Preparing a CV for Australian jobs - Applying for positions

[Ciaran Durkin]

Hi

 

I have worked for a UK based Australian Nursing Recruitment company for many years now and have been asked many times about preparing a CV for an Australian employer so wanted to pass on some helpful tips for nurses but also for any other professions.

 

Main points to remember;

 

- DO NOT send a generic CV. Tailor your CV for every position you apply for including why you specifically want to work for that company/hospital and why you feel you would be suitable for their positions addressing the key criteria.

 

- DO NOT send a 10-15 page CV. I often receive CV's of 10-15 pages long, the people reading these CV's are reading many CV's and do not have the time to read such long CV's. A CV of 2-3 pages is long enough to give the employer an understanding of your experience. The interview is the opportunity to talk in greater detail.

 

- List your most recent experience first as this is what the hospital/employer will be interested in.

 

- Include a personal statement. This will give the chance to give an overview of your experience, circumstances and who will be relocating. This allows employers to get an understanding of your reasons for relocating, who with if relocating with family and an overview of your experience so they can understand quickly if you potentially would be suitable for their role.

 

- FOLLOW UP on every CV sent. Just because you do not get a response doesn't mean they aren't interested!!! They might receive hundreds of CV's a day so they may not have had chance to look at yours, following up will make you stand out from other applicants and demonstrate a determination to get the role.

 

Hopefully this can be of help in some way when preparing a CV/applying for a position in Australia.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Ciaran

[JRJones]

Completely in agreement with Ciaran re: the above.

 

I lead the Employability + Careers Svc at a University and have done recruitment prior to this and agree with all of the points above!

[Marisawright]

I've always had compliments on my CV and that's not quite how I do it.

 

A big YES to tailoring, BUT I never tailor my CV. I write a cover letter and that's what I tailor. It starts with "I wish to apply for the position of ..." and then continues with "I feel my skills and experience are ideally suited to the position as follows". Then I list the criteria from the job ad or position description, and for each one I explain why I fulfil that criteria.

 

If I were relocating then I'd add that on.

[Sammy1]

Just remember though, if you are applying for a teaching position, then two to three pages is nowhere near long enough. In WA, the National Teaching Standards have to be addressed for all applications to government schools, these should be about 4-5 pages long, together with a CV that is normally two to three pages.

If the standards are not addressed, then the application will not even be looked at. The cover letter should be tailored to the school that you are applying to, the CV does not need to be.

[Dazken Amac]

I've always had compliments on my CV and that's not quite how I do it.

 

A big YES to tailoring, BUT I never tailor my CV. I write a cover letter and that's what I tailor. It starts with "I wish to apply for the position of ..." and then continues with "I feel my skills and experience are ideally suited to the position as follows". Then I list the criteria from the job ad or position description, and for each one I explain why I fulfil that criteria.

 

If I were relocating then I'd add that on.

Thanks for the great tip...

If I email a cv of mine to you can you please help me point out the flaws or things that need to be amended. .