Australian Resume Tips 2026 — How to Get Hired in Australia

Australia's job market has its own conventions — and getting them right signals to employers that you understand the local market. This guide covers everything you need to write a standout Australian resume in 2026.

AU Resume Format — The Non-Negotiables

• Length: 2–3 pages for most professionals. 3–4 pages acceptable for senior or highly technical roles. Entry level: 1–2 pages.
• Page size: A4 (not US Letter). Australia uses A4.
• Font: Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica at 10–12pt.
• Layout: Single column only. No tables, no text boxes, no graphics.
• Spelling: Australian English — colour, recognise, organise, programme.
• No photo: Do not include unless specifically requested.
• No date of birth, nationality, or marital status.

The Most Important AU Resume Rule — Quantify Everything

Australian employers expect measurable results in every single work experience bullet point. This is the biggest difference from NZ and British CVs. Every achievement should include at least one number: "Led a team of 12 engineers," "Reduced customer complaints by 34%," "Managed a $4.2M project portfolio." If you cannot quantify it, you need to rewrite it.

Keywords for AU ATS Systems

Australia's most common ATS platforms include PageUp (used widely in government and large corporates), JobAdder (recruiters), Workday (multinationals), and SmartRecruiters (tech companies). All parse single-column Word documents reliably. Extract 8–12 keywords from the job description and include them explicitly in your skills section.

File Naming for AU Applications

Use: FirstName-LastName-CV.docx or FirstName-LastName-Resume.docx. This signals local awareness — international applicants often use generic file names that signal they are applying to jobs globally rather than specifically targeting the AU market.

Australian Job Boards

SEEK.com.au dominates the Australian market. Also check LinkedIn, Indeed.com.au, CareerOne, and Jora. For government roles, check APSjobs.gov.au (federal) and individual state government jobs portals.