How to tailor your resume to a job ad (Australia)

A step-by-step guide · Updated October 2026

A resume written for the exact ad you're applying to is easier for a recruiter to say yes to, and easier for applicant tracking software to match. Tailoring doesn't mean inventing anything: it means putting your most relevant, true experience first, in the ad's own words.

1. Pull the essentials out of the ad

Read the ad twice and list three things: the job title, the 5 to 8 skills or duties mentioned most, and any must-haves (licences, clearances, registrations, years of experience). Phrases that appear in both the title and the duties are usually what the shortlist is built on.

2. Match the headline and summary to the role

Under your name, use a headline close to the advertised title where it honestly describes you, for example "Senior Project Manager, digital transformation". Follow it with 3 or 4 lines that name your strongest matching experience, with a number where you have one (team size, budget, volume, results).

3. Reorder your skills by what the ad asks for

Put the skills the ad names first, using the same wording ("stakeholder management", not "working with stakeholders") wherever that's accurate. Leave out skills that don't relate to this role; a short, relevant list reads better than a long one.

4. Rewrite the bullets in your recent roles

• Keep 3 to 6 bullets for each recent role and fewer for older ones.
• Lead each bullet with an action and finish with a result: "Cut status-report time by 40% by introducing Jira dashboards."
• Move the bullets that match the ad to the top of each role.
• Use the ad's terms only where they truthfully describe what you did.

5. Be honest about gaps

If the ad asks for something you don't have, don't add it. Either leave it out, or mention related experience you genuinely have ("led vendor negotiations" for an ad that asks for procurement). Misstatements tend to come out in interviews and reference checks.

6. Keep the Australian conventions

• No photo, date of birth, marital status or full street address; suburb, state, phone, email and LinkedIn are enough.
• Two to three pages is normal for experienced candidates; one to two for graduates.
• Australian spelling (organise, programme only for TV, centre) and Australian dates (March 2024 or 03/2024).
• "Referees available on request" is fine; you don't need to list referees unless the ad asks.
• Government roles often ask you to address selection criteria separately: follow the instructions in the application pack.

7. Make it easy for tracking software to read

Use a single column, standard headings (Summary, Skills, Experience, Education), no text boxes or tables for key content, and save as Word (.docx) or a text-based PDF. Images of text can't be read by most systems.

8. Check before you send

Read it against the ad one last time: does the first third of page one show why you fit this job? Check every claim is true, the employer's name is right, and the file name is professional, for example "Alex-Taylor-Resume-Harbourline-Bank.docx".