Tips on how to write a winning resume (with examples)
Two pages tailored to every job you apply for. Here's how to write a resume that truly stands out and gets read.
In this guide, we’ll break down the essential elements of crafting a resume that showcases your skills and experiences in the best light. Whether you’re preparing for your first job or exploring new opportunities, this guide will help you turn your academic and work achievements into a powerful career tool. So, get ready to transform your resume and set yourself up for success.
A resume is a document that summarises your skills, work history, education, and achievements for a potential employer. In Australia, a resume typically runs 1 to 2 pages and is tailored to each job you apply for. Employers often spend only a few minutes scanning each application, so the length and order aren't arbitrary. They exist so a time-poor recruiter or employer can find exactly what they need quickly.
Table of contents
- Types of resumes
- What to put in a resume
- What to leave off a resume
- Resume format (length, layout and structure)
- How to write your resume
Types of resumes
In today’s job market, there are numerous resume formats you can use to impress potential employers. Deciding what resume style to submit should reflect the job you are applying for.
Here are 6 of the most popular types:
- Chronological resumes follow your experience over the years and show a clear career progression and are ideal if you have a solid work history in a specific field.
- Functional resume focuses more on skills and qualifications rather than work history, this format highlights your abilities and achievements. It’s useful if you’re changing careers or have gaps in your employment.
- Targeted resume focuses on the skills and experiences most relevant to the position and industry you’re applying for. It demonstrates that you’ve customized your application to meet the job requirements.
- Infographic resume uses visual elements like charts and graphics to present your skills and achievements. It’s a great way to stand out, especially in design or creative fields, but be cautious to ensure it’s still easy to read and professional.
- Portfolio resume is ideal for those in creative fields, this type includes a link to your online portfolio or samples of your work. It’s a great way to showcase your skills through actual examples of your projects. Portfolio resumes are typical for jobs such as marketing and graphic design.
- Video resume allow you to present your qualifications and personality through a short video. It’s an engaging way to make an impression, but make sure it’s professionally done and appropriate for the industry you’re applying to.
What to put in a resume
Every Australian resume needs these 8 sections.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Name and contact details | Full name, phone, email, and your city or suburb. No street address. Add a customised LinkedIn URL if your profile is current. |
| Career objective or professional summary | Two to three sentences under your contact details. An objective if you're starting out, a summary if you're established. Treat it as an elevator pitch. |
| Key skills | The hard and soft skills most relevant to the role, written as full sentences with evidence behind them. Employers recruit for soft skills, because hard skills can be taught, so make sure that you have more soft skills than hard skills listed. |
| Education and qualifications | Degrees, diplomas and certifications with the institution and completion date. Most recent first. |
| Work experience | Roles in reverse chronological order with job title, employer and dates. Lead with achievements, not duties. Five to six bullets for your most recent role, three to four for the rest. |
| Degree-related projects | Capstones or major group projects that show skills relevant to the role. Valuable if you're a graduate with limited paid experience. |
| Professional memberships | Relevant associations such as the Australian Computer Society, CPA Australia, AHRI or IIBA. |
| References | One line stating referees are available on request. Keep their details ready to share separately. |
What to leave off a resume
Some information doesn't belong on an Australian resume, even though it could be elsewhere:
- Photo
- Gender
- Sexual Orientation
- Date of birth or age
- Marital status
- Religion
- Expected salary
When deciding what to cut, work on relevance rather than length. A resume that's two pages of relevant, recent detail beats one that's three pages padded with everything that you've ever done. As a rule of thumb, older roles, generally more than ten years back, can be summarised in one or two lines or even left off entirely unless they're directly relevant to the job you're applying for.
Resume format (length, layout and structure)
In Australia, two pages is the standard length for most resumes, regardless of how many years' experience you have. Recruiters and hiring managers work through large volumes of applications, and a resume that runs longer than this is less likely to be read in full. If you're a recent graduate, two pages is still the target; you'll simply have more white space or lean more heavily on projects and skills to fill it out.
Structure matters as much as length. Employers expect to find information in a set order, and a resume that follows it is far easier to scan. Use the section order set out above, and keep it consistent across every application. Don’t rearrange to suit different roles.
Keep the design simple:
- Black text on a standard clearly labelled template
- Use readable fonts such as Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman at 10 to 12 pt
- Avoid graphics, columns, tables that break applicant tracking systems and software, photos, and unusual layouts
- Do not use borders, pictures or photographs at all
Outside creative fields, an elaborate or highly designed resume can work against you. An overstylised resume can be read as a mismatch for the role. If you’re unsure whether your industry expects a creative format, the safer choice is a clean, conventional layout.
How to write your resume
Writing a professional summary or career objective
This section can take one of two forms, and which one you choose depends on where you're at in your career.
- If you’re at the start of your career, whether that’s your first graduate role or early career move, write a career objective. It should state what you’re aiming for, type of role and direction you want to head
- If you are more established in your career, write a professional summary. This is a summary of your professional accomplishments, achievements, and experience to date, pitched directly at the role you’re applying for.
Ask yourself these 4 questions before writing a professional summary or career objective:
- Who is the employer looking for?
- What do they want that person to bring?
- What value do you add?
- What are your strongest 2 or 3 selling points?
Keep this section two or three sentences max. This section isn’t to list every skill, role and achievement from the rest of your resume.
Writing your work experience
There's a difference between duties, responsibilities, and achievements, and a strong work experience section draws on all three.
- A duty is a task you performed such as “answered customer enquiries”
- A responsibility is what you were accountable for: the scope of the role: “responsible for cash handling and end-of-day reconciliation”
- An achievement is the outcome of doing those duties and responsibilities well: “resolved customer enquiries on first contact, reducing follow-up calls by 15%”
Wherever you can, write your work experience as achievements with specific measurable outcomes rather than simply a list of duties and responsibilities alone.
If you're applying for a graduate role and your work history so far is entry-level or customer service-based, you may not have hard numbers to draw on, and that's normal. You don't need a percentage or a dollar to show you performed well.
Look instead for evidence such as:
- Being trusted with more responsibility over time
- Training or supervising other staff
- Positive feedback from a manager or customer
- Handling a high volume of work reliably during peak trading periods with no discrepancies
- These still demonstrate impact even without a number attached
If you have employment gaps, don't leave them unexplained and don't try to hide them by fudging dates. A short factual line covering the gap (study, caring responsibilities, travel, redundancy) reads far better than a resume with dates that don't add up once an employer checks them.
