Guide to writing the sections of your resume
The content of each section of your resume is crucial to the overall impact of your document. This section includes some ideas you may wish to consider. Remember that these headings are not compulsory.
Personal details
The main purpose of the personal details section is to provide a point of contact for the employer. Make sure your details are up-to-date so that you are able to be contacted at short notice.
You may wish to include both term and home details, if you are likely to move from your current address. Use a professional email address. Most employers will try to contact you by phone for an interview, so use a professional-sounding phone message service. Alternatively have another number where you can be reached.
Examples
Career objective
A career objective is a short statement about your employment goal – one to two sentences is sufficient. You may include:
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The field or position in which you are interested
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The type or scope of the organisation and/or industry targeted
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Your skills or background you would like to use
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A timeframe for achieving your goal
Most importantly: Be specific. Too many graduates say they want to apply their knowledge in a challenging environment but forget to say where, with which group of people, or even which industry. You may have to modify your objective for different roles or employers.
Examples
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Human Services professional, skilled in providing creative solutions, suited to business development role.
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Industrious and creative Information Systems graduate, seeking employment in information management, records management or archives.
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Computer programmer with rural background seeking agri-business employment.
Work history
Your work history section can include paid and non paid work, as both are valuable to employers. You can choose to use sub-headings headings, such as 'areas of responsibility', 'skills' or 'achievements'. Regardless of how you decide to record your activities, remember to say clearly where, when and what you did. Include both the month, and the year of employment.
How far back in time you go is entirely your choice. If you are a mature-aged student you may wish to give details for the last ten years. Go further back in time if the information might be of interest to the employer. You also have the option of including just your relevant history, but be prepared to account for gaps in your experience.
Example
University placements
When your experience has been gained as a result of a university placement you can state this on your resume. University placements often lead to employment, and for this reason your key areas of responsibility (or a description of your project and its outcomes) should be included. Three examples of how you may wish to record your university placements are included below. You may be able to think of more.
Combining sections of your resume
Examples
Combining 'University placements' and 'Work history'
There may be times when you want to group together your university placements and other experience which may not be as relevant as your university based work. Here you need to be creative with the headings you use. By choosing appropriate headings you will divert an employer's attention to what is relevant.
Example
Educational details
Your education details should include your current degree (even if you haven't completed it), any previous degrees, your TAFE qualifications, professional development courses, and the seminars and workshops you have attended. For convenience, split them into groups, and summarise where possible.
Example
Referees
A referee is someone who will give an independent report about your behaviour in the workplace. This is required as previous experience is often seen as a good indicator of your performance. Most potential employers prefer to speak with referees rather than read a written reference. It is highly unlikely that a referee will write negative or bad things about you.
Employers will often explain how many referees they require – usually two to three. You may wish to use referees who have either, supervised you in a work capacity (paid or non paid), know your academic ability, or have supervised you through sporting or community activities. Where possible, avoid using personal referees, as it can be difficult for an employer to receive an objective and professional perspective. If you are not sure who to use, the employer will tell you which referees are acceptable.
You can use the words 'Referees provided on request' if you are currently in the workplace and would prefer your employer not to be contacted before you ask their permission.
If you intend to use someone as referee, make sure you ask for their permission and tell them about the types of roles you are aiming for. This enables them to tailor their answers in your verbal reference to the position. It is also critical to have current contact details for your referees.
Choose your referees wisely – they could be the key to getting that dream job.
Examples
Resume Sample
Putting your resume together into its final format doesn't have to be an arduous task. Why not go to the library and browse through the many books available on resume writing? There are literally hundreds of examples you can adapt to your own style. The good thing about preparing resumes is that there is no one way – just make sure all your relevant details are included and that your finished document is clear and professional looking. Here is an example of a resume to get you started.