This checklist will help you assess and improve your resume for the Australian job market.

Important:
We suggest you attend a Writing a Successful Resume and Cover Letter workshop before
having your resume reviewed by a Careers Consultant. Please bring a completed copy of
this checklist to your Career Advice Appointment.
Resumes for overseas jobs:
If you are writing a resume to apply for a position outside Australia, a different resume
format may be required. Please see the book The Global Resume and CV Guide, available
at the UNSW Careers and Employment office.
For further advice and tips on applying for jobs, applying via email etc:
Refer to the Careers and Employment website at www.careers.unsw.edu.au.
Instructions:

Place a against all statements that you think apply to your resume draft.
Where you have not checked a box, review what you are trying to achieve in that
section - discuss with UNSW Careers and Employment if necessary.

General Formatting

Overall
Resume
Presentation
and Layout

Structure

The resume is tailored to specifically address the roles selection criteria

The presentation looks professional

Headings and subheadings clearly stand out

Fonts, dates and titles are formatted consistently throughout the resume

An easy-to-read font eg Arial or Calibri has been used

There is plenty of white space on every page

A footer has been included (eg Susie Graduate, page 1 of 3)

Only short paragraphs and bullet points have been used

The most relevant sections appear first

Within each section the most recent information has been placed first, then the next
most recent etc

Language

Point form has been used

Points begin with an active verb (eg Initiated /Coordinated /Created /Organised
/Demonstrated )
Key words and phrases relevant to your target work area have been used

Spelling, grammar and punctuation have been checked

The past tense has been used for events that happened in the past; present tense has
been used for current activities

Section by Section Review

Your name is the heading, not Resume or CV

Your name is only your first name and last name

You do not have your date of birth, gender, photo, marital status

Your e-mail address is professional looking and includes your name

Career Profile

Clearly states your 3 unique selling points that are relevant for the job

Education

Has been listed in reverse chronological order

If applicable, you can mention that you have a distinction average or higher.

Brief details of relevant research, course work projects, thesis subjects and
assignments may be included

Employment

Details of all jobs have been included

History

For each position there is a greater focus on achievements than on duties

Key Skills Summary

This is an optional section. The 3-4 most relevant skills and attributes for the role
can be used as subheadings

A specific example for each skill or attribute should be provided to clearly

demonstrate your level of competence in that area (use the STAR model),
Situation, Task, Action, Result

Awards

General or community awards have been listed (include academic awards in the
Education section; employment awards go in the Employment History section)

Professional

If you are a member of professional associations, your level of involvement has

been clearly explained for each industry or professional association listed

Other Training and

Development

Information has been included on relevant courses and conferences attended in

recent years

Languages

Optional section - only include if the job specifically has a language requirement

Residency/

An optional section include only if there is benefit in doing so

Extracurricular
Activities and
Interests

The extent to which you have been actively involved with each area of interest has
been clearly explained

Referees

Are either Available on request or:

Full referee contact details are included, with a brief explanation of the relationship

Name and
Contact Details

Memberships

Citizenship