Resume Template Australia: Free Word Download and Examples
An Australian resume runs to two pages in a standard order: contact details, career summary, key skills, employment history (newest first), education, licences and tickets, then referees. It leaves out a photo, date of birth and marital status. The free template below follows that order. Australian employers say "resume" and "CV" for the same document, so this works for both.
⬇ Download the free Australian resume template (Word, .docx). It opens in Word, Google Docs or Pages. Delete the [bracketed] guidance before you send it.
The Australian resume format, section by section
| Section | What goes in it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Contact details | Name, suburb and state, mobile, email, optional LinkedIn | Full street address (suburb is enough) |
| Career summary | 2–3 sentences: experience, strongest skill, what you want next | A generic "hard-working team player" line |
| Key skills | 4–8 skills copied from the job ad's wording, where true | Listing skills the job doesn't ask for |
| Employment history | Title, employer, suburb, dates, then 3–5 bullet points per job | Duties with no results or numbers |
| Education and training | Highest qualification first; TAFE and short courses count | High school details when you have a later qualification |
| Licences, tickets, checks | Driver licence, White Card, forklift, RSA, first aid, police clearance, WWC | Leaving it off: in WA this section often decides the shortlist |
| Referees | "Available on request", or two names if the ad asks for them | Listing referees who don't know they're listed |
What to leave off an Australian resume
- Photo, date of birth, marital status, religion. Employers don't need them and most prefer not to receive them.
- Every job since school. Cover the last 10 years in detail, then summarise older roles in one line.
- Salary history. Discuss pay at interview, not on the resume.
- Fancy graphics and columns. Some employers screen resumes with software that misreads tables and text boxes. The template uses plain formatting for that reason.
Resume examples you can adapt
Retail assistant (career summary)
"Friendly retail assistant with 2 years of experience at a high-volume Perth supermarket. Confident on POS, stock rotation and closing procedures. Available weekends and public holidays, and looking for a permanent part-time role in the northern suburbs."
Warehouse storeperson (employment bullet points)
- "Picked and packed an average of 180 orders per shift at 99.6% accuracy using RF scanners."
- "Operated a counterbalance forklift (LF licence) loading B-double trailers with no incidents over 18 months."
- "Trained four new starters on manual handling and the site's dispatch procedure."
Administration officer (key skills)
- "Accounts payable and receivable in Xero and MYOB"
- "Typing speed of 65 wpm with high accuracy"
- "Reception for a 40-person office, including switchboard and visitor sign-in"
Tailor it in five minutes per job
- Copy the three most important requirements from the job ad.
- Make sure each one appears in your key skills or a bullet point, in similar words.
- Move your most relevant job's bullet points to the top of that role.
- Rewrite the career summary's last sentence to name the role you're applying for.
- Save as a PDF named
Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.
Pair it with a short, specific cover letter, then search current Perth jobs. If you're starting out, read how to get a job in Perth without experience.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a resume be in Australia?
Two pages suits most people. Graduates and school leavers can use one page; senior professionals sometimes need three.
Is a CV the same as a resume in Australia?
For most jobs, yes. Australian employers use the words interchangeably. The longer academic CV is only expected for research and university roles.
Should I list referees on my resume?
Write "Available on request" unless the job ad asks for referees. Government applications often do. Always ask your referees first.