Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes
What do you do if you have limited work experience?

You could consider using a functional format for your resume. This format is designed to stress your qualifications with less emphasis on specific jobs. You could also include a skills summary in your resume i.e. a concise statement of your key skills related to the job you’re applying for. Your skills summary may include transferable skills you have developed in part-time, casual or volunteer work or in your studies.

In addition, if you have had work placements or have done volunteer work relevant to your career path, it is not necessary to include a notation that it was unpaid work. Keep in mind that your resume is a capabilities statement of what skills, expertise and benefits you could bring to your future employer.

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What if my work experience is not directly relevant to the job?

Highlight your transferable skills. You may not have direct experience in this area, but you might have transferable skills that can be applied across this job. Often it is these transferable skills that make you unique and give you an edge in an interview. (See Unit 2: Preparing your Resume for information on how to identify them.)

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Should I include a photo of myself in my resume?

Don’t include extraneous information in your resume. Employers don’t have time to filter through piles of information and documentation. Unless your photo adds direct value (i.e. modelling or acting work), leave it out.

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How do I submit my academic results with my resume?

Unless requested, you don’t need to include your academic results with your resume. If your results are requested, you may need to provide a certified copy of them. You can get certified copies of your results from the university you attended (usually for a fee) or you can get a copy signed by pharmacist or police officer.

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What if I have poor academic results?

Don’t include them in your resume. Don’t include anything in your resume that you think will rule you out of contention (eg date of birth, etc). You can always address this issue in an interview if raised.

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How do I submit my resume online? How do I target it to an employer or job?

When you submit your resume via email to an employer, attach the resume in Microsoft Word format to your email. If you are sending the resume to a person, make sure you address that person at the beginning of the email. Watch that you don’t use informal language in your email, but treat it as a letter. It is better to be too formal than too casual.

Try to avoid over-emailing employers. They will just delete your email if it is part of a group mailout and you haven’t spent the time to target it to their organisation or their recruitment processes.

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I'm older and worried my age will work against me. What can I do?

Highlight your most recent work history and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to do the work you're applying for.  Make sure you don’t include too much of your work history. Don’t include date of birth or high-school education and don’t go back too far in your work experience. Try to structure your resume to suit the job you are going for. A functional resume format is often the best approach (see Unit 4: Putting Together a Resume).

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What if I have gaps in employment or education?

Under "Work Description" describe what you were doing while out of the work force, especially if it provided you with valuable experience. Use a skills-based resume.

Don’t panic if you don’t cover them all. Just include the years you worked rather than the month and year.

If you are questioned at interview you explain the reasons why and keep highlighting your strengths (eg. “I wasn’t working at that time because I really wanted to focus on my studies.”) This can show that you are committed to doing a good job.

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What if I've only worked for one employer?

If you've had different positions within the organisation, then list the positions separately and explain your responsibilities and accomplishments in each one.

If you've stayed in one position only, make sure that you list your accomplishments for that position.

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How do I handle the fact that I've had a lot of short-term jobs?

Try to combine several jobs into one common area. For example, under "Work Experience," state: "1998-2000 Office administration duties at a hardware store, insurance company and consulting firm."

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What if I'm interested in more than one work opportunity?

Modify your resume for each position so that it is targeted to each organisation and role.

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I haven't completed my education yet. How do I handle that?

Under the ‘Education’ section in your resume, state: "Graduation/diploma/degree anticipated in (date)".

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I'm a student and the only jobs I've held are part-time and summer jobs. How do I make them seem important?

Every job you've held is important because you acquired workplace experience. For information on how to show the employer what you learned, go to Unit 3: Job Advertisements and Selection Criteria.

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I have no experience in the kind of work I want to do. Now what?

You can get experience through volunteering. Also, re-examine all your work and volunteer experiences to see if what you've done in the past can be applied to your new career path.

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