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Create ResumeA strong resume headline in Australia should quickly tell a recruiter what you do, your level, your key strength, and where you fit in the job market. It is not a slogan. It is not a personality statement. It is not the place to say you are “hardworking” or “passionate”. Your resume headline should make the first screening decision easier by positioning you clearly for the role you want.
The best resume headlines are specific, role aligned, and easy to understand in five seconds. A recruiter should be able to glance at the top of your resume and immediately think, “Right, I know what this person is.” That sounds simple, but many candidates lose impact here because they write something too vague, too clever, or too broad.
A resume headline is a short professional statement placed near the top of your resume, usually under your name and contact details. It summarises your professional identity in one line.
In Australia, a resume headline is commonly used to help recruiters and hiring managers quickly understand your role level, industry, specialisation, and value. It can also help applicant tracking systems recognise relevant keywords, especially when your headline includes the job title or skill area connected to the role.
A good resume headline answers the silent question every recruiter has when opening your resume:
What kind of candidate am I looking at, and is this person relevant for the role?
That is the real purpose. Not decoration. Not personal branding fluff. Not LinkedIn poetry. Just clarity.
A resume headline usually includes one or more of the following:
Your target job title
Your current or most relevant professional identity
Your industry or sector
Your years or level of experience
Your resume headline should sit at the very top of your resume, directly below your name and contact details, and before your professional summary.
The usual structure is:
Your Name
Phone Number | Email | Location | LinkedIn
Resume Headline
Professional Summary
Key Skills
Employment History
This placement matters because the top third of your resume carries the most screening weight. Recruiters often decide whether to continue reading before they reach your work history. That is not because recruiters are lazy. It is because most roles attract a large number of applications, and the first screen is about relevance.
If your headline is vague, the recruiter has to work harder to understand your fit. That is not ideal. In a competitive market, your resume should not make the reader solve a puzzle.
A good headline gives them a reason to keep reading.
A key technical skill, function, or specialisation
A commercial or operational strength
A credential, licence, or qualification when relevant
For example, a strong Australian resume headline might be:
Senior Payroll Officer with Australian Payroll, STP, Awards and Enterprise Agreement Experience
That tells me much more than:
Motivated Payroll Professional Seeking New Opportunities
The second one sounds pleasant, but it gives me almost nothing useful. The first one tells me the candidate understands the actual work, the Australian payroll environment, and the likely screening criteria.
A strong Australian resume headline is clear, specific, and aligned with the job you are applying for. It should sound like a real professional identity, not a marketing slogan.
The best headlines usually have four qualities.
If you are applying for project coordinator roles, your headline should not say Business Professional. If you are targeting administration roles, do not call yourself an Office Enthusiast. That kind of wording might feel more personal, but it is weaker for screening.
Recruiters search and scan by job title, function, and capability. Your headline should help them categorise you quickly.
Good Example
Project Coordinator with Construction, Scheduling and Stakeholder Management Experience
Weak Example
Organised Professional with a Passion for Projects
The weak version sounds nice, but it does not tell me enough. The good version tells me the candidate fits a likely project coordination environment.
Australian resumes usually benefit from plain, practical wording. Hiring managers here tend to prefer direct relevance over inflated self promotion.
This means you should use terminology that matches local job ads and hiring expectations. For example:
Resume, not CV, unless you are in academia, medicine, or research
Hiring manager, recruiter, employer, applicant tracking system, interview process
Awards, enterprise agreements, WHS, MYOB, Xero, SAP, Salesforce, NDIS, AHPRA, ASIC, APRA, depending on the role
Australian work rights, local market experience, state based licences where relevant
A headline such as HR Advisor with Australian Employment Relations, Case Management and Fair Work Experience is strong because it speaks directly to Australian hiring requirements.
Your resume headline should usually be one line. If it becomes a full paragraph, it loses its purpose.
A strong headline is focused. It does not try to include every skill you have. It highlights the most relevant positioning for the job.
Good Example
Accounts Payable Officer with SAP, Reconciliations and High Volume Invoice Processing Experience
Weak Example
Experienced Finance Professional Skilled in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Administration, Customer Service, Reporting, Data Entry and Teamwork
The weak example is doing too much. It looks unfocused. The good example positions the candidate clearly for accounts payable roles.
This is where candidates often get stuck.
Your headline does not always have to repeat your most recent job title exactly. It should position you for the role you are applying for, as long as it is truthful and supported by your experience.
For example, if your current title is Customer Service Officer but you are applying for contact centre team leader roles and you have acting leadership experience, your headline could be:
Customer Service Team Leader Candidate with Coaching, Escalations and Contact Centre Experience
That is stronger than simply writing:
Customer Service Officer
The first version helps the recruiter understand the direction of your application. The second version may undersell you.
Below are practical resume headline examples for different Australian roles and career stages. These are not fancy for the sake of it. They are designed to do what a resume headline should do: quickly position you for the right role.
These examples work well for office based, corporate, operational, and professional roles.
Administrative Assistant with Calendar Management, Customer Service and Office Support Experience
Executive Assistant to Senior Leaders with Board Coordination, Travel Management and Confidential Administration Experience
Office Manager with Supplier Management, Facilities Coordination and Team Administration Experience
Customer Service Representative with Contact Centre, Complaints Handling and CRM Experience
Sales Coordinator with Order Processing, Account Support and Salesforce Experience
Operations Coordinator with Rostering, Reporting and Process Improvement Experience
Procurement Officer with Supplier Management, Purchase Orders and Contract Administration Experience
Human Resources Advisor with Employee Relations, Recruitment and Fair Work Knowledge
Recruitment Consultant with Candidate Sourcing, Stakeholder Management and High Volume Hiring Experience
Marketing Coordinator with Campaign Support, Content Scheduling and Digital Reporting Experience
What these headlines do well is simple: they do not rely on empty personality words. They name the role, the work, and the context.
That is what makes them useful.
Entry level candidates often think they need to sound more experienced than they are. That usually backfires. Recruiters can tell when a headline is pretending.
The better strategy is to position yourself clearly around your qualification, placement, internship, transferable skills, or target role.
Business Graduate with Internship Experience in Administration, Reporting and Stakeholder Support
Entry Level Marketing Assistant with Social Media, Content Creation and Campaign Support Experience
Recent Accounting Graduate with Xero, Reconciliations and Accounts Administration Knowledge
Junior IT Support Candidate with Helpdesk, Troubleshooting and Customer Service Experience
Graduate Engineer with AutoCAD, Site Coordination Exposure and Strong Technical Documentation Skills
Retail Team Member Seeking Administration Roles with Customer Service, Data Entry and Scheduling Experience
Hospitality Supervisor Transitioning into Customer Service with Rostering, Complaints Handling and Team Coordination Experience
Education Graduate with Classroom Placement, Lesson Planning and Student Support Experience
Junior Data Analyst with Excel, Power BI and Reporting Project Experience
Entry Level HR Assistant with Recruitment Administration, Onboarding and Employee Records Experience
The key is not to pretend you are senior. The key is to show the recruiter where you belong.
A headline like Future Business Leader with a Passion for Success sounds confident, but it does not help me screen you. A headline like Business Graduate with Internship Experience in Administration, Reporting and Stakeholder Support gives me something useful to work with.
Experienced candidates should use the headline to show level, specialisation, and business value. At this stage, vague headlines can make you look less senior than you are.
Senior Finance Manager with Commercial Reporting, Budgeting and Business Partnering Experience
Operations Manager with Multi Site Leadership, Workforce Planning and Process Improvement Experience
Senior Project Manager with Infrastructure Delivery, Risk Management and Stakeholder Governance Experience
Business Analyst with Process Mapping, Requirements Gathering and Digital Transformation Experience
Senior HR Business Partner with Organisational Change, Employee Relations and Workforce Strategy Experience
National Account Manager with FMCG, Retail Partnerships and Revenue Growth Experience
Senior Software Engineer with Cloud Platforms, API Development and Agile Delivery Experience
Construction Site Manager with Commercial Builds, Subcontractor Coordination and WHS Compliance Experience
Clinical Nurse Manager with Team Leadership, Aged Care Compliance and Quality Improvement Experience
Supply Chain Manager with Demand Planning, Inventory Control and Supplier Performance Experience
For experienced candidates, the headline should reduce doubt. If a hiring manager is looking for someone who has handled complexity, your headline should signal that early.
Career change headlines need careful wording. You do not want to hide your background, but you also do not want to anchor yourself so firmly in your old profession that recruiters cannot imagine you in the new one.
The trick is to bridge your past experience with your target role.
Retail Manager Transitioning into HR with Team Leadership, Rostering and Employee Relations Exposure
Teacher Moving into Learning and Development with Training Delivery, Curriculum Design and Stakeholder Engagement Experience
Hospitality Manager Seeking Operations Roles with Workforce Planning, Customer Experience and Process Improvement Experience
Police Officer Transitioning into Compliance with Investigations, Risk Assessment and Report Writing Experience
Personal Trainer Moving into Health Administration with Client Management, Scheduling and Service Coordination Experience
Banking Professional Seeking Business Analyst Roles with Process Improvement, Reporting and Stakeholder Support Experience
Customer Service Specialist Transitioning into Sales Support with CRM, Account Coordination and Client Communication Experience
Registered Nurse Moving into Clinical Education with Training, Mentoring and Patient Care Governance Experience
The common mistake career changers make is writing a headline that only reflects where they have been.
For example:
Experienced Teacher Seeking New Challenge
That is honest, but weak. It does not show the bridge.
A stronger version is:
Teacher Moving into Learning and Development with Training Delivery, Curriculum Design and Stakeholder Engagement Experience
Now I can see the transferability. That is what you want.
Different industries value different signals. Your headline should reflect the hiring criteria that matter most in your field.
Healthcare headlines should include qualifications, registration, setting, and compliance exposure where relevant.
Registered Nurse with Acute Care, Patient Assessment and AHPRA Registration
Aged Care Worker with Personal Care, Manual Handling and Dementia Support Experience
Clinical Care Coordinator with Aged Care Quality Standards, Care Planning and Team Leadership Experience
Medical Receptionist with Patient Bookings, Medicare Billing and Specialist Practice Administration Experience
Disability Support Worker with NDIS, Community Access and Behaviour Support Experience
In healthcare, recruiters are often checking for suitability, registration, availability, compliance, and setting fit. A clear headline helps them see that quickly.
Finance headlines should focus on technical systems, reporting, transactional volume, compliance, and commercial exposure.
Accounts Officer with Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Bank Reconciliation Experience
Payroll Officer with Australian Payroll, STP, Awards and Enterprise Agreement Experience
Financial Accountant with Month End Reporting, BAS and Balance Sheet Reconciliations Experience
Commercial Analyst with Forecasting, Excel Modelling and Business Performance Reporting Experience
Bookkeeper with Xero, MYOB, Payroll and Small Business Accounts Experience
In finance, generic words like detail oriented are not enough. Almost everyone says that. The stronger signal is the actual finance work you can perform.
Technology headlines should include the role type, tools, platforms, methodologies, and technical environment.
IT Support Analyst with Level 1 and 2 Helpdesk, Microsoft 365 and Active Directory Experience
Software Developer with JavaScript, React and API Integration Experience
Cyber Security Analyst with SIEM Monitoring, Incident Response and Risk Assessment Experience
Cloud Engineer with AWS, Infrastructure Automation and DevOps Experience
Data Analyst with SQL, Power BI and Dashboard Reporting Experience
Technology recruiters often search by tools and platforms. Do not make them dig through your resume to find the basics.
Construction and trades headlines should include licence, trade, project type, safety, and site experience.
Licensed Electrician with Commercial Fit Out, Maintenance and Fault Finding Experience
Carpenter with Residential Construction, Framing and Renovation Experience
Construction Labourer with White Card, Site Preparation and Manual Handling Experience
Site Supervisor with Residential Builds, Subcontractor Coordination and WHS Compliance Experience
Civil Labourer with Roadworks, Plant Spotting and Traffic Control Experience
In trades and construction, practical evidence matters. A headline should quickly show what sites, licences, and work environments you are suitable for.
Education headlines should include teaching level, subject area, registration, learning support, or curriculum experience.
Primary Teacher with Classroom Management, Lesson Planning and Differentiated Learning Experience
Secondary English Teacher with Curriculum Planning, Assessment and Student Engagement Experience
Early Childhood Educator with EYLF, Child Development and Family Communication Experience
Learning Support Officer with Student Assistance, Behaviour Support and Classroom Inclusion Experience
Vocational Trainer with Adult Learning, Assessment Design and Industry Based Delivery Experience
Education hiring is rarely just about whether you can teach. It is about setting, age group, curriculum, support needs, and communication with stakeholders.
Sales and customer service headlines should show customer type, sales environment, systems, targets, or service complexity.
Customer Service Officer with CRM, Complaints Resolution and High Volume Enquiry Experience
Sales Representative with B2B Account Management, Lead Generation and Territory Growth Experience
Retail Store Manager with Team Leadership, Sales Targets and Visual Merchandising Experience
Contact Centre Agent with Inbound Calls, Escalations and Customer Retention Experience
Account Executive with SaaS Sales, Pipeline Management and Client Relationship Building Experience
A headline like People Person Who Loves Helping Customers might be true, but it does not carry enough hiring value. Show the environment and the work.
Writing a good resume headline is less about creativity and more about positioning. You are helping the reader understand your fit.
Use this simple structure:
Job Title or Target Role + Industry or Function + Key Skills or Experience
You can adapt it depending on your background.
Role Level + Job Title + Specialisation + Commercial or Technical Strength
Example
Senior Business Analyst with Digital Transformation, Process Mapping and Stakeholder Management Experience
This works because it gives the recruiter role level, function, project context, and core capability.
Career Stage + Target Role + Relevant Study, Placement, Internship or Transferable Skill
Example
Accounting Graduate with Xero, Reconciliation and Accounts Administration Experience
This is clear and honest. It does not oversell the candidate, but it still gives them a professional identity.
Current Background + Target Direction + Transferable Skills
Example
Retail Manager Transitioning into HR with Team Leadership, Rostering and Employee Relations Exposure
This helps the recruiter understand the connection between your previous role and your new direction.
Job Title + Tools, Systems or Platforms + Work Context
Example
IT Support Analyst with Microsoft 365, Active Directory and Level 2 Troubleshooting Experience
This is useful because many technical roles are screened partly through systems and tools.
Most resume headline mistakes come from trying to sound impressive instead of trying to be clear.
Here are the mistakes I see most often.
Weak Example
Hardworking and Motivated Professional with a Can Do Attitude
This is not wrong morally. It is just not useful.
A recruiter cannot shortlist you because you say you are hardworking. They need to know what kind of work you do and whether it matches the vacancy.
Good Example
Administration Officer with Customer Service, Records Management and Scheduling Experience
Now the recruiter has something concrete.
Weak Example
Experienced Professional Seeking a New Opportunity
This tells me almost nothing. Experienced in what? Seeking what? Suitable for what?
Good Example
Operations Coordinator with Rostering, Reporting and Supplier Management Experience
Specificity builds confidence. Broadness creates doubt.
If you apply for a payroll role and your headline says Finance Professional, you may be making your resume weaker than it needs to be.
Hiring is often about pattern recognition. If the job ad says Payroll Officer, and your experience supports that, your headline should probably include Payroll Officer.
That does not mean you should copy the job ad blindly. It means your resume should speak the same language as the role.
Some candidates use headlines that sound like personal branding statements.
Weak Example
Creating Value Through People, Process and Purpose
This sounds polished, but it does not tell me what job you do. It could describe HR, operations, consulting, leadership, change management, or nothing in particular.
A hiring manager does not want to decode your brand statement. They want to know whether you can do the job.
ATS optimisation matters, but stuffing keywords into your headline looks clumsy.
Weak Example
Project Manager Agile Scrum Waterfall Stakeholder Risk Budget Governance Jira PMO Delivery Change
That is not a headline. That is a keyword drawer tipped onto the floor.
A better version is:
Project Manager with Agile Delivery, Risk Management and Stakeholder Governance Experience
It includes strong keywords, but it still reads naturally.
When I look at a resume headline, I am not expecting it to win a writing award. I am checking whether it helps me understand fit quickly.
A recruiter is usually asking:
Is this candidate aligned with the role?
Is their level clear?
Do they have the right functional background?
Do they understand the work environment?
Are the keywords relevant to the actual vacancy?
Does the headline match the rest of the resume?
Is this person overselling, underselling, or positioning accurately?
That last point matters more than candidates realise.
A headline creates an expectation. If your headline says Senior Project Manager, but your employment history shows mostly project administration, the recruiter will notice the mismatch. If your headline says Entry Level Administrator, but your work history shows five years of office management, you may be underselling yourself.
The best headline is not the loudest one. It is the most accurate and useful one.
A resume headline and resume summary are not the same thing.
Your resume headline is the one line positioning statement. Your resume summary is the short paragraph or bullet style overview that expands on your experience, strengths, and fit.
Think of it this way:
The headline tells the recruiter what category you belong in
The summary explains why you are worth reading further
Example
Resume Headline
Senior HR Advisor with Employee Relations, Case Management and Fair Work Experience
Resume Summary
I support managers and employees across complex workplace matters, including performance issues, grievances, investigations and policy interpretation. I bring practical Australian employment relations knowledge, strong case documentation skills and a calm approach to sensitive conversations.
The headline gives the role identity. The summary gives the evidence and context.
Do not make your headline do the full job of the summary. Keep it sharp, then use the summary to build the case.
Yes, in many cases you should adjust your resume headline for each type of role you apply for.
You do not need to rewrite it dramatically every time, but you should make sure it reflects the job you are targeting. This is especially important if you are applying across different role types.
For example, the same candidate might use different headlines depending on the application.
For an accounts payable role:
Accounts Payable Officer with Invoice Processing, Supplier Reconciliations and SAP Experience
For a broader accounts officer role:
Accounts Officer with Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Bank Reconciliation Experience
For a payroll focused role:
Payroll and Accounts Officer with STP, Timesheets and Reconciliation Experience
This is not being dishonest. This is positioning. As long as each headline is supported by your real experience, it is smart resume strategy.
The mistake is using one generic headline for every application and hoping the recruiter connects the dots. Sometimes they will. Often they will not.
Before writing your headline, read the job ad properly. Not the way candidates usually read it, scanning for salary and remote work first. Read it like a recruiter.
Look for:
The exact job title used
The must have experience
The industry or work environment
The tools, systems, licences or qualifications mentioned
The problems the employer needs solved
The level of independence expected
The repeated phrases or themes
Then build your headline around the strongest overlap between the job ad and your background.
If a job ad repeatedly mentions stakeholder management, reporting, and process improvement, and you have those skills, they belong near the top of your resume.
Weak Example
Reliable Team Player with Excellent Communication Skills
Good Example
Operations Coordinator with Stakeholder Management, Reporting and Process Improvement Experience
The good version uses the employer’s likely screening logic without sounding robotic.
This is where many candidates misunderstand ATS advice. ATS friendly does not mean keyword stuffing. It means using relevant, recognisable language that matches the role and can be understood by both software and humans.
Different candidates need different headline strategies. The right headline depends on what problem you need to solve.
Do not lead with unemployment. Lead with your professional identity.
Good Example
Customer Service Officer with Contact Centre, Complaints Handling and CRM Experience
You do not need to write Currently Unemployed Customer Service Officer. That wastes valuable space and frames you around your employment gap instead of your capability.
Use a headline that reflects your target role and relevant background.
Good Example
Administration Professional Returning to Work with Office Support, Scheduling and Customer Service Experience
This is clear without over explaining. You can address the career break briefly in your summary or cover letter if needed.
Your headline should match the role you want, not overwhelm the employer with seniority they may see as a risk.
If you are a former operations manager applying for coordinator roles, avoid:
Operations Executive with Strategic Leadership and Senior Management Experience
That may make the employer worry you will leave quickly or expect a higher level role.
A better option could be:
Operations Coordinator with Team Leadership, Rostering and Process Improvement Experience
This still shows value, but it aligns better with the role.
Government resumes often need clearer alignment with criteria, compliance, stakeholder communication, policy, and public sector context.
Good Example
Policy Officer with Research, Briefing Papers and Government Stakeholder Engagement Experience
Good Example
Administration Officer with Records Management, Customer Service and Public Sector Support Experience
Government hiring can be more structured than private sector hiring, so your headline should make the role fit obvious.
Remote work should only appear in the headline if it is genuinely relevant to the role or the job ad.
Good Example
Customer Support Specialist with Remote Service Delivery, Zendesk and Technical Troubleshooting Experience
Do not make the headline only about wanting remote work. Employers care more about whether you can perform remotely than whether you prefer it.
When employers say they want a strong resume, they usually do not mean they want dramatic wording. They mean they want an application that makes the decision easier.
A strong resume headline contributes to that by reducing uncertainty.
Employers and recruiters are often dealing with unclear applications. Candidates apply for roles where their fit is possible but not obvious. The resume may contain the right experience, but it is buried. The headline may be generic. The summary may talk about motivation instead of capability.
That creates friction.
A strong resume headline removes some of that friction. It says:
Here is my professional identity. Here is where I fit. Here is why this application is relevant.
That is what good positioning does. It does not beg for attention. It earns it by being clear.
Before you finalise your resume headline, check it against these questions:
Does it include the role title or target role?
Does it match the type of job I am applying for?
Does it include one or two relevant skills, systems, industries or strengths?
Is it specific enough for a recruiter to understand my fit quickly?
Is it truthful and supported by my resume?
Does it sound natural in Australian English?
Have I avoided empty claims like passionate, motivated and hardworking?
Would this headline still make sense if read without the rest of the resume?
Does it help both ATS screening and human screening?
Is it clear rather than clever?
If your headline passes those checks, it is probably doing its job.
Your resume headline is small, but it does important work. It frames your application before the recruiter gets into the detail. A weak headline will not always destroy your chances, but a strong one can make your resume easier to understand, especially when the role is competitive.
The main thing is this: do not use the headline to describe your personality. Use it to position your professional value.
Australian recruiters and hiring managers usually respond well to resumes that are clear, practical and relevant. They do not need dramatic claims. They need to see what you do, where you fit, and why your background matches the role.
The strongest resume headlines are usually the ones that feel almost obvious once you read them.
That is the point.
You are not trying to sound like everyone’s dream candidate. You are trying to make the right employer recognise the right fit quickly.
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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