Resume format guide
How to Format a Resume for Australia
Australian resumes follow British conventions with a few local quirks. The standard document is one to two pages, reverse-chronological, with no photo and no date of birth. Recruiters expect British spelling (organise, specialise, licence as the noun) and DD/MM/YYYY dates.
What stands out in Australia is how much of the hiring runs through eligibility checks: the right to work, licences, tickets, Working With Children Checks, and police checks for care roles. If the role requires an eligibility item, name it near the top — 'Full working rights in Australia' or 'White Card' — because screeners look for it before reading your history.
Australian employers read tone as evidence of fit: plain, concrete, and not oversold. Superannuation notice periods and four-week notice conventions mean recruiters often want a start date; stating your availability is a small touch that helps.
This page covers the format rules; the regional guides linked below cover state-specific licensing and role requirements in detail.
Page length and structure
One page for early-career candidates, two pages for experienced professionals. Three pages is only normal in the public sector, where complete work histories with month-level dates are expected and gaps are queried.
Order sections conventionally: contact details, professional summary, key skills, work experience, education, and certifications. Australian resumes commonly place licences and tickets — White Card, RSA, HRW, driver classes — directly under the summary for trade, hospitality, and resources roles.
Personal details: what to include and what to leave off
Include name, suburb and state, phone, email, and LinkedIn. Do not include a photo, date of birth, marital status, or nationality — Australian anti-discrimination norms and employer policy make them at best ignored and at worst a liability for the recruiter receiving them.
State your working rights in one line if you are not a citizen: 'Full working rights — Australian citizen' or 'Subclass 482 visa, valid to 2028'. Recruiters ask early anyway; answering it in the document saves a screening step.
Date formats and spelling
Use DD/MM/YYYY or 'Month YYYY' ('March 2024') consistently, and month-level dates for all roles. Australian recruiters notice American date ambiguity immediately, and background-check providers require exact dates.
Use British spelling throughout: organise, specialise, programme (except 'program' for computer programs), licence as the noun and license as the verb. Resume and CV are used interchangeably in Australia; the document is the same thing.
References
Australian recruiters check references by phone, often early. Two professional referees with name, role, and phone number is standard; 'References available on request' is acceptable but adds nothing. Brief your referees — a call they were not expecting is a bad first impression.
Key takeaways
One to two pages; three only for public sector roles with complete histories
No photo, no date of birth, no marital status
British spelling and DD/MM/YYYY or Month YYYY dates throughout
Name working rights, licences, and eligibility items near the top
Two referees with phone numbers, briefed before you apply
Australia resume examples
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