Australia CV Guide 2026: Complete Guide for Job Seekers

If you are looking for a job in Australia in 2026, you need a CV that matches Australian employer expectations. Unlike the USA (where “resume” is standard) or the UK (where “CV” and “resume” are used interchangeably), Australia firmly uses the term CV (Curriculum Vitae) for most professional roles. This guide covers everything you need to know about Australian CV format, top job platforms like Seek, Indeed Australia, and LinkedIn, plus insider tips to pass ATS screening and land interviews Down Under.

Key Differences: Australia CV vs. USA Resume vs. UK CV

• Terminology: “CV” is standard in Australia (not “resume” as in the USA).
• No photo – Including a photo is strongly discouraged and can lead to bias concerns, similar to the UK and Canada.
• No date of birth, marital status, or gender – Anti-discrimination laws under the Fair Work Act 2009 prohibit requesting personal details.
• 2–3 pages standard – One page for graduates/entry-level; 2–3 pages for experienced professionals. Four+ pages only for academic or senior executive roles.
• Reverse chronological order – Most recent role first, as in the UK and USA.
• Professional summary required – A 3–5 sentence “Professional Profile” at the top is expected by Australian recruiters.
• Include a phone number with country code – Australian mobile numbers start with 04xx xxx xxx (format: +61 4xx xxx xxx).
• Include visa status / work rights – Critical for temporary residents, international students, and migrants. State clearly: “Australian Citizen”, “Permanent Resident”, “Valid Work Visa (subclass 482)”, or “Full Working Rights”.

Top Job Platforms in Australia (2026)

1. Seek (seek.com.au)

Australia’s largest job platform with over 300,000+ active listings. Seek dominates the market across all industries — from healthcare and education to IT, finance, and trades. Seek uses its own AI-powered matching system that scans CVs for relevant keywords. Upload your CV as a Word document (.docx) rather than PDF for best ATS compatibility on Seek.

2. Indeed Australia (au.indeed.com)

Second-largest platform with a massive volume of listings, especially in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and administrative roles. Indeed’s ATS (Indeed Assessments) screens candidates based on skill tests and keyword matching. Create a complete Indeed profile with verified skills assessments to boost your ranking.

3. LinkedIn Australia (linkedin.com)

Essential for professional networking across Australia. Widely used in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth for white-collar roles in tech, finance, consulting, engineering, and marketing. Set your location to an Australian city, enable #OpenToWork, and join Australian industry groups. Recruiters actively search LinkedIn for candidates with Australian-specific keywords.

4. Jora (jora.com.au)

A fast-growing job aggregator that pulls listings from thousands of company career pages, recruitment agencies, and other platforms. Free for job seekers and popular in regional and remote areas. Good for hospitality, trade, and seasonal work.

5. APS Jobs (apsjobs.gov.au)

The Australian Public Service’s official recruitment platform. Used for federal government roles in Canberra, state capitals, and regional centres. Requires a separate APS-specific application process with “Selection Criteria” responses — a unique Australian requirement where you must address each criterion individually with specific examples (using the STAR method).

6. Recruitment Agencies

Major agencies like Hays, Robert Half, Randstad, Michael Page, and Chandler Macleod place a large percentage of Australian professionals. Registering with multiple agencies and having an ATS-optimised CV is essential as these firms screen candidates digitally before presenting to clients.

ATS Systems Used in Australia

To pass any Australian ATS:

• Use standard section headings: Professional Summary, Work Experience / Employment History, Education, Skills, Certifications, References
• Avoid tables, columns, text boxes, images, and graphics
• Save as .docx (Word) for Seek and most agencies; PDF only if the job ad specifies it
• Include Australian-specific keywords: “Australian work rights”, “NSW”, “Victoria”, “Melbourne CBD”, “Sydney Metro”, “WH&S” (Work Health & Safety), “Fair Work Act”, “superannuation”, “STP” (Single Touch Payroll), “GST”, “ABN”

Australian CV Sections (2026)

1. Contact Information – Full name, phone (+61 mobile number), email, LinkedIn URL, suburb/city and state (e.g., “Surry Hills, NSW 2010”). Do NOT include full street address, date of birth, marital status, or photo.
2. Professional Profile / Summary – 3–5 sentences summarising your experience, key achievements, and what you bring to an Australian employer. Example: “Results-driven marketing professional with 8+ years of experience in digital strategy across Sydney and Melbourne. Proven track record of delivering 30%+ ROI growth for ASX-listed retail brands.”
3. Key Skills / Core Competencies – A bulleted list of 8–12 relevant hard and soft skills. Align these with keywords from Australian job ads in your field.
4. Professional Experience – Reverse chronological: company name, location (city/state), job title, dates (month/year). Include 3–6 bullet points per role with quantified achievements using Australian English spelling (e.g., “organise” not “organize”, “analyse” not “analyze”, “centre” not “center”).
5. Education – Degree, institution, location, graduation year. For overseas qualifications, include the Australian equivalent (check via AEI-NOOSR or skills assessment bodies).
6. Certifications & Professional Memberships – Australian certifications (e.g., CPA Australia, Engineers Australia membership, PMP, CHIA, SCA (Security), White Card for construction, Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA)).
7. Additional Sections – Volunteer experience, languages, technical proficiencies, professional affiliations. Include Referees (Australian term for references) — “References available upon request” is standard, but some employers expect 2–3 referee names and contact details.

Australian English Spelling & Vocabulary

Australian English follows British spelling conventions. Using American spelling can hurt your application with ATS keyword matching and human recruiters alike.

Australian Cover Letter Etiquette

• Still widely required – Most professional roles in Australia expect a tailored cover letter.
• Keep to one page – Australian hiring managers value brevity.
• Address by name – “Dear Mr/Ms [Last Name]” or “Dear [First Name]” depending on company culture.
• State your work rights – Clarify visa/citizenship status upfront.
• Use Australian English – Spelling and vocabulary should match Australian conventions.
• Close professionally – “Yours sincerely” (if addressed by name) or “Yours faithfully” (if addressed as “Dear Sir/Madam”).

Salary Expectations in Australia (2026)

Note: Salary ranges vary by industry. Tech, mining, and finance roles tend to be higher. The National Minimum Wage in Australia (July 2025–2026) is approximately $24.10/hour or $915.90/week for full-time adults.

State-Specific Job Market Tips

• New South Wales (Sydney): Finance, tech, professional services, healthcare. Seek and LinkedIn dominate. Banking and insurance are major employers.
• Victoria (Melbourne): Creative industries, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, education. Strong government and healthcare sectors.
• Queensland (Brisbane): Tourism, construction, healthcare, education, mining support services. Growing tech scene.
• Western Australia (Perth): Mining, oil & gas, engineering, construction. FIFO (Fly-In Fly-Out) roles common. PageUp and SuccessFactors widely used.
• South Australia (Adelaide): Defence, space, advanced manufacturing, health. Growing defence sector (ASC, Lockheed Martin Australia).
• Australian Capital Territory (Canberra): Government/public sector, defence, consulting. APS Jobs and LinkedIn are primary platforms. Baseline security clearance is a major advantage.
• Tasmania & Northern Territory: Tourism, agriculture, government, health. Jora and Seek are most active.

CV Tips for International Students & Migrants

• State your visa clearly – Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485), Skilled Work Regional Visa (subclass 491), or Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) holders should state their work rights and expiry date.
• Include Australian experience – Even internships, volunteering, study placements, or part-time work in Australia counts as “local experience”.
• Get a skills assessment – For regulated professions (engineering, accounting, healthcare, teaching), get your qualifications assessed by the relevant assessing authority (Engineers Australia, CPA, AHPRA, etc.).
• Consider regional opportunities – The Australian government offers DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreements) and regional visas that prioritise candidates willing to work outside major cities.
• Network actively – 60-70% of Australian jobs are found through networking and referrals, not direct applications. Attend industry events, join relevant LinkedIn groups, and connect with recruiters.

Frequently Asked Questions

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