Free Australian resume template
An A4 resume in the format Australian employers expect: about two pages, most recent job first, licences with expiry dates, and referees at the end. Download the Word template, replace the prompts in square brackets, and send it. No sign-up.
- Word and PDF
- A4
- No sign-up, no watermark
What’s in it, in order
- Name, phone, email, suburb and state, and your work rights
- Career summary: two or three lines, rewritten for each job
- Key skills: job-specific and general
- Employment history, most recent first
- Education and training, most recent first
- Licences and certificates, with expiry dates
- Volunteering and interests, and referees with contact details
The blank template
Template (Word)
Also available: the example as a Word file.
Australian resume format
What Australian employers expect
Based on the Australian Government’s own resume advice. Sources are listed below.
About two pages. Shorter if you’re starting out, a little longer if you have a lot of relevant experience. Keep the layout simple and easy to scan.
Most recent first. List your jobs, then your education, starting with the latest. For each job give the title, the employer, when you worked there and what you did. Unpaid and volunteer work counts. With little work experience, put education before employment.
Licences, with expiry dates. Driver licence, first aid, White Card, Working with Children Check, Responsible Service of Alcohol: include the ones relevant to the job, and when each expires.
Referees with contact details. Choose people who have supervised you, not relatives. Ask them first and confirm their details.
Use the job ad’s words. Put your most relevant skills near the top, use the keywords the employer uses where they’re true for you, and take out what doesn’t support the application.
Work rights and personal details. Stating your work rights under your name (“Australian citizen”, “Permanent resident”, or your visa) saves the employer asking; that’s common practice rather than a rule. Leave out your photo, date of birth and marital status: age, marital status and similar attributes are protected under the Fair Work Act, including for job applicants.
Applying for a government job? You’ll often need to respond to selection criteria too. See 8 selection criteria examples and a free template.
Or build it online
One resume, tailored to every job ad
In CandidThread you enter your experience once and pick from 8 free templates on A4, with PDF and Word downloads. For each job ad, it shows which requirements your resume proves and helps you reword it, using only what you’ve really done.
Before you apply, check your resume against the job ad. It’s free and needs no account.
Questions
About the Australian resume template
Sources: Workforce Australia (Australian Government): Write a resume; Fair Work Ombudsman: Protection from discrimination at work.
Is the template really free?
Yes. Download it directly, with no account, no email and no watermark, and use it for as many applications as you like.
How long should a resume be in Australia?
About two pages, according to the Australian Government’s Workforce Australia service. It can be shorter if you’re starting out, or a little longer with a lot of relevant experience.
Should I include referees, or write “available on request”?
Workforce Australia advises including your referees’ contact details: people who have supervised you, from paid work, work experience or volunteering. Always ask them first and check their details.
Do I need a photo, my age or date of birth?
No. Australian resumes leave these out, along with marital status and religion. Under the Fair Work Act, employers can’t refuse to hire someone because of attributes like age, race, sex or marital status.
Word or PDF?
Either is a common format. Send what the job ad asks for; if it doesn’t say, a PDF keeps your layout exactly as you made it.
Can I use it in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs. The layout carries over; download it as a PDF when you’re done.
Government job? Resume or CV?
In Australia “resume” and “CV” usually mean the same document. Government jobs often ask for responses to selection criteria as well: see our selection criteria examples and template.