Tips for writing competitive Aussie CV's

[ozymandias]

thanks so much, appreciate all the advice

[Somudra]

#Freeckleface,

 

I am a matured aged man based in Canberra, got bachelor & masters in IT, but away from my profession for many years. My result is also not good, but I want to go back my own field and want to work in IT. What will be my option about me ? and how can I prepare my CV ? any help for me

[Freckleface]

#Freeckleface,

 

I am a matured aged man based in Canberra, got bachelor & masters in IT, but away from my profession for many years. My result is also not good, but I want to go back my own field and want to work in IT. What will be my option about me ? and how can I prepare my CV ? any help for me

 

 

Hi Somudra

 

I think you are going to need more help than I can give you via PIO if you have been working outside the IT area for a long time.

 

I suggest you make contact with M&T Resources. They have an office in Canberra and do a lot of permanent and contract placements in IT. They are a Division of SMS Management & Technology and have a good reputation as a reputable company. They should be able to give you an honest opinion about your prospects and point you in the right direction.

 

This is a link to their website http://www.mtr.com.au/index.php

 

Good luck

[Romanluch]

Hi, Freckleface,

Thanks for the tips - they are very helpful. Unfortunately, I can't download the CV template - it says "Invalid Attachment specified". I would greately appreciate if you could attach the CV template again.

Thanks again,

Roman

[Freckleface]

Hi, Freckleface,

Thanks for the tips - they are very helpful. Unfortunately, I can't download the CV template - it says "Invalid Attachment specified". I would greately appreciate if you could attach the CV template again.

Thanks again,

Roman

 

 

It looks as though I have accidentally deleted the attachment during a recent clean up and I didn't keep the original so can't reload it.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Freckleface

[Romanluch]

It looks as though I have accidentally deleted the attachment during a recent clean up and I didn't keep the original so can't reload it.

 

Thanks, Freckleface. Too bad. Maybe anyone has saved it and can attach it back to this thread?

Thanks.

[thebokke]

Thanks, Freckleface. Too bad. Maybe anyone has saved it and can attach it back to this thread?

Thanks.

 

Great post Freckleface, I'm in the process of reviewing my CV and the advice given will be really helpful. Does anybody else have a copy of the template they could re-post?

[wolvesaussie]

I may have a copy freckleface I will check in the morning if required. I contacted that place a few months back as im in IT as well but they didnt reply. keep meaning to give them a call

[thebokke]

I may have a copy freckleface I will check in the morning if required. I contacted that place a few months back as im in IT as well but they didnt reply. keep meaning to give them a call

 

 

Any joy wolves?

 

Freckleface, the CV I updated for aussie roles has a short profile section on the first page. Without seeing your template do you recommend this be removed? Its not so much a career objective rather a snapshot of who I am.

 

For each role I have worked in I had listed the responsibilities and then a section on achievements, but it was less wordy than your examples on pg1, so will rewrite the responsibilities in a role profile and ellaborate on some of the achievements.

 

In order on the sections mine goes Profile -> Work History -> Education -> Skills. I've got 10yrs experience and a Masters degree and work at mid-senior level for a large multinational manufacturing business. Does the running order seem logical?

 

Many thanks for the advice.

[Freckleface]

Any joy wolves?

 

Freckleface, the CV I updated for aussie roles has a short profile section on the first page. Without seeing your template do you recommend this be removed? Its not so much a career objective rather a snapshot of who I am.

 

For each role I have worked in I had listed the responsibilities and then a section on achievements, but it was less wordy than your examples on pg1, so will rewrite the responsibilities in a role profile and ellaborate on some of the achievements.

 

In order on the sections mine goes Profile -> Work History -> Education -> Skills. I've got 10yrs experience and a Masters degree and work at mid-senior level for a large multinational manufacturing business. Does the running order seem logical?

 

Many thanks for the advice.

 

 

Hi

 

Sorry it has taken me a few days to respond. I don't visit PIO very much anymore so have just found your post.

 

I'll send you a PM tonight - so check your inbox for it when you see this.

[wishpomsoz]

Thanks for the well complied information regarding Aussie CV.

It will really be a good support while making a CV.

[kylel39]

Just a thanks to FreckleFace for the assistance with my CV, Greatly appreciated.

 

Kyle

[Freckleface]

Just a thanks to FreckleFace for the assistance with my CV, Greatly appreciated.

 

Kyle

 

You are more than welcome Kyle. Hope everything works out for you.

[barnsey10]

You are more than welcome Kyle. Hope everything works out for you.

 

Hi Freckleface,

 

I'm moving to Perth in the next few months. Looking for some advice converting my CV to Aussie.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

 

TMCV3.doc

 

TMCV3.doc

[nicolac34]

I've just stumbled across this post - wish I'd seen it months ago Freckle - you're very kind for sharing!! My OH has been looking for work for the past 8 months in Perth, he has a law degree and corporate governance/compliance experience - but this seems thin on the ground here. We've played around with his CV numerous times but I'd really appreciate it if you could give it a glance and point out any glaring errors in what we are doing - or recommend anyone that might be able to help in Perth? I'll PM it to you if that's ok? In 8 months he's had 6 interviews and all have received him positively, but have gone with someone else in the end. We've had a bit of feedback saying that his CV lacks continuity - but he's unfortunatly a victim of the recession, made redundant in 2009 and since then he's only managed to get contract or temping roles, which makes him look like he doesn't stick anywhere!

 

 

 

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Edited April 16, 2013 by nicolac34

[Freckleface]

Hi Freckleface,

 

I'm moving to Perth in the next few months. Looking for some advice converting my CV to Aussie.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

 

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Hi Tony - I read your CV tonight and have sent you a PM.

[Freckleface]

I've just stumbled across this post - wish I'd seen it months ago Freckle - you're very kind for sharing!! My OH has been looking for work for the past 8 months in Perth, he has a law degree and corporate governance/compliance experience - but this seems thin on the ground here. We've played around with his CV numerous times but I'd really appreciate it if you could give it a glance and point out any glaring errors in what we are doing - or recommend anyone that might be able to help in Perth? I'll PM it to you if that's ok? In 8 months he's had 6 interviews and all have received him positively, but have gone with someone else in the end. We've had a bit of feedback saying that his CV lacks continuity - but he's unfortunatly a victim of the recession, made redundant in 2009 and since then he's only managed to get contract or temping roles, which makes him look like he doesn't stick anywhere!

 

 

 

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​I've sent you a PM

[Guest guest48800]

Hi Freckleface, thanks for this thread it's great!

would you mind taking a look at my OH's CV please? Appreciate you've probably been bombarded, but would be extremely grateful

[ANIL BHARDWAJ]

Thanks for the tips.I would be thankful if some specific tips for construction civil engineer job is given

.

[SussexBear]

Hi Any chance of reloading your template please??

:cute:

 

Thank you!!

[Guest]

In order to help you access the validity of the guidance offered below I thought I would share a little of my background. Early in my career I was as Organisational Psychologist (as it’s called these days) but then completed a master’s degree in business administration and began climbing the corporate ladder. I am currently the CEO of a large Australian company with a Division that specialises in executive management recruitment.

 

While some specialist roles require specialised CV’s the following generic information is provided in the hope it will assist some people who are unsure of how to prepare a CV that is competitive in the Australian market. The guidance is not meant to be all encompassing and will not suit all circumstances or roles. It is inappropriate for senior executives.

You might agree with some of it, all of it or none of it. I hope it is useful to some of you.

 

General

You should tailor your CV for each application you submit as every role is unique and requires a different mix of your capabilities, qualifications and experience. When responding to advertisements pay close attention to the role description and ensure you focus on the capabilities required by the employer. Acknowledge the breadth of your experience but highlight the capabilities which align most closely with the stated requirements. Be careful to match the pitch of your application to the level of the role unless you want to be assessed as under or over qualified. Also be mindful of the tone of your application. Aggressively selling yourself will suit sales roles but is unlikely to be useful if you are applying for a role that requires a softer touch. Ensure you follow any instructions regarding formatting, word limits and submission requirements.

 

If there is a contact officer listed in an advertisement, call them. They will invariably provide additional information and insight into the person the company is hoping to employ. The information they give you will assist in further refining the information you provide in your CV.

 

As a general rule your CV should not exceed 4 pages. Prospective employers and recruiters will spend approximately 1 to 2 minutes reading your CV to determine if you will be culled or if the CV will be read in greater detail. For this reason you need to ensure your writing style is concise but informative.

 

Keep the layout of your CV simple and do not use colour. It needs to look good in black and white as it will probably be photocopied and distributed to more than one reviewer.

Avoid the use of cover pages – we discard them. However you can and should include your full name in either the header or footer of each page in case a page becomes orphaned during photocopying.

 

Do not include your gender, age, marital status, ethnicity or religion unless specifically asked to do so. Do not include information about your children and pets (yes some people actually do that).

 

Use spell check. Realise spell check will not pick up the misuse of some words (such as there / their). If you are not a good speller – have someone else read over your work.

Unless specifically asked to provide a career objective I would avoid doing so. If your objective is at odds with the strategic direction of the company or does not quite align with where the company hopes you will wish to develop you could be ruled out of contention based on your stated objectives.

 

Education/Qualifications (include this either just before or just after Professional Experience)

Focus on those qualifications that are relevant to the position applied for. Include Bachelor Degrees and above in unrelated fields but be careful about looking over qualified. Do not include every qualification or course you have ever undertaken unless they are all relevant to the role. Do not include school leaving qualifications if you have a Bachelor Degree as the information is redundant.

 

Professional Experience

This area of your CV is critical. You need to make the link between your experience and what the employer is looking for. Don’t rely on them making the link between your experience and the role on offer. While duties/responsibilities lists are suitable for lower level positions they become significantly less effective as you begin to climb the corporate ladder. Instead of lists consider providing Role Overviews backed up by examples of your achievements. This gives the reader a much better understanding of your capabilities. I have prepared a CV template so you can see what it looks like when you do it this way. I’ll try to load it after I do this post (am not great at loading attachments though).

 

Role Overviews do not need to be long winded when written in a narrative style. For example the role overview for a lower level Business Manager might read something like this:

 

Drive the development and delivery of initiatives to address deficiencies in XYZ’s approach to Resource Management. Facilitate and support the successful delivery of related projects including the company’s new Website. Oversee a $5.4M budget and 40-member team.

A selected achievement might read something like:

 

• Developed and leveraged relationships with key stakeholders to re-align the scope of the Website project to achieve increased cohesiveness with other key projects such as the Information Management System. Influenced the correction of flawed assumptions regarding the architecture of the website and reduced the overall risk to the project. Saved 32% in development costs and shaved five months off the project schedule.

 

If you have managed a difficult team it is worth talking about. It might read something like:

 

• Achieved positive behavioural change in a team identified as ‘challenging’ by fostering an environment where team members understood the value of their work and its links to wider Company objectives. Empowered team members to apply their experience and intelligence to roles within a team structure aligned to leverage their strengths achieving superior levels of engagement, innovation and productivity in a previously disenfranchised team.

 

As a general rule of thumb restrict each role to around half of one A4 size page. Any more is probably too much which is just as bad as not enough.

You are not obliged to include every role you have ever held. If you have been in the workforce for a long time consider only including roles over the last 10 years unless your best experience pre-dates that time frame.

 

If possible demonstrate career development in your CV. If you have ‘downsized’ your career or moved sideways, you might consider a brief reference to the circumstances that motived your move. For example – By accepting a less senior role, I was able to accommodate part-time graduate study.

Australia operates in the Asia/Pacific region so do not harp on about your European experience to the exclusion of everything else in the belief employers will be dazzled by your worldly experience. Research the company you are applying to – if they do a lot of business in the European market then by all means draw attention to your experience there. If the business operates more in the Asia/Pacific you need to explain how your European experience can still benefit a company working predominantly in the Asia/Pacific market. Identify how your experience will translate well to a new market.

 

References and referees

Do not include written references. It is unlikely they will be read and is considered very old fashioned. You are not obliged to provide referees or their contact details in your CV unless specifically asked to do so. It is acceptable to indicate – Referees will be provided on request.

Optional Extras

If one of the following will strengthen your application include them – but otherwise don’t as they will likely weaken your position. Providing redundant or irrelevant information will raise questions about your ability to exercise sound judgement.

 

• Professional affiliations and memberships

• Licences and accreditations

• Awards

• Publications (where you have authored the article)

• Foreign Languages spoken or written

 

Cheers,

 

Hi Freckleface, thank you for your post. I wondered if might have a similar Cv template to that uploaded previously that you can share?

 

Thank you

[Freckleface]

Hi Freckleface, thank you for your post. I wondered if might have a similar Cv template to that uploaded previously that you can share?

 

Thank you

 

 

Sorry AU57EN but I accidently deleted it and didn't keep the original.

[Guest]

Sorry AU57EN but I accidently deleted it and didn't keep the original.

 

No problem. Worth asking. Thanks again for the original article

[caroline84]

I was wondering if someone could possibly take a look at my CV and give me some advice/pointers. All of my work experience was in the US, although I'm from the UK.

 

Please let me know via PM.

 

I really appreciate it.

 

Caroline

[Kenny Mclachlan]

Most of the best advice has been covered within areas of this thread already, but to reiterate just a couple of them:

 

1. Make sure you tailor the content for the job you are applying for (or to the company you are approaching if no job is yet advertised) - generic Resumes are easily spotted and reek of laziness and desperation!

2. Do a covering letter. This is your very brief opportunity to highlight aspects of your Resume that fulfil the job role the hiring manager is looking to fill. Do this right and you have a better chance of the person actually reading your resume (as opposed to spending the '30 second skim' on it).

 

These two tips should increase your chances of getting shortlisted for that interview. Remember - you are using a resume to get an interview, not get a job. The interview will get you the job!

Edited October 15, 2013 by Kenny Mclachlan