Resumes or CVs

What to include

• Your name and contact details
  Make sure the employer knows how to contact you.  
• Professional summary or career objective
  Include a professional summary or career objective at the top of your resume or CV if you need to explain your situation to an employer. For example, if you had a long break from the work force or if you are changing careers. This should be 1 or 2 sentences.
• Education
  Include your highest year of school, training, or degree. Include the qualification, where you studied and when. Highlight any achievements, such as leadership positions, academic awards, or high average grades. Ensure that this information is shown in reverse chronological order, or (from most recent to oldest). 
• Relevant experience
  Include any paid or unpaid work experience you have.
• Skills
  Make a short list of relevant skills you can bring to the workplace. Include an example of where you have demonstrated the skill. These could be:
  • languages you can speak
  • technical skills such as software you are proficient in
  • leadership or problem-solving experience gained from school
  • special skills from extracurricular activities, such as sports, volunteering or charity work. 
• Qualifications and certificates
  List relevant courses you have completed. Include other qualifications if they are relevant. For example, mention your driver licence if the role requires driving, or your first aid certificate for sports or health-related roles.
• Extracurricular activities
  If you have little or no working experience, include your volunteering, community or sporting experience, or charity work. This allows you to share where you have demonstrated other skills that might be relevant for the role. It is also an opportunity to show how you have met goals and how your values align to the organisation.

• Insights about the organisation
  Research the employer before you apply and use this information in your resume or CV to show initiative and demonstrate a genuine desire to work with them.

• References (or referees)
  Include the contact details for 2 people who can speak about your professional skills. These may be employers where you worked or completed work experience. Or they may be community members you know through courses or volunteering. 

How to format

• The right length
  Your resume or CV should be 2 or 3 pages. If you are a high school student looking for your first job, your resume or CV can be 1 to 2 pages.  If you are a research student, or working in academia, your resume or CV may be longer. 
• A simple design
  Make your resume or CV easy to read using a font such as Calibri or Arial (size 11). If you need help with the layout, here is some inspiration. Do not use images or colours unless the employer has requested them. These might distract the employer and take the focus away from you. If you are applying for a role in design, it may be appropriate to have a resume or CV that uses colours or graphics.