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Create ResumeIf you have no local experience in Australia, your resume needs to do one thing very clearly: make your overseas experience feel relevant, understandable, and low risk to an Australian employer. The mistake I see candidates make is trying to apologise for the lack of Australian experience instead of positioning the experience they already have properly. Australian recruiters are not usually rejecting you because every skill suddenly became useless at the airport. They are rejecting you because your resume does not quickly answer their practical questions: Can this person do the job here? Do they understand the local work environment? Will they communicate well with clients, teams, systems, and managers? Are there visa, availability, or salary complications? Your resume should remove those doubts before the recruiter has to guess.
“No local experience” is one of those phrases that sounds simple, but in hiring it usually means several different things.
Sometimes it means the employer genuinely wants someone who understands Australian regulations, local clients, systems, suppliers, safety standards, or industry terminology. That can be valid, especially in healthcare, construction, accounting, education, law, government, compliance, and client facing roles.
But sometimes “no local experience” is just shorthand for uncertainty. The recruiter is looking at your resume and thinking:
I do not recognise these company names
I do not understand the scale of these employers
I cannot tell whether this experience matches Australian expectations
I am unsure about communication style
I do not know your visa status or availability
I cannot quickly compare you with local candidates
When I screen a resume from someone without Australian experience, I am not only looking at job titles. I am trying to work out whether the person can move into the Australian workplace with minimal friction.
That does not mean you need to sound “Aussie” or pretend you already know everything. It means your resume should show evidence of professional judgement, transferable experience, communication ability, and practical readiness.
Recruiters usually look for:
A clear target role that matches your background
Overseas experience described in Australian style
Achievements that show scale, responsibility, and results
Tools, systems, standards, and processes that are recognisable
Strong English communication signals where relevant
Local study, volunteering, placements, casual work, or certifications if available
Your resume looks like it was written for another job market
That last one matters more than people realise. If your resume looks foreign to the Australian market in structure, wording, length, tone, or detail, recruiters may assume your job search approach is not yet adapted either. Is that always fair? No. Is it happening? Absolutely.
The goal is not to erase your international background. The goal is to translate it so an Australian recruiter can understand your value without doing detective work.
Work rights and availability stated clearly
A resume format that is clean, direct, and easy to scan
No confusion around dates, location, job level, or career direction
The hidden question is not “Has this person worked in Australia before?” The hidden question is “Can I confidently present this person to the hiring manager without having to explain too much?”
That is the part candidates often miss. Recruiters are not only assessing your ability. They are assessing how easy it is to advocate for you.
Many candidates write their resume as if their overseas experience is somehow second class until an Australian employer validates it. That mindset leaks into the wording.
I see phrases like:
Weak Example
“Seeking an opportunity to gain local experience in Australia.”
This sounds humble, but it positions you as someone asking for a chance rather than someone offering value. It also reminds the employer of the exact concern you are trying to overcome.
A stronger approach is:
Good Example
“Operations coordinator with five years of experience supporting logistics, vendor communication, reporting, and cross functional administration across high volume environments. Available immediately in Melbourne with full working rights.”
This does not hide the lack of local experience. It simply leads with the value first.
Your resume should not sound like, “Please give me local experience.”
It should sound like, “Here is the relevant experience I bring, here is how it matches your role, and here is why I am practical to hire.”
For most candidates with overseas experience, I would use a modern reverse chronological Australian resume. Do not jump into a functional skills resume unless your career history is very messy or you are making a major career change. Recruiters generally prefer to see where you worked, what you did, and how recently you did it.
A strong structure looks like this:
Name and contact details
Targeted professional summary
Key skills aligned to the job
Work rights and availability
Professional experience
Local Australian experience if you have any
Education and certifications
Technical skills
Additional languages if relevant
Volunteer work, placements, or projects if useful
For experienced professionals, two to four pages is usually normal in Australia, depending on seniority and complexity. For entry level candidates, students, and casual roles, one to two pages may be enough.
The key is not the length. The key is whether every section helps the recruiter understand your fit faster.
The top third of your resume matters because recruiters often make their first decision quickly. That does not mean they reject everyone in six seconds like some career blogs dramatically claim. It means the first scan determines whether they slow down or move on.
Your top section should answer:
What role are you targeting?
What experience do you bring?
What industries or functions have you worked in?
Are you in Australia now?
Can you legally work?
Are you available soon?
What makes you relevant despite no local experience?
Use a simple Australian friendly format:
Simar Kaur
Melbourne, VIC
0400 000 000
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/name
You do not need your full street address. Suburb and state are enough if location matters.
Make sure your phone number is Australian if you are already here. If you only list an overseas number, some recruiters will assume you are offshore, unavailable, or difficult to contact.
If you have clear work rights, state them. Do not make recruiters guess.
You can write:
Full working rights in Australia
Permanent resident
Australian citizen
Student visa with valid work rights
Partner visa with full working rights
Temporary graduate visa with full working rights
If your visa has limits, be honest but strategic. Do not bury it. Recruiters dislike surprises more than limitations.
Your summary should not be a generic personal statement. It should be a positioning statement.
Weak Example
“Hardworking and motivated professional looking for an opportunity to develop my skills in Australia.”
This says very little. It could be used by almost anyone.
Good Example
“Customer service professional with four years of experience handling inbound enquiries, complaint resolution, CRM updates, payment follow ups, and daily service reporting in high volume environments. Recently relocated to Sydney, available immediately, with full working rights and strong experience supporting diverse customer groups.”
This is stronger because it gives the recruiter practical evidence.
It shows:
Role direction
Years of experience
Relevant tasks
Work environment
Location
Availability
Work rights
No fluff. No begging. No vague “passionate team player” nonsense.
This is where most resumes fall apart.
Candidates often assume recruiters will understand the significance of their previous employer, job title, industry, or responsibilities. They usually will not. If I do not know the company, the market, or the local job title structure, I need context.
You need to translate three things:
Company context
Role context
Achievement context
If your previous employer is not known in Australia, add a short context line.
Example
Operations Coordinator
ABC Logistics, Mumbai, India
Privately owned logistics provider supporting retail, wholesale, and ecommerce clients across domestic distribution networks.
This helps the recruiter understand the environment.
You do not need a full company biography. Just enough context to make your experience readable.
Job titles vary across countries. A title that sounds senior in one market may sound junior in another. A title that is normal in your country may confuse an Australian employer.
If your title does not translate well, keep the official title but clarify the function.
Example
Administrative Executive
Functionally equivalent to office administrator and operations support, covering scheduling, vendor coordination, records management, invoicing support, and customer communication.
That one line can prevent a recruiter from misclassifying you.
Do not only list duties. Show scale.
Instead of:
Weak Example
“Handled customer enquiries and prepared reports.”
Write:
Good Example
“Managed 60 to 80 customer enquiries per day across phone and email, resolving account issues, updating CRM records, and escalating complex complaints to senior team members.”
The second version tells me workload, communication channels, systems behaviour, problem type, and escalation judgement. That is much more useful than a vague duty.
You do not need to use the phrase “no local experience” on your resume. In most cases, I would avoid it entirely.
Why? Because resumes should lead with relevance, not objections.
Instead of saying you have no local experience, show the evidence that reduces the concern.
Use phrases like:
Experienced in client facing support across multicultural environments
Familiar with Australian workplace communication expectations through local study and volunteer work
Available immediately in Brisbane with full working rights
Experienced using globally recognised systems including Salesforce, SAP, Xero, Microsoft 365, MYOB, Jira, ServiceNow, or HubSpot
Strong background supporting regulated, deadline driven, or high volume environments
Completed Australian certification in workplace safety, aged care, bookkeeping, project management, cyber security, or relevant field
The point is not to stuff the resume with “Australia” everywhere. The point is to make your readiness obvious.
This is a common problem. You may have done the work, but the title does not match the Australian job ad.
For example:
“Accounts Executive” may be closer to Accounts Officer
“HR Executive” may be closer to HR Coordinator
“Marketing Executive” may be closer to Marketing Coordinator or Marketing Specialist
“Customer Care Officer” may be closer to Customer Service Representative
“Admin Executive” may be closer to Office Administrator
“Operations Executive” may be closer to Operations Coordinator
Do not invent a fake title. But you can clarify the functional equivalent.
Good Example
HR Executive
Equivalent to HR Coordinator, supporting recruitment administration, onboarding, employee records, payroll documentation, interview scheduling, and HR reporting.
This helps the recruiter map your background to the Australian role.
Recruiters are not always experts in every overseas job title. Help them classify you correctly.
Your bullet points should prove transferable value. They should not read like a job description copied from another market.
A strong bullet point usually includes:
Action
Task or responsibility
Scope or volume
Tool, process, or stakeholder
Result or practical outcome
Good Example
Managed 70 plus customer enquiries daily across phone, email, and live chat, resolving billing questions, delivery issues, and account updates within service targets
Updated customer records in CRM after each interaction, improving handover quality and reducing repeated enquiries
Escalated complex complaints to supervisors with clear case notes, supporting faster resolution and better customer experience
Good Example
Coordinated daily office administration including calendar management, document control, supplier communication, and internal reporting for a 40 person team
Prepared invoices, purchase orders, and expense documentation with strong attention to accuracy and approval deadlines
Maintained digital and physical records in line with internal audit requirements and confidentiality standards
Good Example
Processed accounts payable and receivable transactions, reconciled supplier statements, and supported month end reporting for a multi site business
Used accounting software and Excel to track payments, investigate discrepancies, and prepare financial summaries for management review
Liaised with vendors and internal teams to resolve invoice issues before payment deadlines
Good Example
Provided Level 1 support for hardware, software, network access, password resets, and user account issues across a 300 user environment
Logged, prioritised, and updated support tickets using IT service management processes, maintaining clear notes for escalation
Supported onboarding and offboarding by setting up user accounts, devices, permissions, and access documentation
Good Example
Supported patient intake, appointment coordination, records updates, and family communication in a busy clinical environment
Followed confidentiality, hygiene, and documentation procedures while assisting clinical and administrative staff
Communicated with patients from diverse backgrounds, maintaining calm and respectful service during high pressure periods
Notice the pattern. These bullets do not beg for local experience. They show work behaviour that transfers.
Yes, include overseas experience if it is relevant to the role. Do not remove valuable experience just because it was not gained in Australia.
I see candidates cut their resume down so aggressively that they accidentally make themselves look inexperienced. That is not strategy. That is self sabotage wearing a neat font.
Include overseas experience when it shows:
Relevant job responsibilities
Industry knowledge
Leadership or team contribution
Customer, client, or stakeholder communication
Technical capability
Commercial results
Transferable systems, processes, or tools
Problem solving in professional environments
You may reduce detail for older or less relevant roles, but do not hide your career.
Australian employers may prefer local experience, but they still value evidence. A strong overseas track record is usually better than an empty resume with a local suburb on it.
Local experience does not always mean a full time Australian job. If you have done anything locally that shows workplace readiness, include it strategically.
This may include:
Volunteer work
Internships
Placements
Casual jobs
Customer service roles
University projects
TAFE projects
Professional certifications
Australian references
Local industry memberships
Short courses
Freelance work for Australian clients
Community involvement
Do not overstate it. But do not ignore it either.
For example, if you are applying for administration roles and you volunteered at a community organisation handling reception, appointment booking, or email enquiries, that is relevant.
Write it like experience, not charity decoration.
Good Example
Volunteer Administration Assistant
Community Support Centre, Perth, WA
Assisted with front desk enquiries, appointment booking, document filing, and basic data entry for community service programs
Communicated with clients from diverse backgrounds and escalated sensitive enquiries to staff members
Maintained confidentiality when handling personal information and service records
This tells the recruiter you have already operated in a local environment, even if it was unpaid.
This is common, and it can be emotionally frustrating. I will be honest about it.
Many migrants and international professionals take a first Australian role below their previous title because employers want local proof, local references, or local industry familiarity. It does not mean your overseas experience has no value. It means the market is asking you to reduce perceived risk before it gives you full credit.
Your resume should not make you look overqualified for every entry point role, but it also should not erase your capability.
The strategy depends on the role.
If you are applying for a stepping stone role, emphasise:
Relevant hands on tasks
Reliability
Communication
Systems
Adaptability
Availability
Willingness to contribute at the level advertised
If you are applying for a role closer to your previous seniority, emphasise:
Achievements
Leadership
Decision making
Stakeholder management
Commercial impact
Technical depth
Industry relevance
The worst approach is using one resume for both. A resume that tries to look senior and entry level at the same time usually convinces nobody.
Use this as a structure, not a script. Your resume should still be tailored to the job.
Name
Suburb, State
Phone
Professional Summary
Relevant professional with experience in [function or industry], including [key responsibility], [key responsibility], and [key responsibility]. Skilled in [tool or technical area], [communication or stakeholder area], and [process or compliance area]. Recently relocated to [city] with [work rights] and available [availability].
Key Skills
Skill aligned to the job ad
Skill aligned to the job ad
Tool or system
Customer, client, or stakeholder communication
Reporting, documentation, compliance, or administration
Problem solving in relevant work environments
Work Rights and Availability
Work rights: [your status]
Location: [city and state]
Availability: [immediate, two weeks, specific date]
Professional Experience
Job Title
Company Name, Country
Company context line explaining industry, size, clients, or function.
Achievement or responsibility with scope, volume, system, or result
Achievement or responsibility connected to the Australian target role
Achievement showing communication, reporting, compliance, customer service, technical skill, or coordination
Achievement showing problem solving, accuracy, efficiency, leadership, or stakeholder management
Earlier Role
Company Name, Country
Relevant achievement
Relevant achievement
Relevant achievement
Australian Experience, Volunteering, Placement, or Projects
Role or Project Title
Organisation, City, State
Local task or responsibility
Communication or workplace behaviour
Relevant outcome or learning
Education
Qualification
Institution, Country or Australia
Year completed
Certifications
Certification relevant to Australian role
Licence, compliance training, software certification, or short course
Technical Skills
Software
Systems
Tools
Platforms
Additional Languages
Priya Sharma
Parramatta, NSW
0400 000 000
linkedin.com/in/priyasharma
Professional Summary
Customer service and administration professional with five years of experience supporting high volume customer enquiries, CRM updates, complaint handling, records management, and internal coordination across service based environments. Recently relocated to Sydney with full working rights and immediate availability. Strong background communicating with diverse customers, resolving issues accurately, and maintaining clear documentation.
Key Skills
Customer service and complaint resolution
CRM updates and customer record management
Email, phone, and front desk communication
Appointment coordination and calendar support
Data entry, reporting, and document control
Microsoft 365, Excel, Outlook, and CRM systems
Stakeholder communication and escalation handling
High volume service environments
Work Rights and Availability
Full working rights in Australia
Based in Sydney, NSW
Available immediately
Professional Experience
Customer Service Executive
BrightConnect Services, New Delhi, India
Business process services company supporting telecommunications and utilities clients across customer care, billing enquiries, and account support.
Managed 80 plus inbound customer enquiries per day across phone and email, resolving billing questions, account updates, service issues, and complaint follow ups
Updated customer information in CRM after each interaction, ensuring accurate notes for future service history and escalation teams
Escalated complex complaints with clear case summaries, supporting faster resolution and reducing repeated customer contact
Prepared daily service reports for team leaders, including enquiry volumes, unresolved cases, and common customer issues
Trained three new team members on call handling process, CRM notes, and complaint escalation expectations
Maintained calm and professional communication with frustrated customers while meeting quality and service targets
Administration Assistant
MetroCare Clinic, New Delhi, India
Private healthcare clinic providing outpatient services, appointment management, patient records, and billing support.
Coordinated patient appointments, phone enquiries, file updates, and front desk support in a busy clinic environment
Maintained confidential patient records and followed internal documentation procedures for medical and billing information
Supported invoice preparation, payment follow ups, and daily transaction summaries for management review
Liaised with doctors, patients, and external service providers to confirm appointments and resolve scheduling issues
Improved filing accuracy by reorganising digital patient records into a clearer naming and tracking process
Volunteer Reception Assistant
Community Welcome Centre, Sydney, NSW
Assisted with visitor enquiries, appointment booking, basic data entry, and document scanning for community support services
Communicated with clients from diverse backgrounds and directed sensitive enquiries to staff members
Gained practical exposure to Australian workplace communication, confidentiality expectations, and front desk service standards
Education
Bachelor of Commerce
Delhi University, India
Completed 2018
Certifications
Microsoft Excel Intermediate Certificate
Customer Service Essentials Short Course
Working With Children Check, NSW
Technical Skills
Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
CRM systems
Google Workspace
Data entry and reporting
Additional Languages
Hindi, fluent
Punjabi, fluent
A resume like the example above works because it does not over explain the candidate’s migration story. It keeps the focus on employability.
It tells me:
The candidate is already in Sydney
They have full working rights
They are available immediately
Their overseas experience is relevant
Their previous companies are explained
Their work involved volume, systems, customers, reports, and escalation
They have some local exposure through volunteering
Their communication and administration skills are practical
That is much stronger than a resume that says, “Looking for local experience.”
The recruiter does not need to feel sorry for you. They need to understand how you fit the vacancy.
Some details hurt more than they help.
Avoid including:
Passport number
Date of birth
Marital status
Religion
Full residential address
Photo unless specifically requested
Salary history
Long personal statements about migration challenges
Generic hobbies unless directly relevant
References listed in full unless requested
Every short course you have ever completed
Overseas jargon the recruiter will not understand
Duties copied from a job description with no evidence of scale or impact
Also be careful with phrases like:
“Willing to do any job”
“Need Australian experience”
“Ready to work under pressure”
“Hardworking and honest”
“Looking for a chance”
These may be sincere, but they do not position you strongly. Australian employers respond better to specific evidence than broad personal claims.
Tailoring does not mean rewriting your whole life every time. It means making the most relevant parts easier to see.
Before applying, read the job ad and identify:
The main purpose of the role
The top five required skills
Required systems, licences, or certifications
Industry language
Customer or stakeholder type
Level of seniority
Whether the role is hands on, strategic, technical, administrative, or client facing
Then adjust:
Your professional summary
Your key skills
The first few bullet points under each role
Your technical skills section
Any local certifications or volunteering that support the role
For example, if the job ad is for an Administration Officer, do not lead with broad leadership achievements from overseas if the role needs scheduling, records, inbox management, data entry, and stakeholder communication. Put the most relevant admin evidence first.
If the job ad is for a Business Analyst role, do not bury your process mapping, requirements gathering, stakeholder workshops, Jira, reporting, and system improvement experience under generic project duties.
Recruiters scan for match. Do not make the match hard to find.
A cover letter can help when you have no local experience, but only if it adds useful context. Do not repeat your resume in paragraph form.
Use the cover letter to briefly explain:
You are already based in Australia or relocating by a specific date
Your work rights are clear
Your overseas experience matches the role
You understand the role requirements
You have taken steps to adapt to the Australian market
You are available and practical to contact
A strong cover letter line might be:
Good Example
“Although my professional experience was gained overseas, the core responsibilities align closely with this role, including customer communication, CRM updates, complaint handling, reporting, and supporting high volume service teams. I am now based in Melbourne with full working rights and immediate availability.”
That is enough. You do not need a dramatic life story. Hiring is not a documentary audition.
Even with a good resume, some employers will still prefer local experience. That is the reality.
But I want candidates to understand the difference between an unavoidable barrier and a fixable presentation problem.
You may not be able to control:
Employer bias toward local candidates
Industry licensing requirements
Visa restrictions
Lack of Australian references
Very competitive applicant pools
Recruiters who do not understand international experience
But you can control:
Whether your resume is clear
Whether your experience is translated properly
Whether your work rights are obvious
Whether your achievements are specific
Whether your target role makes sense
Whether your resume matches Australian expectations
Whether you apply for realistic roles, not random ones
A strong resume does not guarantee interviews. No honest recruiter should promise that. But it does stop you from being rejected for preventable reasons.
And that is where many candidates can improve quickly.
Before sending your resume, check whether it answers these questions:
Is my target role clear within the first few lines?
Have I stated my location, work rights, and availability?
Have I explained overseas companies that Australian recruiters may not recognise?
Have I translated job titles that may confuse local employers?
Do my bullet points show scope, tools, volume, stakeholders, or outcomes?
Have I removed generic phrases that make me sound inexperienced?
Have I included local volunteering, study, placement, or certifications if relevant?
Does my resume match the language of the job ad without keyword stuffing?
Can a recruiter understand my value in under one minute?
Would I be comfortable defending every claim in an interview?
That last question matters. A resume should open the door, but it should also survive the conversation that comes after.
The Australian job market can be frustrating when you are new. I will not pretend otherwise. “No local experience” can feel like a polite sentence hiding a locked door.
But your resume should not be built around the rejection. It should be built around the evidence.
You are not trying to convince every employer. You are trying to make it easy for the right employer to see the connection between what you have done and what they need.
So stop writing like you are asking permission to be considered. Write like a professional who understands the role, respects the local market, and can clearly show transferable value.
That is the difference between a resume that says, “I am new here,” and a resume that says, “I can do this job here.”
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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