Read the tips in green and then follow the example in black to write your own perfect CV.

We have used a Human Resources Business Partner’s expertise as the basis for our guide.

​

GENERAL 

​

 

• CV’s should be clear, concise and easy to read; using lots of fonts/colours or logos/images can make your CV look cluttered and untidy.

• Many job boards or career portals only accept attachments that are under a certain amount of MB, therefore a simple CV layout also means you will be able to upload it more easily.

• Keep your CV to a maximum of three-pages if possible.  

• Maintain consistent formatting throughout the whole document. 

• After you’ve proofread your CV, proofread your CV again and then again! Errors in spelling, grammar or even layout can be easy reasons for an employer to reject your CV, especially if they have received a large number of applications. 

​

​

​

PERSONAL DETAILS

​

• The 'personal details' section on your CV doesn’t need a title.

• Ensure your personal details are up-to-date and accurate. 

• Provide an email address that is work-appropriate; humorous or overtly personal email addresses may be viewed as unprofessional.

• Don’t add a photo to your resume, unless there is a specific request from the employer to do so.

• There is no requirement to add your date of birth to a CV, and most CV writers would advise against it.

• If you are not a citizen of the country where the position is based, you should also include details of your working rights in this section.

 

EXAMPLE:

YOUR NAME

123 My Street, My Suburb, NSW 2000 

0415 *** ***

****@domainname.com 

Australian Permanent Resident

​

​

​

SUMMARY / OVERVIEW

​

• A Summary or Overview’ section isn’t essential to your CV. However, it can be a great way of drawing attention to your ‘soft skills’ or adding personal information that is relevant to your application, such as extra details on your working rights or availability. 

• If you are adding an overview - make sure it is tailored for each and every role for which you apply; to do so, you could include something you know about the employer’s values and/or the requirements of the specific position.

• If you intend to outline your objectives or goals within this section, again you should ensure that they align specifically to each application you make.  

​​

EXAMPLE:

OVERVIEW

​

I am a graduate in Human Resources Management and offer ten years of experience in HR-generalist positions. Having worked in several high-pressured commercial environments, I have developed strong negotiation skills, and I am well-versed in supporting stakeholders through significant change and business transformation.

 ​

​I also offer experience in end-to-end recruitment, performance management and have been heavily involved in the roll-out of a new HRIS.​

​

I am committed to a career in Human Resources, and I am ideally looking to secure a varied generalist role in a professional services environment.​

​

I am available for work at short notice, having recently completed a fixed-term contract position. 

​

​

​

EDUCATION/TRAINING AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

​

• If you are applying for a role where vocational experience is more important than certificates or education, then move this section to after your work history to give your experience more prominence.

• If you’ve completed numerous training courses, then creating separate sections for education and training is preferable. 

• You should only list your education as far back as secondary/high school education. Information regarding prior schooling is not necessary. 

• In industries where a tertiary/vocational or professional membership/licence is required, list them clearly on your CV.

• If you are a member of professional organisations, you should also include them here. 

​

EXAMPLE:

EDUCATION

​

2010 - 2014                            University of ****, Sydney NSW 

BA (Hons.) HR Business Management 

​

2009                                       **** High School, Sydney NSW

HSC  

​

TRAINING & OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

 

2020

Current Working with Children Check 

 

2016 to date

Qualified **** (Licence No:*****)

​

​

SKILLS

• If you have skills that are specific to your industry or to the job for which you are applying, list them here. 

• This section could include software packages or other technical competencies. 

​​

EXAMPLE:

SKILLS  

​

- Advanced Microsoft Office

- Workday

- SAP

- Chris 21  

- Basic MYOB 

​

​

WORK EXPERIENCE

​

• List your work history in chronological order, starting with the most recent. 

• Listing duties as dot points will make your CV easier to read.  

• Provide as much detail as possible around your duties; more detail is better than less.  

• If you have a lengthy work history, you do not need to provide full details about all your positions. As a guide, you should provide a detailed overview of your work experience for the last ten years or the last three jobs, whichever is the longer period of time. Providing just employment dates, the company name and your job title will suffice for positions held over ten years ago. 

• Clearly mark fixed-term which position were contract, casual or temporary opportunities by adding that information next to the job title. 

• If you have been promoted whilst working for an employer, include details on each of the positions you held. However, keep the positions under one employer heading to prevent your CV looking disjointed. 

• Where there are gaps in your working history, provide information to explain those gaps (e.g. travel, caregiving,
  full-time study)

​

EXAMPLE:

WORK EXPERIENCE 

​

**** Partners LLP, Sydney NSW                                                       April 2019 - Date 

HR Business Partner

- List all your duties in detail

- Be sure to include any tasks you undertook that were not in your job specification

Achievements 

- Provide details of up to three quantifiable achievements.

- Achievements could include your involvement in successful projects or details about systems and processes you’ve helped to improve.

​

**** & Co, Sydney NSW                                                                May 2018 - April 2019 

HR Manager (12-month contract)  

- List all your duties in detail

- Be sure to include any relevant tasks you undertook that were not in your job specification

Achievements 

- Provide details of up to three quantifiable achievements.

- Achievements could include your involvement in successful projects or details about systems and processes you’ve helped to improve.

 

Career Break                                                                                 August 2017 - April 2018  

- Explain any gaps in your employment history; eg: travel, care-giving, parental leave.

​

**** Ltd, Sydney NSW                                                                   February 2014 - August 2017 

Senior HR Advisor (May 2015 - August 2017)

- List all your duties in detail

- Be sure to include any relevant tasks you undertook that were not in your job specification

Achievements 

- Provide details of up to three quantifiable achievements

- Achievements could include your involvement in successful projects or details about systems and processes you’ve helped to improve.​

HR Coordinator (February 2014 - August 2017)

- List your duties 

- If this job was over ten years ago, consider condensing the duties or focusing on the main responsibilities you 

Achievements 

- Provide details of up to three quantifiable achievements.

- If this job was over ten years ago, and you have already provided achievements on more recent work history, then this isn’t essential.  

 

**** Corporation                                                                          July 2012 - January 2014

Secretary to HR Director

- List your duties 

- If this job was over ten years ago, consider condensing the duties or only listing your primary responsibilities.

Achievements 

- If this job was over ten years ago, and you have already provided achievements on more recent work history, then this isn’t essential  

 

 ​

INTERESTS & OTHER 

​

• If you are a member of professional organisations, you should include them on your CV here. 

• Listing your interests and non-work experience can create talking points at interview or add weight to your application. However, use your judgement; your CV is a professional marketing tool, and not all of your personal interests will be helpful to your application. 

​​

EXAMPLE:

VOLUNTARY POSITIONS & INTERESTS

​

- Board Member for My Town Theatre 

- Member of the Australian **** Association 

- Regular volunteer at **** charity

​​

​

REFERENCES

​

• You can choose not to put your referees' details on your CV. However, most employers will still require the details of two referees before they offer you work. You should be prepared for this and know in advance who you will use for your referees. 

• It’s courteous to let your referees know that you intend to use them as such.

• Referees should be people who have directly supervised your work and who will be easily contactable.

• Referees should not be related to you.

• Adding a link to your referees’ Linkedin profiles and giving their business-landline numbers will give your potential employer confidence in the authenticity of the referees you have chosen.

​​

EXAMPLE:

REFERENCES  

 

Margaret Nguyen

HR Director, 789 Corporation

e: *******@789corporation.com.au 

t: 02 *** *** 

m: 0415 *** *** 

l: linkedin.com/referee1 

​

Ahmed Fayed

HR Manager, 123 Company 

e: *******@123 Company.com.au 

t: 02 *** *** 

m: 0415 *** *** 

l: linkedin.com/referee2

​