How to write a good resume (and tailor it to your industry)

January 04, 2023

So you’re ready to apply for your dream job. Congratulations. Now comes the tricky part—nailing your resume.

It’s easy to pour all your energy into writing the perfect cover letter, but your resume is arguably the most important document of your career. It should capture everything that makes you worth hiring in one easily scannable place. If you can get it right, you’ll stand out when competition is fierce.  

But what’s the current advice? Do you really have to update your resume every time you apply for a new job? And should you tailor the format to suit your industry? 

Here’s everything you need to know about writing a memorable resume.   

How long should a resume be? 

You’ve probably heard that your resume should fit on a single page, but most recruiters agree that this is impractical. Two pages is the ideal, because you have space to explain your skills and experience in more detail, and the hiring manager can still take everything in at a glance.  

That said, it’s always worth double checking the job ad itself. Sometimes the company will specify a preferred page limit for applications, and you should follow their instructions to the letter. Recruiters have a lot of applications to shortlist, and you don’t want to give them a reason to throw yours into the no pile. 

What to include in a resume 

Yep, it’s true: you really do have to update your resume every time you apply for a new job.  

This is your chance to show the recruiter that you’ve paid attention to their selection criteria, and you’ve thought about how your experience translates to that specific role. Focus on customising your skills, responsibilities and achievements so they reflect key points mentioned in the job ad.  

As a rule, all resumes should feature these sections 

1. A header containing your name and contact details 

Kick things off with your full name and professional title rather than “Resume” or “Curriculum Vitae”.  

Then include your contact details: your suburb and postcode, phone number, email address and LinkedIn profile (if you have one). It’s best to submit your resume as a PDF so you can embed hyperlinks.  

Things you don’t have to share include your gender, age, nationality, sexual orientation or marital status. In most cases, it’s discriminatory to screen you based on these qualities and recruiters shouldn’t ask you about them (an exception might be that you need to be over 18 to perform the role because you’re serving alcohol).      

2. A personal summary or career objective

It can be hard to sum yourself up in 50-150 words, but starting your resume with a personal statement is a great way to make a lasting first impression. Tell the recruiter who you are, what you want to accomplish in your career and what you can offer in this role. Try to incorporate some keywords from the job ad to demonstrate your suitability for the role, and don’t repeat anything you’ve already told them in your cover letter. 

Here’s an example of an attention-grabbing resume summary:  

As a passionate teacher with 10 years of experience, I’m dedicated to helping young students develop a love for learning. I’m looking for a challenging new role that will allow me to take the next step in my career, and I’m confident my creative teaching style will make me an asset in your classroom.  

3. Your work experience

Now to the crux of your resume. You’ll want to list your most recent work experience in chronological order. You can cut out any high school gigs or early part-time jobs, unless you’re a recent school leaver without a long work history, because these roles aren’t relevant to your current goals.   

Under each role, you should explain your main responsibilities and then highlight two or three of the key things you achieved while you were there. It’s important to show the recruiter that you made an impact on the organisation.  

If you don’t have any relevant work experience yet, that’s okay. You can use this section to list internships, work placements and volunteer work—anything that shows your commitment to the industry.   

4. Your educational qualifications

Next, it’s time to share your most relevant educational qualifications, in chronological order. There’s no need to go into too much detail here—the institution, qualification, and years studied will be sufficient, though if you earned any significant awards or scholarships that will help you stand out against other applicants, you can put those in as well.  

This is also where you should list your certifications if you work in an industry where those are required, like nursing or accounting.  

If you’re still a student, or you’ve just graduated and you don’t have a long work history, feel free to list your education above your work experience. This will show the company that studying has been the main priority in your life over recent years.   

5. A list of your soft and hard skills

Show off the full scope of your abilities by listing 10-15 of your most relevant skills. 

It’s best to include a mix of technical skills (“coding in Python”, “SEO”, “graphic design”), industry software you can use (“Microsoft Office Suite”, “Adobe Photoshop”, “Salesforce”) and soft skills you can quantify with examples (“leadership”, “negotiation skills”, “adaptability”). A dot point list is fine—the easier this is to speed read, the better! 

6. Your interests, hobbies or volunteer work

Recruiters don’t just want to know that you can do the job; they also want to know if you’re a good cultural fit. This section doesn’t have to take up a lot of real estate, but it’s worth including a list of your interests to help the company figure out if you’re going to get along with the rest of the team.

Who knows—your obsession with trivia could be the one thing that separates you from another equally qualified candidate. 

7. Your references

How many references should you include in a resume? Most recruiters will request two (the job ad will specify if they want more). You can either include your referees’ contact details upfront (their name, current position, phone number and email address), or put a note that says “Referees are available on request.”  

It might seem counterproductive to make the recruiter work for your references, but this second option has its upsides. If the company has to ask you for your references, then you’ll know they’re interested in moving forward with your application. You can give your referees a heads up that someone will be in touch, which means they won’t be caught at a bad time.   

What if you work in a specialised industry?

While most resumes will follow the above format, there are some additional things to consider if you work in certain industries.    

Corporate resumes

Are you applying for a business or marketing role? Corporate recruiters love to see metrics on your resume—in other words, specific numbers that validate what you achieved for your organisation.  

Glassdoor recommends sharing metrics that demonstrate how you helped your company grow or save money. You could also share metrics related to your daily tasks (for example, you successfully led a team of ten people, or you presented four social media strategy plans per year). Demonstrate that you can deliver tangible results, and you're sure to get a call back.  

Creative resumes

If you’re in a creative industry, like design, photography, publishing or media, then your resume will only tell recruiters half the story. You’ll also need to prove that you’re capable of delivering what you say you can. Link to examples of your best work, or a portfolio website, to show off your creativity.  

Academic resumes

The normal rules go out the window when you’re applying for an academic or research position, because you'll need to outline your research and teaching experience, and your publication history, in addition to your industry experience.

Check out this guide from Deakin on developing a proper academic CV, which will run well over two pages. 

The finishing touch

Before sending your resume off, give it a thorough proofread. If you can, let it sit for a few days before coming back to it with fresh eyes. Or you can try an old editor’s trick and read the content backwards, which forces you to take in every word.

There’s nothing worse than spotting an embarrassing typo after you’ve already been in touch with the company! This way, you’ll be sure to send off a polished, professional resume.  

Read next: How to write a cover letter that stands out