An Australian resume is not the same as an American resume or a British CV. Length, formatting, what to include (and what to leave out), and even spelling conventions differ in ways that matter to local recruiters and ATS systems.
Australian Resume Length
Two to three pages is the Australian standard for experienced professionals. A one-page resume is considered too brief and suggests you're hiding experience or lack confidence in your background. Recent graduates can aim for one to two pages.
What to Include in an Australian Resume
- Professional summary — 3–4 lines at the top positioning you for the specific role
- Work experience in reverse chronological order with quantified achievements
- Education and qualifications — degrees, TAFE qualifications, professional certifications
- Key skills section matched to the job ad
- Work rights / visa status — critical for non-citizens to include prominently
- Referees — either list two professional references or 'Available upon request'
What NOT to Include in an Australian Resume
- Photograph — Australian anti-discrimination legislation makes this inappropriate
- Date of birth — same reason
- Marital status or religion
- Health information — unless directly relevant (e.g., physical fitness for operational roles)
- Salary expectations — provide these separately if asked
Australian English Spelling
Use Australian English throughout — this isn't trivial. Some ATS systems treat different spellings as different keywords:
- organise (not organize)
- behaviour (not behavior)
- centre (not center)
- programme (for government roles) / program (for tech roles)
- colour (not color)
- analyse (not analyze)
Work Rights and Visa Status
Include your work rights prominently — either in the header or professional summary. Common formats:
- Australian Citizen
- Australian Permanent Resident
- New Zealand Citizen
- Working Holiday Visa (417/462) — eligible until [date]
- Temporary Graduate Visa (485) — valid until [date]
- Employer Sponsored — currently on [visa type]
Australian Public Service (APS) Resumes
APS applications require a different format entirely — typically 3–4 pages including selection criteria responses. Include your target APS level (APS 1–6, EL 1–2), citizenship, and security clearance level.
Healthcare Roles: AHPRA Registration
For any AHPRA-registered profession (nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, etc.), your registration number and status should be prominently displayed — typically in the header alongside your name and contact details.
ATS Systems Used by Australian Employers
The most common ATS platforms in Australia are PageUp (used by over 40% of ASX 200 companies and most state government agencies), LiveHire, SmartRecruiters, and Workday for large multinationals. Jumproo's templates are optimised for all of these.
Build your Australian resume with APS, AHPRA, and NDIS templates → Start Free