Field guide
Resumes for aged care and disability support jobs in Australia
Care employers hire on clearances, availability and evidence that you treat people well. Nothing about your screening status should ever be assumed or implied — state only what you actually hold.
What this work looks like
Screening checks and certificates are mandatory and verified.
Rosters often include early mornings, evenings, sleepovers and weekends.
Personal care, manual handling and medication support each have their own requirements.
Life experience caring for family is relevant and should be described honestly as unpaid care.
Roles people commonly apply for
- Personal care assistants and care workers
- Disability support workers
- Home care and community support
- Lifestyle and activities officers
- Care administration and rostering
What to put in your resume
- List only the checks and certificates you hold, each with its expiry.
- Describe the type of support you provided without naming or identifying anyone.
- State your availability by shift type, including sleepovers if you will do them.
- If you hold a driver licence and will use your own car for home care, say so.
Confirm these for yourself
We never add a ticket, clearance or qualification to your resume unless you have entered it yourself. These are the ones worth checking before you apply.
- Whether you hold an NDIS worker screening check
- Whether your national police clearance is current
- Whether you hold a working with children check where required
- Whether your first aid, CPR and manual handling training are in date
- Whether you hold a medication assistance competency
Skills that carry across
- Patience and respectful communication
- Manual handling
- Documentation and reporting
- Working alone in someone's home
- Responding to incidents calmly
Other guides
FIFO and roster work
Fly-in fly-out and drive-in drive-out applications: tickets, medicals and roster fit.
Mining and resources
Operations, trades, support and administration on and around resource sites.
Trades
Qualified tradespeople, apprentices and trades assistants.
Construction
Site-based work from labouring to supervision.