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Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact Resume rules employers look for.
Create Resume
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact Resume rules employers look for.
Create ResumeMost Australian recruiters scan a resume for less than 30 seconds during the first review. At that stage, they are not deeply reading every line. They are pattern-matching for capability, relevance, impact, and commercial value.
Weak resumes often fail because they sound passive, task-based, or generic.
For example:
Weak Example
“Responsible for managing projects and helping customers.”
This tells the recruiter almost nothing about:
Scale
Ownership
Outcome
Seniority
Business impact
A stronger version immediately changes how the candidate is perceived.
Good Example
“Led cross-functional project delivery for 12 enterprise clients, improving customer satisfaction scores by 22%.”
Australian hiring managers generally prefer resumes that are:
Clear and direct
Achievement-focused
Commercially aware
Practical rather than overly polished
Easy to scan quickly
Written in plain English
Overly dramatic language can hurt credibility.
For example, words like:
“Revolutionised”
The second example signals:
Ownership
Leadership
Commercial impact
Quantifiable achievement
Strong communication
That is how recruiters screen quickly in Australia.
Resume action words help your resume:
Sound more professional and credible
Demonstrate impact instead of duties
Improve ATS keyword alignment
Increase readability during fast recruiter scans
Position you as proactive rather than reactive
Differentiate your resume from generic applicants
In competitive Australian hiring markets, especially for corporate, government, mining, tech, healthcare, and professional services roles, this matters significantly.
“Transformed the entire business”
“Guru”
“Visionary”
Often feel exaggerated unless supported by strong evidence.
Australian recruiters typically respond better to action words that feel credible, measurable, and grounded in real outcomes.
Strong Australian-style resumes focus on:
Results
Ownership
Collaboration
Problem-solving
Delivery
Stakeholder management
Commercial contribution
Many resumes repeatedly use:
Managed
Helped
Worked
Assisted
Responsible for
This weakens the resume quickly.
If every bullet starts with “managed”, recruiters mentally switch off.
This is extremely common.
Weak Example
“Implemented new processes.”
Implemented what?
Why?
What changed?
Good Example
“Implemented streamlined onboarding processes that reduced new starter setup time by 35%.”
The action word matters less than the impact attached to it.
Australian hiring culture generally dislikes inflated wording.
Avoid:
Spearheaded synergistic transformation initiatives
Leveraged innovative paradigms
Dynamic thought leadership
This sounds artificial and reduces trust.
Action words must support achievements, not job descriptions.
Recruiters care about:
What changed because of your work
What you improved
What you delivered
What outcomes you created
Use these for leadership, people management, operations, and senior roles.
Led
Directed
Managed
Oversaw
Coordinated
Guided
Supervised
Mentored
Trained
Delegated
Facilitated
Aligned
Headed
Executed
Delivered
Organised
Motivated
Influenced
Supported
Governed
Controlled
Streamlined
Administered
Developed
Established
“Led” is usually stronger than “managed” because it implies influence and initiative rather than maintenance.
These are powerful for achievement-focused resumes.
Achieved
Increased
Reduced
Improved
Delivered
Exceeded
Generated
Accelerated
Boosted
Expanded
Enhanced
Optimised
Maximised
Strengthened
Grew
Elevated
Secured
Outperformed
Surpassed
Drove
Advanced
Resolved
Achieved
Produced
Increased
Results-based verbs perform strongly because recruiters scan for commercial value quickly.
“Reduced operational costs by 18%” is significantly stronger than “Responsible for budgeting.”
Highly valuable across Australian workplaces.
Presented
Negotiated
Collaborated
Communicated
Liaised
Facilitated
Consulted
Advised
Influenced
Coordinated
Supported
Engaged
Partnered
Represented
Persuaded
Conducted
Explained
Delivered
Reported
Briefed
Mediated
Advocated
Corresponded
Interviewed
Built
Stakeholder communication is heavily valued in Australia, especially in:
Government
Construction
Healthcare
Project management
Mining
Corporate environments
Excellent for professional, technical, and strategic roles.
Analysed
Investigated
Identified
Evaluated
Resolved
Diagnosed
Reviewed
Assessed
Examined
Interpreted
Audited
Monitored
Forecast
Measured
Validated
Improved
Refined
Solved
Recommended
Streamlined
Tested
Tracked
Mapped
Researched
Calculated
Australian employers increasingly prioritise problem-solving capability over qualifications alone.
Strong analytical wording helps position you as commercially valuable.
Ideal for project, operations, construction, engineering, and transformation roles.
Delivered
Executed
Coordinated
Planned
Managed
Implemented
Scheduled
Controlled
Monitored
Facilitated
Directed
Oversaw
Allocated
Prioritised
Organised
Integrated
Completed
Streamlined
Transitioned
Launched
Governed
Supported
Mobilised
Deployed
Aligned
Useful for sales, recruitment, account management, and client-facing roles.
Generated
Secured
Negotiated
Converted
Expanded
Increased
Achieved
Delivered
Influenced
Promoted
Acquired
Retained
Built
Developed
Grew
Maximised
Closed
Exceeded
Presented
Strengthened
Identified
Drove
Targeted
Positioned
Prospected
Sales resumes in Australia perform better when they include:
Revenue outcomes
Client growth
Retention metrics
Target achievement
Commercial impact
Strong for tech, engineering, cybersecurity, and digital roles.
Developed
Engineered
Programmed
Configured
Automated
Integrated
Deployed
Implemented
Troubleshot
Tested
Secured
Built
Upgraded
Monitored
Maintained
Designed
Supported
Optimised
Installed
Migrated
Diagnosed
Analysed
Evaluated
Enhanced
Standardised
Effective for retail, hospitality, support, and service roles.
Assisted
Resolved
Supported
Delivered
Handled
Responded
Guided
Processed
Managed
Coordinated
Communicated
Escalated
Improved
Addressed
Maintained
Helped
Advised
Retained
Engaged
Provided
Organised
Responded
Facilitated
Managed
Strengthened
Useful for nursing, allied health, aged care, and healthcare administration.
Assessed
Supported
Monitored
Diagnosed
Treated
Administered
Coordinated
Delivered
Educated
Documented
Assisted
Evaluated
Implemented
Managed
Collaborated
Escalated
Reviewed
Planned
Improved
Maintained
Supervised
Facilitated
Monitored
Communicated
Advocated
Strong for accounting, payroll, finance, and commercial roles.
Reconciled
Audited
Forecast
Analysed
Budgeted
Controlled
Reduced
Improved
Managed
Processed
Verified
Calculated
Evaluated
Investigated
Assessed
Prepared
Tracked
Reported
Implemented
Reviewed
Identified
Delivered
Allocated
Streamlined
Strengthened
Strong resumes do not rely only on action words.
The best-performing Australian resumes usually follow this structure:
Action Verb + Task + Outcome + Metric
For example:
“Implemented inventory management improvements that reduced stock discrepancies by 28% across three warehouse locations.”
This works because it includes:
Action
Ownership
Context
Outcome
Evidence
Weak Example
“Responsible for scheduling meetings and managing calendars.”
Good Example
“Coordinated executive calendars and stakeholder meetings across multiple departments, improving scheduling efficiency and reducing conflicts.”
Weak Example
“Helped with social media campaigns.”
Good Example
“Developed and executed social media campaigns that increased engagement by 41% within six months.”
Weak Example
“Managed projects for clients.”
Good Example
“Delivered multi-site infrastructure projects valued at $3.2M within budget and agreed timelines.”
Weak Example
“Answered customer enquiries.”
Good Example
“Resolved customer enquiries and escalations while maintaining a 96% customer satisfaction rating.”
Modern Australian employers commonly use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
ATS software scans resumes for:
Keywords
Skills
Role relevance
Industry terminology
Action-based language
Using strong action verbs naturally improves keyword alignment.
However, ATS optimisation should never look forced.
Poor ATS optimisation looks like this:
“Managed managed managed leadership managed projects managed team.”
This harms readability immediately.
Strong ATS optimisation uses natural language that still sounds human.
These words are not always bad, but they are heavily overused.
Use carefully:
Managed
Worked
Responsible for
Helped
Assisted
Tasked with
Involved in
Participated in
If possible, replace them with more precise wording.
Recruiters mentally assess three things when reading bullet points:
Did this candidate lead, support, or merely participate?
How large was the impact?
Did the work improve revenue, efficiency, customers, operations, compliance, or delivery?
That is why this statement performs poorly:
“Worked on reports for management.”
Whereas this performs far better:
“Prepared operational reporting packs used by senior leadership to support quarterly forecasting decisions.”
The second example signals:
Business relevance
Stakeholder exposure
Communication capability
Analytical contribution
Different industries respond to different language patterns.
For example:
Prioritise:
Delivered
Led
Executed
Improved
Optimised
Influenced
Prioritise:
Coordinated
Implemented
Supported
Facilitated
Administered
Managed
Prioritise:
Installed
Operated
Maintained
Delivered
Coordinated
Supervised
Prioritise:
Developed
Engineered
Automated
Integrated
Configured
Implemented
Prioritise:
Assessed
Monitored
Administered
Supported
Coordinated
Evaluated
The strongest resumes balance:
Action words
Metrics
Commercial outcomes
Technical relevance
Readability
Many candidates focus too heavily on “power words” while forgetting substance.
Recruiters are not impressed by dramatic wording alone.
This fails:
“Passionately spearheaded innovative excellence initiatives.”
This works:
“Implemented process improvements that reduced payroll processing errors by 19%.”
Australian recruiters generally trust:
Specificity
Clarity
Measurable outcomes
Straightforward language
Far more than exaggerated self-promotion.
Start every bullet point with a strong verb where possible
Avoid repeating the same action word excessively
Focus on outcomes, not responsibilities
Use metrics whenever possible
Match your wording to the target role
Prioritise clarity over corporate jargon
Use natural Australian workplace language
Tailor action words to your industry
Combine action verbs with evidence and results
Remove passive or vague language
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