The main differences in an Australian resume vs a US resume are length, referees and wording: Australian government guidance suggests about two pages (or one to three depending on your experience), Australian resumes usually list two referees or say they are available on request, and they use Australian spelling. Both leave out your photo, date of birth and marital status, and both list your most recent role first.
In Australia, "resume" and "CV" are used almost interchangeably for the document you send with a job application. This guide compares the two formats using Australian government guidance (as of October 2026), shows what to change when you convert a US resume, and explains how your resume turns into interview questions here.
What is the difference between an Australian resume and a US resume?
| Australian resume | US resume | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Resume or CV, used interchangeably | Resume (CV usually means an academic document) |
| Usual length | About two pages or fewer where possible (Australian Human Rights Commission); "1–3 pages, depending on how long you have been in the workforce" (Queensland Government) | Often one page early in a career |
| Paper size | A4 | US Letter |
| Opening | Optional short career profile tailored to the job | Optional summary or headline |
| Referees | Usually listed at the end, or "available on request"; two is the usual minimum | Rarely included on the resume |
| Personal details | Name, phone and email; no photo, date of birth, sex or marital status needed | The same; photos and age are left out |
| Spelling and dates | Australian spelling (organisation, analyse, prioritise); dates often written day-month-year | US spelling (organization, analyze); month-day-year |
| Government jobs | Often need a separate response to selection criteria or key capabilities | No direct equivalent for most private-sector jobs |
Sources: the Australian Human Rights Commission resume guide and the Queensland Government resume page. Neither is a legal rule; they reflect common Australian practice, and individual employers can ask for something different.
What to change when you convert a US resume for Australia
- Allow more depth. A tight one-page US resume often reads as thin in Australia. Use the extra space for achievement statements under each role, not for a longer list of duties.
- Switch to Australian spelling. Organisation, prioritise, analyse, centre, licence (noun). Recruiters notice, and it signals you have tailored the document.
- Use A4 and day-month-year dates. Write months as words (March 2024 to June 2026) to avoid any confusion between formats.
- Add a referees section. Either two named referees with role, organisation and contact details, or "Referees available on request".
- State your work rights in one line. "Australian citizen", "Permanent resident" or your visa type and end date. Employers need to know, and saying it up front saves a screening question.
- Translate local references. Spell out US-specific terms (GPA scales, sorority roles, US certifications) or add a short plain-English equivalent.
- Remove anything personal. Photo, date of birth, home address in full, sex, marital status. A suburb and state is enough location detail if you want to show you are local.
Do you need referees on an Australian resume?
You need referees for the job, but you do not have to put their details on the resume itself. The Australian Human Rights Commission guide says you can either include the name and contact details of your referees, or indicate that you will provide them on request, and that a minimum of two referees is usually recommended.
What matters more is who they are and whether they are ready:
- Choose people who have supervised your work recently, ideally a current or former manager.
- Ask permission before you list them, and send them the job ad and your resume so they know what to talk about.
- If you are new to Australia, an overseas manager is fine. Give their time zone and email, and tell them to expect a call or an online reference form.
Reference checks often happen near the end of the process, after your final interview, so have your referees lined up before then.
What personal details should you leave out?
The Australian Human Rights Commission says you do not need to include personal details such as your date of birth, a photo, where you live, your sex or gender, or marital status. Contact details (name, phone and email) are enough. This is the same direction as US practice, so if your US resume is already clean, there is nothing to remove here.
You also do not need to explain gaps on the resume itself. The same guide says you do not have to disclose the reason for a gap, though it helps to be ready to talk about it in the interview.
Selection criteria: the part with no US equivalent
Many Australian government jobs, and some university and not-for-profit roles, ask you to respond to selection criteria or key capabilities as well as sending a resume. The Queensland Government notes that some jobs, especially government jobs, ask you to meet particular selection criteria, and that responses should be succinct.
Your resume and your selection criteria response need to tell the same story: the achievements you list should be the examples you expand on. Our guide to the selection criteria interview covers how those examples carry into the interview, and the APS interview guide covers the Australian Public Service process.
How your Australian resume shapes the interview
Australian interviews lean heavily on behavioural questions ("Tell me about a time when..."), and interviewers usually build them from your resume and the position description. Expect:
- A walk-through of your career: why you moved, and what you achieved in each role.
- A behavioural question for each major claim on your resume, for example "You say you cut reporting time by 40%. Walk me through how."
- Questions about gaps or short stints, and about your work rights and availability if you are on a visa.
- A question about why Australia and why now, if your recent experience is overseas.
Prepare a STAR story for each bullet you would be happy to be quizzed on, and cut any you would not. Our list of behavioural interview questions for Australia is a good place to practise, and the free STAR story builder helps you structure each answer. If you are on a working holiday visa, read how to handle a job interview on a working holiday visa, and for the full picture start with job interview tips for Australia.
Turn your resume into practice questions
Once your Australian resume is ready, use it to rehearse. CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview (desktop app for Windows and macOS) builds an interview from your resume and the job description, reads each question aloud and scores your spoken answer out of 10, with what worked, what to fix and a model answer, then gives you a report card. The Resume Builder in the same app tailors a resume to a job URL. Both are included in the free plan: 15 minutes a day, no account and no credit card. CoPilot Interview is not affiliated with Microsoft Copilot or GitHub Copilot.
Practise the questions your resume will trigger
Answer out loud, get a score out of 10 and a model answer for each question, and find the bullets you cannot back up before an interviewer does. Free for 15 minutes a day.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
How long should an Australian resume be?
Australian government guidance ranges from about two pages or fewer where possible (Australian Human Rights Commission) to 1 to 3 pages depending on how long you have been in the workforce (Queensland Government). Two pages is a safe target for most candidates.
Is a CV the same as a resume in Australia?
In everyday Australian usage, yes. The two words are used interchangeably for the document you send with a job application. Academic roles may still ask for a longer academic CV.
Should I put referees on my Australian resume?
You can list two referees with their role, organisation and contact details, or write that referees are available on request. The Australian Human Rights Commission says a minimum of two referees is usually recommended. Always ask them first.
Should I include a photo or date of birth on an Australian resume?
No. The Australian Human Rights Commission says you do not need personal details such as your date of birth, a photo, where you live, your sex or gender, or marital status.
Should I mention my visa on my resume?
A one-line statement of your work rights helps, for example "Australian permanent resident" or your visa type and end date. Employers need this information, and stating it saves a screening question. Check the official Home Affairs pages for your own visa conditions.
Do I need to use Australian spelling on my resume?
It is a good idea. Australian spelling (organisation, analyse, prioritise) shows you have tailored the resume for an Australian employer, and it matches the language of the job ad.