Resume Writing

Resume writing is intimidating for most people, so don't worry, you're not alone! The difficulty for most people when writing their resume is knowing what to include, what not to, what to highlight, etc.

Below are some of the things you should consider when writing your resume.

Happy resume writing!

DATE OF BIRTH / AGE
Date of birth is usual but not mandatory. Although it’s discriminatory for an employer to judge your job suitability by your age, it’s sometimes helpful for a recruiter to know what you’ve accomplished at your age. If you are a relatively young person in a senior role it pays to put down your date of birth as it demonstrate that you have progressed up the career ladder very quickly.

ADDRESS
It’s important to include your address so that correspondence can be sent to you from the company.

CONTACT NUMBERS
This is a mandatory field. List all possible contact numbers and double check for errors. It would be unfortunate if someone wanted to contact you but had the incorrect number! Remember that unless you want your employer to know you’re job hunting – don’t include your work number! If you can’t answer personal calls during work, then make sure you activate your voicemail service and check your message during your breaks.

E-MAIL ADDRESS
Choose an email address that is professional (one that your mother would be proud of!). And if you include an email address - check it and check it regularly!

NATIONALITY
This is not mandatory but can be useful to quickly indicate that you may speak another language. Obviously it’s discriminatory if an employer bases his/her selection on nationality. However, putting down your nationality can work in your favour. For example, some employers view Australians and New Zealanders as diligent workers.

WORK DETAILS
This is not mandatory but is useful in clarifying your work rights in the country. Working holiday visas and other work restrictions need to be included here.
I.e. Working Holiday Visa or Student Visa with Work permission.

EDUCATION
Education details are usually stated in reverse chronological order. Remember you don’t have to go as far back as primary school! University, TAFE and/or secondary college details are all fine to include. Start with your most recent education, degree or postgraduate qualification. Ensure that you include dates, institution names and the town/city (full addresses are not required). If you have a high academic score you can include this as well but try to keep it short and relevant and don’t list all the subjects which you’ve studied. Always ask yourself ‘Does the employer really need to know this?’

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
It’s great to list your achievements and awards but remember to keep it relevant. The best way to do this is to look at the job specifications and then decide whether the award/achievement match. For example, it is appropriate to include an English aware at university if you’re applying for a Journalist position.

SKILLS & TRAINING
Include relevant technical skills and competencies and try to tailor the skills section to the job you are applying for. If you’ve done any training, which could be useful in the workplace, then make sure you list it here. Do be selective in what you choose to highlight.

OTHER LANGUAGES
Being multi-lingual is a major advantage in our globalised workplace. People who can speak more than one language will usually be preferred over those who don’t. If you speak even Basic German, include it, you can always clarify what level you’re at (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced).

CAREER HISTORY
This is the most important part of your CV. Employers expect you have some experience. Try to provide an overview of your responsibilities to help the employer make sense of your experiences to date. Don’t overlook relevant skills like project management, report writing or teamwork. Focus on your responsibilities, achievements in the role and highlight where skills were used or developed. Also try to give yourself a meaningful job title and show commercial awareness by using terminology relevant to the position. Focus on hard outcomes and achievements and try to quantify achievements where possible. Use sub-headings where required.

INTERESTS / ACTIVITIES
You can show your personality but still remain professional. Focus upon key words that demonstrate evidence of your skills and focus upon demonstrating appropriate behaviours that suit the role. Employers want to know about your interests because it also gives them an insight into your skills. They also want to see that you are a well-rounded individual.

REFERENCES
You can either include your reference details here or put ‘References on request’. Try to include at least two work-related references and one character reference (preferably an academic reference), and if you can, include your current employer. If you have limited work experience, list teachers/academics as references. Most importantly, always remember to ask your referees for permission first. It is a great idea to give them a courtesy call if you know they will be contacted. Finally, ensure that referee contact details are correct – if you’re a recruiter, there’s nothing more frustrating then chasing referees.