How To Write a Resumé for Your First Job

What is the purpose of a resumé?

A resumé is a tailored and evidence-based promotional document that aims to answer the following questions: 

• Can you do the job? 

• This involves competency in key areas employers look for. These are your education, skills, extracurricular activities and any past experience. 

• Will you do the job? 

• Do you have the right attitude, motivation and interest for the required role?

• Are you a fit for the company?

• How well can you relate to the organisation’s culture and values? Employers will assess this by how you present your personal attributes in your resumé.

What would differentiate you?

The job market is very competitive, and on average employers would look at a resumé for six to seven seconds. It is extremely important that you grasp the attention of the employer within this time. The list below are examples of attributes that could differentiate you from the competition:  

• Grades

• Qualification (Degree, HSC, TAFE etc.)

• Volunteering

• Extracurricular activities

• Certifications 

• Awards

• Work experience 

What are the transferable skills employers look for?

Transferable skills are qualities or attributes that can be used in a variety of roles or organisations. The top transferable skills employers value and look for in their ideal candidate are: 

• Leadership

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Adaptability

• Problem-solving

• Willingness to learn

• Interpersonal

  
  

You should keep these in mind as you are preparing your resumé to ensure you can convey how you have gained or used these skills. 

What are the typical contents of a resumé?

1. Appropriate personal details - phone number, email, LinkedIn

2. Career profile or objective - provide a short and unique intro with your top-selling points 

3. Education - mention notable marks, awards

4. Employment/experience 

5. Extracurricular activities 

6. Awards

7. Interests 

8. Referees

   
   

How do you write each section of your resumé?

A resumé for your first job is typically 1-2 pages in length. Therefore, it is crucial that you are not wasting space on your resumé. When you are expanding on each section, you need to ensure you showcase as many attributes/skills you have and how they are relevant to the job you are applying for. A formula you can use to help achieve this is: 

VERB + KEYWORDS + QUANTITATIVE INFO (Numbers)

The following are two examples of how this formula is used effectively: 

1. Raised grades of 3 students by an average of 25% while being a private HSC Chemistry tutor 

2. Self-motivated and result-driven individual as shown by attaining 93 ATAR whilst captaining the school to a state championship in rugby.