Resources

Personal Details

Keep this section short, informative and up to date. Irrelevant information should be omitted and remember to include relevant daytime or mobile phone numbers. If your current workplace doesn't know you are in the market, and you have listed your work number, please indicate that you would like any prospective employers or agencies to keep the contact discreet.

Be sure to check your email address if you include it on your resume as many employers and agencies update applicants electronically. Avoid silly or unprofessional email addresses as they create an immediate first impression.

Interests should be brief, no more than 3 lines and you should avoid detailing your hobbies. Include interests that might be relevant to the employer. For example, if you know the prospective company holds corporate golf days, and you play golf, then it would be preferable to include this activity.

Education / Professional Development / Memberships & Associations

It is important to include the year of completion, name of institution and course name of any secondary or tertiary education.
Any accredited training should be included and any non-accredited training that is relevant to the position.

Current and work-related memberships or associations should also be listed and include (where relevant) the professional body and level of membership.

Summary / Profile

A non-essential component that may be more relevant to executive or professional resumes.
You can include any career goals or objectives and should provide a brief overview or profile of your skills and experience.

Career Highlights & Achievements

This section should include approximately 10 bullet points that clearly outline your skills and achievements. Words or phrases to that could appear here include: Demonstrated; Developed; Achieved; Maximised; Succesfully implemented; Created a strategy; Resourceful; Strategic; Hands-on; Capacity; Capable of; Skilled in; Experience with; Able to.
Ideally, the highlights and achievements would appear on the first page and are an immediate "snapshot" to prospective employers of your strengths and experience.

Experience & Work History

This section is a chronological history of your employment, with the most recent employment first. The length of employment with each employer should be demonstrated by the starting and finishing month & year for each role. You should ideally include the location or address of your previous employment, especially if the experience is from interstate or overseas.
Your resume does not need to include every single duty undertaken for each position, rather a bullet pointed summary that covers off the main tasks and duties. Where relevant, you should mention tasks or duties specifically related to the position for which you are applying..

If your work history is long and varied, avoid including duties for every single role. Rather, you should include the last 10 years and then simply list the roles previously undertaken before that time. Including positions that you undertook over 20 years ago, unless completely relevant to the application, are unlikely to be relevant.
Referees

Please only include work-related referees and ideally include someone to whom you directly reported. Work Colleagues are seldom able to give constructive and relevant feedback about your skills and achievements.
Be sure to check with the nominated person(s) before submitting your resume. It is much more professional and favourable for your referees to have knowledge of the position for which you are applying before they receive a call from an employer or agency.

If you are unable to provide recent or relevant, work-related referees, you should discuss your situation this with the prospective employer and consider alternatives such as sporting coaches or trainers.