Australian resume format
By Muhammad Ali, Founder of InstantCV · Last updated: September 11, 2026 · 8 min read
An Australian resume runs two to three pages, with no photo and no date of birth. It uses Australian spelling, states visa status where relevant, and lists two referees only if the employer asks. Government roles are scored against selection criteria answered separately.
What is the standard Australian resume format?
Two to three pages, in reverse chronological order: header, career profile, key skills, employment history with quantified achievements, education, certifications and licences. Australia is more generous with length than the US and closer to the UK, and a strong third page is normal for candidates with a decade or more of experience.
Leave out the photograph, date of birth, marital status and nationality. Australian employers avoid collecting them, and including them reads as unfamiliarity with local hiring rather than as helpfulness.
| Situation | Pages | Emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Student or first job | 1-2 | Education, casual work, volunteering |
| 2-8 years experience | 2 | Achievements in the last two roles |
| 8+ years experience | 2-3 | Recent detail, older roles condensed |
| Trades and licensed roles | 2-3 | Licences, tickets, White Card, equipment |
| Government (APS or state) | 2-3 plus criteria | Separate statement per selection criterion |
| Healthcare | 2-3 | AHPRA registration, settings, patient load |
| Academic | No limit | Publications, grants, teaching |
How do you answer selection criteria?
Answer each criterion separately, in a document alongside the resume, and use the STAR structure — situation, task, action, result — with one concrete example per criterion. Public-sector panels in the Australian Public Service and state governments score literally against the published criteria, so an excellent resume with no criteria responses still fails.
Reuse the criterion's own wording in your first sentence so the panel can tick it without interpretation, then give the example and finish with a measurable result.
A STAR response in four lines
- Situation: the context in one sentence, with scale.
- Task: what you specifically had to achieve.
- Action: what you did, in the first person and in order.
- Result: the outcome with a number, plus what changed afterwards.
Should you include visa status and referees?
State visa status when you are not a citizen or permanent resident, in one line — "Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482), valid to 2029" or "Full working rights, permanent resident". Employers screen for it early, particularly in healthcare, construction and hospitality.
Referees are optional on the document. The common practice is to write "Referees available on request" or to omit the section entirely and supply two contacts when asked. Only list names and numbers when the advertisement explicitly requires them, and get permission first.
Which licences and tickets belong on the resume?
Any licence the role legally requires, named exactly and with its expiry. Construction and trades need the White Card, plus relevant high-risk work licences; healthcare needs AHPRA registration; work with children or vulnerable people needs a Working with Children Check or NDIS clearance; drivers need the licence class.
Put these in their own section near the top for licensed roles rather than burying them under education. For many Australian employers a missing ticket is a hard stop, and a recruiter should not have to hunt for it.
Commonly required Australian credentials
- White Card (construction induction) and high-risk work licences.
- AHPRA registration number and division, for regulated health professions.
- Working with Children Check, state-specific, with expiry.
- NDIS Worker Screening Check for disability support roles.
- Driver licence class, and forklift or heavy vehicle licences where relevant.
- First aid and CPR currency, with the date last completed.
How do you write achievements for Australian employers?
Use the same action-metric-outcome structure that works anywhere, with Australian spelling and local scale references. "Managed a $4.2M annual maintenance budget across 12 sites in regional NSW, cutting unplanned downtime 23%" reads as local and verifiable; the same sentence without figures reads as a duty statement.
Australian hiring also weighs cultural fit and teamwork language more openly than the US market. Keep the numbers, but describe collaboration honestly where the role is team-based rather than claiming sole credit.
Do Australian employers use applicant tracking systems?
Yes — the major job boards, government portals and large private employers all parse resumes. Use a single column, standard headings, one date format and a text-based PDF, and keep contact details in the body rather than the page header.
Tailor per application: match the job title in your profile to the advertisement, and pull eight to twelve of its skill terms into your key skills section where they honestly apply.
Apply this in the builder
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Open the free resume builderResume examples for this guide
- Registered nurse resume example with registration details
- Electrician resume example with licences and tickets
- Project manager resume example with budget figures
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Frequently asked questions
How long should an Australian resume be?
Two to three pages. Australia is more generous with length than the US, and a full third page is normal for candidates with ten or more years of experience.
How do I answer selection criteria?
In a separate document, one response per criterion, using STAR — situation, task, action, result — and reusing the criterion's own wording in your first sentence.
Should I list referees on an Australian resume?
Only if the advertisement asks. Otherwise write "Referees available on request" or omit the section and supply two contacts when requested, with their permission.
Do I need to state my visa status?
Yes if you are not a citizen or permanent resident — for example "Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482), valid to 2029". Healthcare, construction and hospitality screen for it early.
Which licences should be on the resume?
Any the role legally requires, named with expiry: White Card and high-risk work licences, AHPRA registration, Working with Children Check, NDIS screening, and driver licence class.
Should an Australian resume include a photo?
No. Leave out the photo, date of birth, marital status and nationality — Australian employers avoid collecting them and their presence reads as unfamiliarity with local hiring.