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Create ResumeA strong graduate resume in Australia should show your degree, relevant skills, internships, placements, projects, part time work, volunteering, achievements, and evidence that you can work in a professional environment. It does not need to look impressive in a theatrical way. It needs to be clear, relevant, honest, and easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to scan in under a minute.
The biggest mistake I see graduates make is trying to sound senior before they have earned senior experience. Hiring managers are not expecting a graduate to have ten years of commercial impact. They are looking for potential, reliability, communication skills, learning ability, and signs that you understand the job you are applying for. Your resume should make that obvious without making the reader dig for it.
A graduate resume has one main job: help the employer quickly understand whether you are a credible early career candidate for the role.
That sounds simple, but many graduate resumes fail because they are written like academic biographies, not job application documents. A resume is not a full history of everything you have ever studied, joined, attended, or vaguely contributed to. It is a positioning document.
For Australian graduate roles, employers usually want to know:
What you studied
When you graduated or expect to graduate
Whether your degree is relevant to the role
What practical experience you have
Whether you have transferable workplace skills
Whether you can communicate clearly
Use this structure for most Australian graduate job applications. It is clean, ATS friendly, and suitable for corporate, government, professional services, healthcare, technology, engineering, finance, marketing, administration, and general graduate roles.
Full Name
Mobile number
Email address
City, State
LinkedIn URL
Portfolio or GitHub URL, if relevant
Professional Summary
A final year or recent graduate in degree or field with experience in relevant experience area, strong skills in skill one, skill two, and skill three, and a clear interest in target role or industry. Known for work style strength, evidence of reliability, and the ability to practical contribution relevant to the job.
Education
Degree Name
University Name, City, State
Expected completion or graduation year
Relevant coursework: subject, subject, subject
Academic achievements: GPA, distinction average, scholarship, award, if strong and relevant
Major projects: brief project title and outcome, if relevant
Relevant Experience
Job Title, Company Name, Location
Whether you understand the type of work involved
Whether you have evidence of initiative, responsibility, or achievement
Whether your resume is easy to read and ATS friendly
Here is the hiring reality: for graduate roles, your resume is often judged less on how “impressive” you are and more on whether you look organised, relevant, trainable, and low risk.
Low risk sounds harsh, but it matters. Hiring managers know graduates need training. What they do not want is someone who looks careless, vague, difficult to place, or completely unaware of what the role involves.
Month Year to Month Year
Start each bullet with the skill, responsibility, or result most relevant to the role
Show what you did, who it helped, and what changed because of your work
Include tools, systems, stakeholders, customers, data, processes, or outcomes where relevant
Keep bullets honest and specific
Projects, Placements, or Internships
Project or Placement Title
University, organisation, or client name
Explain the purpose of the project or placement
Mention methods, tools, research, analysis, teamwork, or deliverables
Include outcomes where possible
Additional Work Experience
Job Title, Company Name, Location
Month Year to Month Year
Highlight transferable skills such as customer service, teamwork, problem solving, time management, communication, leadership, cash handling, complaint resolution, reporting, rostering, training, or administration
Avoid writing basic task lists unless the task shows useful workplace behaviour
Skills
Technical skills: tools, software, platforms, coding languages, systems, equipment
Professional skills: communication, stakeholder support, organisation, analysis, teamwork
Languages: only include languages you can use professionally
Certifications: only include relevant licences, training, or certificates
Volunteering, Leadership, or Extracurriculars
Role, organisation, dates
Include this section only if it strengthens your application
Focus on responsibility, initiative, coordination, communication, or community contribution
Referees
Available upon request
When I read a graduate resume, I am not expecting the same evidence I would expect from an experienced candidate. I am looking for signals.
Those signals tell me whether the candidate is worth moving forward, especially when there are many applicants with similar degrees and similar experience levels.
The strongest graduate resumes usually show these things clearly.
A recruiter will usually ask, “Does this person look like they understand what this job involves?”
That does not mean every graduate needs direct experience. It means your resume needs to connect your education, projects, placements, part time work, and skills to the role.
For example, if you are applying for a graduate marketing role, your hospitality job is not just “served customers”. It might show customer behaviour awareness, communication, complaint handling, upselling, teamwork, and working under pressure.
If you are applying for a graduate data analyst role, your university project should not just say “completed research project”. It should mention Excel, SQL, Python, Power BI, survey analysis, data cleaning, reporting, insights, or whatever is genuinely relevant.
The employer is not going to do all the interpretation for you. That is your job.
This is one of the most underrated parts of a graduate resume.
Hiring managers worry about graduates who may be technically capable but difficult to manage in a workplace. They want signs that you can take feedback, meet deadlines, communicate professionally, show up prepared, and handle basic responsibility.
Part time work, casual work, volunteering, student leadership, placements, and team projects can all prove this.
A retail or hospitality job can be valuable if you frame it properly. I would rather see a graduate who has handled customers, solved problems, managed competing priorities, and worked reliably for two years than a graduate who lists five vague university society memberships with no real contribution.
Your resume is a work sample. That is uncomfortable, but true.
If your resume is messy, vague, full of spelling errors, or padded with buzzwords, the recruiter may quietly assume your workplace communication will be similar. That may not be fair in every case, but screening is full of quick judgements.
A strong graduate resume uses plain language. It does not need phrases like “dynamic self starter with a passion for excellence”. That tells me nothing except that someone has been attacked by a template.
Write clearly. Show evidence. Make the reader trust your judgement.
Graduates often write skill lists like this:
Communication
Teamwork
Problem solving
Leadership
Time management
That list is not wrong, but it is weak because every graduate says the same thing.
A better resume proves those skills through experience bullets.
Weak Example
Good Example
The second version shows communication, pressure handling, customer service, problem solving, and reliability. It gives the recruiter something to believe.
Below is a realistic Australian graduate resume example. Use it as a model for structure, tone, and level of detail. Do not copy it word for word. A resume that sounds copied usually feels copied.
Aisha Raman
Melbourne, VIC
0412 345 678
linkedin.com/in/aisharaman
Professional Summary
Recent Bachelor of Business graduate with practical experience across customer service, administration, university research projects, and student society coordination. Strong skills in stakeholder communication, data analysis, Microsoft Excel, report writing, and problem solving. Interested in graduate business, operations, and project support roles where I can contribute strong organisation, commercial awareness, and a reliable approach to learning.
Education
Bachelor of Business, Major in Management
RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC
Completed 2025
Relevant coursework: Business Analytics, Project Management, Organisational Behaviour, Marketing Principles, Business Law
Academic achievement: Distinction average
Major project: Completed a group consulting project analysing customer retention challenges for a local small business, including survey design, competitor research, data analysis, and final recommendations.
Relevant Project Experience
Business Consulting Project
RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC
March 2025 to June 2025
Worked in a team of four to analyse customer retention issues for a local service business using survey responses, customer feedback, and competitor research
Built Excel spreadsheets to organise survey data, identify recurring customer themes, and summarise key findings for the final report
Contributed to a 25 page business report recommending practical improvements to customer communication, service follow up, and loyalty activity
Presented findings to academic assessors and received distinction level feedback for clarity, commercial relevance, and practical recommendations
Work Experience
Customer Service Team Member
Woolworths, Melbourne, VIC
February 2022 to Present
Support customers across checkout, self service, product enquiries, returns, and issue resolution in a high volume retail environment
Manage competing priorities during peak periods while maintaining accuracy, professionalism, and calm communication
Assist new team members with store procedures, customer service expectations, and point of sale processes
Recognised by supervisors for reliability, punctuality, and willingness to support team members during short staffed shifts
Administration Volunteer
Community Legal Centre, Melbourne, VIC
July 2024 to November 2024
Supported front desk administration by managing client enquiries, updating records, booking appointments, and preparing basic documentation
Handled confidential client information with discretion and followed internal processes for data accuracy and privacy
Communicated with clients from diverse backgrounds, including people experiencing stress, uncertainty, or limited understanding of legal processes
Improved confidence in professional communication, administrative accuracy, and stakeholder support
Leadership and Extracurricular Experience
Events Coordinator
RMIT Business Student Association
February 2024 to October 2024
Coordinated student networking events by liaising with committee members, university contacts, guest speakers, and student attendees
Helped organise event logistics including room bookings, promotional materials, attendance tracking, and post event feedback
Built confidence in stakeholder communication, planning, teamwork, and problem solving under time pressure
Skills
Technical skills: Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Google Workspace, basic Power BI, survey analysis, report formatting
Professional skills: Customer service, stakeholder communication, administration, teamwork, problem solving, time management, written communication
Languages: English, Hindi
Certifications
Working with Children Check, Victoria
Responsible Service of Alcohol, Victoria
Referees
Available upon request
Your resume summary should be short, specific, and directly connected to the role. It should not be a dramatic personal branding statement. Most graduate summaries are either too vague or too inflated.
A good graduate summary answers three questions:
What are you studying or what did you graduate from?
What relevant experience, skills, or projects do you bring?
What type of role are you targeting?
Weak Example
Motivated and passionate graduate seeking an opportunity to grow and utilise my skills in a dynamic organisation.
This says almost nothing. It could belong to any graduate in any industry.
Good Example
Recent Bachelor of Information Technology graduate with university project experience in Python, SQL, database design, and web development, plus two years of customer service experience in a busy retail environment. Interested in graduate technology support, software, and data roles where I can combine technical problem solving with clear communication and reliable client support.
This works because it gives the recruiter something concrete: degree, skills, projects, work experience, target roles, and positioning.
For Australian graduate resumes, avoid sounding too grand. You do not need to “drive transformation” if you are applying for your first graduate role. You need to show you are capable, relevant, and ready to learn quickly.
Most graduates worry they do not have enough experience. That is normal. The issue is usually not lack of experience. It is poor translation of experience.
Recruiters do not only value formal internships. They value evidence that you can operate in a workplace and learn the job.
You can include:
Internships
Work placements
Capstone projects
University projects
Casual jobs
Part time jobs
Volunteering
Student society roles
Tutoring
Freelance work
Community work
Family business support
Personal projects, if relevant
Certifications or short courses
Competitions, hackathons, case competitions, or awards
The key is to avoid dumping everything into the resume as if all experience has equal value. It does not.
A two week placement directly related to the job may deserve more space than a two year unrelated casual job. But that casual job may still be important if it proves reliability, customer service, communication, or leadership.
Do not underestimate casual work. Australian employers often respect it more than graduates realise, especially when it shows consistency.
The problem is that graduates often describe casual work at the lowest possible level.
Weak Example
Good Example
The second version does not exaggerate. It simply explains the work in a way that shows pressure, communication, coordination, and responsibility.
That is what recruiters need to see.
Some resume mistakes are obvious. Others are subtle and quietly damage your application.
Graduate candidates often think they need to use big business language to sound employable. The result is usually painful.
Phrases like “results driven professional”, “strategic thinker”, “proven track record”, and “highly motivated individual” are not automatically bad, but they are usually empty on a graduate resume unless backed by evidence.
Hiring managers are not impressed by corporate language from someone applying for an early career role. They are impressed by clarity, judgement, and evidence.
Say what you actually did. That is stronger.
A duty says what the job required. A value statement shows how you contributed.
Weak Example
Good Example
You do not need perfect metrics everywhere. But when you have numbers, outcomes, frequency, volume, or scale, use them.
This happens often with graduates. The resume includes long paragraphs, unnecessary personal details, every subject ever completed, and too much explanation.
Australian employers do not need your date of birth, marital status, photo, full street address, or a long personal statement about your life journey. Keep it professional.
Your resume should feel like a hiring document, not an autobiography.
A skill list can help ATS matching, but it cannot carry the resume. If you list Excel, show where you used Excel. If you list leadership, show where you led something. If you list communication, show who you communicated with and why it mattered.
Recruiters become sceptical when the skills section is strong but the experience section does not support it.
Applicant tracking systems are commonly used in Australia, especially for graduate programs, large employers, government roles, banks, consulting firms, universities, healthcare organisations, and national companies.
An ATS does not magically select the best person. It helps store, filter, search, and manage applications. The real issue is not “beating the robot”. The real issue is making sure your resume is readable, searchable, and relevant.
Use a simple format:
Word document or PDF, unless the employer requests a specific format
Clear headings such as Education, Experience, Skills, Projects, Certifications
Standard fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Aptos, or Times New Roman
No tables if you can avoid them
No text boxes
No graphics for important information
No icons replacing words
No columns that confuse parsing
No resume photo
No unusual section names that hide key information
Also use natural keywords from the job ad. If the job ad mentions “stakeholder communication”, “Excel”, “data analysis”, “customer service”, “administration”, “research”, “report writing”, “Python”, or “case management”, and you genuinely have those skills, include them naturally.
Do not keyword stuff. Recruiters can see when a resume has been stuffed with terms without substance. It looks desperate and lazy, which is quite an achievement for the same document.
For most Australian graduates, one to two pages is appropriate.
One page is fine if you have limited experience and can still show your education, projects, work experience, and skills clearly.
Two pages is fine if you have internships, placements, part time work, volunteering, technical projects, leadership roles, or relevant certifications.
Three pages is usually too long for a graduate unless you are applying for an academic, research, medical, or highly technical role where additional detail is genuinely relevant.
The better question is not “How long should my resume be?” It is “Is every section earning its space?”
A two page graduate resume can be strong if it is focused. A one page resume can be weak if it is vague. Length is not the main problem. Relevance is.
One graduate resume should not be used for every job.
You do not need to rewrite the whole document every time, but you should adjust the emphasis based on the role.
For example, a business graduate applying for operations, marketing, and HR roles should not send the exact same resume to all three.
For an operations role, bring forward:
Process improvement
Coordination
Data tracking
Rostering
Problem solving
Administration
Stakeholder support
For a marketing role, bring forward:
Content creation
Campaign support
Customer insight
Social media
Research
Events
Brand awareness
For an HR role, bring forward:
Confidentiality
Communication
Administration
Employee or student support
Scheduling
Policy awareness
People focused experience
This is what tailoring really means. It is not changing a few keywords and hoping for the best. It is helping the reader see the version of your experience that matters most to their vacancy.
Strong resume bullets are specific, evidence based, and relevant to the job.
A useful structure is:
What you did
Who or what it involved
Which tool, process, or skill you used
What the result, scale, or purpose was
Here are examples graduates can adapt.
Customer Service Example
Administration Example
Data Analysis Example
Marketing Example
Engineering Project Example
Technology Project Example
Finance Example
Healthcare Placement Example
The best bullets are not inflated. They are clear. They give the recruiter enough context to understand the value of the experience.
A graduate resume stands out when it is focused, credible, and easy to trust.
That trust comes from detail. Not excessive detail. Useful detail.
A weak resume says:
Strong leadership skills
Excellent communication
Passionate about business
Fast learner
A stronger resume shows:
Coordinated a student event with 120 attendees
Presented research findings to a panel
Managed customer complaints in a fast paced environment
Used Excel to analyse survey data
Completed a placement involving client documentation
Trained two new casual team members
Built a project using relevant software
Improved a process, report, event, customer outcome, or team workflow
The difference is evidence.
Employers do not hire graduates because the resume says they are passionate. They hire graduates when the resume gives them enough confidence to think, “This person has the basics, understands the role, and could become useful quickly.”
That is the bar. Meet it clearly.
Before submitting your resume, check it like a recruiter would.
Is your degree easy to find within five seconds?
Is your graduation date or expected completion date clear?
Does your summary match the role you are applying for?
Have you included relevant projects, placements, or internships?
Have you positioned part time work in a way that shows transferable skills?
Are your bullet points specific rather than generic?
Have you included tools, systems, software, or technical skills where relevant?
Is your resume ATS friendly?
Have you removed unnecessary personal details?
Is the formatting clean and consistent?
Have you checked spelling, grammar, and Australian English?
Does the resume show evidence of reliability, communication, learning ability, and initiative?
Would a hiring manager understand your value without having to guess?
That last question matters most. A resume should not make the reader work too hard. Recruiters are not sitting there with a cup of tea lovingly decoding your potential. They are scanning quickly, comparing applicants, and looking for reasons to continue or reject. Help them continue.
Written by Simar Malhi, a recruiter and headhunter with international recruitment experience. I write about CVs, job applications, hiring decisions, and the reality behind recruitment processes. My goal is to help candidates understand more honestly how employers, recruiters, and hiring managers actually select candidates.
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