So, you’ve booked your flight, packed your bag, started your working holiday research and created an epic travel itinerary to kickstart your gap year in Australia…
In this guide, we’ll be sharing some quick tips for writing your CV/Resume. No matter if you’re writing your resume for the first time or looking to perfect your existing one, let’s dive in for tips and useful guidelines for writing your Australian resume.
What is a resume?
A resume is a short summary of your education, skills, work experience and achievements that can be included in your job applications.
Your employer will use your resume and cover letter (more on that later) to figure out if you’re the right person to interview for the job.
If you’re coming from the UK or Ireland. The word “CV “will most commonly be used. Here in Australia, you’ll most likely come across “resume”. However, the two are generally interchangeable.
Quick tips to get started
When writing your resume, your main objectives are to wow your potential employer with your brilliance/skills/achievements and show that you’re perfect for the job.
Here’s how…
- Keep it short & sweet. We recommend no more than 2 pages (double side A4 should do the trick!)
- Use bullet points to break up large chunks of information
- Keep it relevant. Only include information that is relevant to the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’ve been to uni or college, there’s no need to list all your school credits or GCSEs, unless they specifically highlight your skillsets needed for this role.
- Tailor your CV to each application. For example, if you’re applying for hospitality roles AND admin positions, why not create two or three different resumes highlighting your skills in each?
- It might sound obvious, but it’s vital to send an up-to-date resume with your most recent job history, education and contact details.
- Don’t forget to spellcheck. Have a friend read it through for errors and typos.
- It’s all about the vibe! In your tone, be professional and positive. A can-do attitude is key!
What to include (and what not to include)
Personal information
Include your name, your contact details (including your email/phone number) and a link to your LinkedIn profile if you have one.
It’s important to include an Australian phone number on your resume so that you can be contacted easily. If you’re staying at Wake Up!, grab a free SIM card from reception when you check-in.
Still using that first, wild email address you set up at the start of school? We’re looking at you, coolguy_99@hotmail! Think about setting up a new email address with just your first and last name to include on your applications.
Include a professional summary
Start your resume with a short intro paragraph telling your employer a little about you. You can cover where you’re living, what sort of role you’re looking for (part-time, casual, full-time) and your experience. Emphasise the skills and achievements that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for and what you can offer.
Key skills
List your key skills and achievements; ie. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, 2+ years leadership experience, communication, customer service skills, trained barista, blog and SEO writing, website design, social media management, etc.
Relevant work experience
Starting with your most recent job, list any relevant job experience you have. Include the company name and industry, dates worked there and your job title. For each, bullet point your main achievements, learnings and what you brought to the role. If there are any gaps in your work experience, specify why; ie. for study, volunteering or travelling.
Education & certificates
Include your education history, starting with the most recent qualification and detailing what you studied and where. If you’ve completed any extracurricular studies or courses that are relevant, mention them here; ie. ‘Completed NSW RSA course August 2022’.
There’s no need to include or attach proof of your certificates during the application process unless you’re asked to. You can always bring them along to your first interview.
References
In this section, note that ‘References are available upon request’. If you go to the next stage of the application process you’ll likely be asked to provide references. This will give you time to contact your references to give them a heads up – and to remind them how wonderful you are! ;)
What not to include
Address – As a working holiday maker you might be living the dream and the hostel life without a set or permanent address. In this case, there’s no need to include your address in your personal information. You can specify where you are in the ‘professional summary’ section to let your employer know that you plan to be in one spot for a while.
For example: ‘I’m currently living in Sydney and looking for work in hospitality to draw on my skills and 2+ years experience as a….bartender/waiter/barista etc.’
Photo – Whilst there’s a bit of debate around whether to include a photo on your resume or not, as a general rule of thumb it’s best to steer clear. We recommend linking your resume to a LinkedIn profile so that your employer can put a face to the name.
Hobbies – There’s no need to go into great detail about your hobbies or how you like to spend your time outside of work. Feel free to mention anything that is specific to the role you’re applying for; eg. You’re applying for a job in the cinema and you’re a total movie buff! (You might also want to attend our Trivia Nights at Wake Up! Sydney, in that case!)
Otherwise, this information can be shared in your cover letter and/or at the interview stage.
Cover Letter
What is a cover letter?
Your cover letter goes alongside your resume in the application process. Whilst your resume will be more informative highlighting your education and work experience, your cover letter is an opportunity to let your personality shine as bright as a Bondi Beach sunrise!
It’s important to tailor your cover letter specifically for the job you’re applying for.
To help, you can refer back to the job description as a way to highlight your skills; after all, your employer has stated what they’re looking for and now you have a golden opportunity to ‘sell yourself’ as the perfect fit for the job!
For example, if the job description asks for 3+ years experience in a similar customer service role, fantastic communication skills and a commitment of 6 months or more, then you may want to mention that you have the relevant work experience and skills and to confirm your availability in your cover letter.
Generally, it’s good to start with a brief introduction with a little about yourself and why you’re excited to apply for the role. You can then go into more detail about what you can bring to the role, highlighting all your amazing skills, experience and any relevant courses.
Remember to make it easy for the person advertising the job to match you up as a winning candidate. Mentioning all the ways you ‘tick the boxes’ from the job description.
Quick design & layout tips
- Keep it clean! Use one simple, easy-to-read (usually sans-serif) font such as Arial, Calibri or Helvetica. Aim to never go below a font at size 10.
- Use a template. Tools such as Canva have some great templates that can be used to create your CV. If you’re applying for a creative role, feel free to get creative with the design of your CV. Otherwise, less is usually more.
- Export your finished masterpiece as a PDF. This will maintain its formatting and allow the automated software used by some larger companies to pick up on the information and keywords in your resume.
Whether you’re applying for roles you wouldn’t usually consider, expanding your skillset or developing your amazing skills, a working holiday is an exciting opportunity to truly experience life in Australia!
Keen to dive into the world of working holiday jobs in Australia? Take a look at our guide to the best backpacker jobs and how to find them.
