professional summary, your most relevant experience near the top, and specific bullet points that describe what you actually did.

Australian conventions differ from some other countries. A resume here usually leaves out your photo, date of birth, marital status and full street address, uses Australian spelling, and often runs to two or three pages for experienced applicants. If you want a starting layout, our printable resume templates follow these conventions.

Four Australian resume examples

Every example below is fictional and written for illustration only. Use the structure and approach, not the details — your resume should only describe what you have genuinely done.

Fictional example

Entry-level applicant or school leaver

Sample professional summary

Recent Year 12 graduate seeking a casual retail assistant role. Reliable, punctual and comfortable dealing with the public through two years of weekend work at a local café. Available weekends and school holidays, with my own transport.

Sample experience bullets

  • Served customers at the counter and took payments during busy weekend shifts
  • Opened and closed the café, following the cleaning and food safety checklist
  • Trained two new casual staff on the coffee machine and till

Why it works: it states the role sought, availability and transport up front — things casual employers check first — and uses part-time work to show reliability and customer service.

Fictional example

Experienced professional

Sample professional summary

Accounts payable officer with eight years' experience in construction and property businesses. Processes high-volume supplier invoices in MYOB and Xero, reconciles creditor accounts each month, and works closely with project managers to resolve disputed charges.

Sample experience bullets

  • Processed supplier invoices for 12 active construction sites each week
  • Reconciled creditor statements monthly and resolved discrepancies with suppliers
  • Documented the invoice approval process, used as the induction guide for new staff

Why it works: it names the industry, the software and the scale of the work. Numbers are used only where the applicant knows them to be true.

Fictional example

Career changer

Sample professional summary

Former hospitality supervisor moving into aged care, currently completing a Certificate III in Individual Support. Brings six years of experience leading shifts, handling complaints calmly and looking after people's comfort and safety.

Sample experience bullets

  • Supervised a team of up to eight staff on evening shifts
  • Handled customer complaints and incidents, recording them in the venue's register
  • Completed 120 hours of placement in a residential aged care facility

Why it works: it explains the change honestly and links past duties to the new field without claiming experience the applicant doesn't have.

Fictional example

Applicant returning to work

Sample professional summary

Administration officer returning to the workforce after four years as a full-time carer. Experienced in reception, scheduling and records management in a busy medical practice. Recently refreshed Microsoft 365 skills through a short online course.

Sample experience bullets

  • Career break, 2022–2026: full-time carer for a family member
  • Managed appointment bookings and patient records for a four-doctor practice
  • Answered phones and greeted patients at a busy front desk

Why it works: the gap is named in one plain line rather than hidden, and recent training shows current skills.

For step-by-step help writing each section, read how to write a resume in Australia.

Australian resume format

Contact details

Name, phone, email and suburb or city. A full street address, photo and date of birth are not needed. A LinkedIn link is optional.

Professional summary

Three or four lines describing who you are, the work you are seeking and what you bring to it.

Work experience

Reverse chronological order: job title, employer, location and dates, followed by three to six bullet points per role.

Skills

A short list of skills relevant to the job, such as software, equipment or specialist knowledge. Avoid vague words like “hard-working” without evidence.

Education and qualifications

Highest qualification first. Include licences and tickets (driver's licence, White Card, First Aid) where relevant to the role.

Referees

Two referees with contact details, or “Referees available on request”. Ask permission before listing anyone.

Common resume mistakes

  • Sending the same resume to every job instead of tailoring it to each advertisement.
  • Listing duties only, without saying what you did well or what changed because of you.
  • Using graphics, columns or text boxes that break when the employer's system reads the file.
  • Including personal details such as age, religion, marital status or a photo.
  • Spelling mistakes, inconsistent dates or American spellings like “organization”.
  • Adding skills or achievements you cannot back up in an interview.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a resume be in Australia?

Two to three pages is common for people with several years of experience. School leavers and people with a short work history can usually fit everything on one or two pages. Length matters less than relevance: cut older or unrelated detail before you shrink the font.

Should I include a photo on my Australian resume?

Generally no. Most Australian employers do not expect a photo, and leaving it out keeps attention on your skills and experience. The exception is the rare role where an employer specifically asks for one.

Do I need to include referees?

Many Australian employers check references before making an offer. You can list two referees (name, title, organisation, phone and email) or write “Referees available on request”. Always ask a referee's permission first and tell them which roles you have applied for.

How do I tailor my resume to a job advertisement?

Read the advertisement and note the main duties and requirements. Move your most relevant experience higher, rewrite your summary to match the role, and use the employer's wording where it truthfully describes what you have done. Never add skills or duties you do not have.

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