Resume Writing & Interview Tips


What should I include in my Resume?

The purpose of a resume is to get you an introduction to an employer. Your resume should provide an overview of who
you are, your skills, employment experience and achievements. Remember– the hiring manager can only assess your
suitability for a role based on the information that you provide.


Title

Regardless of whether you choose to have a dedicated ‘title’ page in your resume you should include the following information:

  • Head up your resume with the words: 'Resume' or ‘Curriculum Vitae’
  • Your full name
  • Your postal and email addresses
  • Your contact phone number/s


Subsequent headings:


Employment History

This should be in chronological order, with your most recent role first and then working backwards.

For each role:

  • The name of the business
  • Town/City/Country where the business is located
  • Your role/job title
  • The dates that you worked for each business i.e. June 2016 – March 2018
  • List the duties or tasks that you completed in each role
  • List your successes/achievements in each role


Education/Qualifications

  • High school and/or tertiary
  • List the dates and institutions that you studied at
  • Include any prizes, scholarships and/or achievements


Professional Memberships

  • Include any sports clubs or other organisations, boards and/or committees that you have been involved with
  • Any awards or recognition of your achievements


Voluntary work

  • List the name of the organisation/s, your involvement and when

Interests and hobbies

  • You may like to include some of your interests to provide further insights about yourself


Referees

  • It is optional whether you include your referees in your resume.  If you do decide to include your referees, list their name, job title, contact phone number and the name of the organisation where you worked together.  

Interview Tips

So your resume has caught a hiring manager's interest and you’ve got an interview. Congratulations!

Here are some tips to help you to prepare for your interview.


Before the interview:

  • Research the company.  Find out about their business, their services and/or products. Check out their company website to find out what they do and what makes their company different. Google searches will provide information on any recent media coverage.
  • Make sure you know exactly where the interview is being held – some companies have multiple branches in the same city, so make sure you know which one you’re going to
  • Read over your resume and re-familiarise yourself with the dates, tasks and responsibilities you have included for each position. When you're nervous it's easy to forget.
  • Think about the questions that you may be asked.  How will you respond?  What examples will you give?


On the day of the interview:

  • Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview
  • Make sure you dress to impress, in a clean and tidy fashion
  • If you’re feeling nervous, take lots of deep breaths and engage in some positive self talk 

 

During the interview:

  • Always answer the questions honestly
  • If you’re being interviewed by more than one person, make eye contact mainly with the person who asked you the question
  • Keep your answers to one to two minutes. Should the interviewers require further information they will ask you for it
  • Speak clearly, don’t mumble
  • Think about your body language – your mouth could be saying one thing, but what is your body saying?
  • Focus on the employer’s needs – not your own
  • If you don’t understand the question you are being asked, politely say that you don’t understand and ask them to rephrase it
  • Often at the end of interviews you will be asked if you have any questions. Prepare one or two questions before the interview.
  • At the end of the interview remember to say ‘thank you’


Referees:

  • If the hiring manager is considering taking the recruitment process further with you then you will be asked to provide referees. The hiring manager will make contact with your referees and ask a range of questions about you and how you performed in your role.
  • If you have had previous work experience then it is ideal to use the person that you reported to as a referee
  • You should always ask permission to use a potential referee

Taking time to prepare for an interview could be one of the best investments you ever make. 

Good luck!