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Correct CV format in Oz???

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  • 18-05-2009 7:42pm
    #1
    EoinG
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭


    I've seen it mentioned on these boards that the CV format in Oz is different to the format we use here. Longer and more detailed apparently?

    Could someone elaborate on this for me? Or provide a sample CV or direct me to a link of an exemplary one... That would be great.

    Have tried on Google but there are too many results and all the information is contradictory, would love to here from someone who is over there right now or who has been there and has successfully gained employment.

    Please and thanks!

    Cheers!

    :D


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    #2
    Jagera
    Closed Accounts Posts: 910 ✭✭✭Jagera


    I don't think there's a difference in the content of CV's in Australia compared to anywhere else. You can make it detailed or as short as you want. I've used the same CV in 4 different countries and its got me by. It's about 4 pages long I suppose.

    It's is more commonly called a Resume in Australia though, but CV is used aswell.


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    #3
    EoinG
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭EoinG


    Thanks for the response... Wow, four pages long. Mine only comes to two pages plus a third for a cover letter. Anything else would just be padding methinks... I've always been told less is more.

    Interested to hear other people's views on this? Don't be shy now :)


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    #4
    quietsailor
    Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    EoinG wrote: »
    Thanks for the response... Wow, four pages long. Mine only comes to two pages plus a third for a cover letter. Anything else would just be padding methinks... I've always been told less is more.

    Interested to hear other people's views on this? Don't be shy now :)

    A resume is a condensed version of your cv. It might only take 2 lines to give the job title, dates and place of employment of a particular job in a resume but in a cv you would expand on what you had to do in the job as well as the above details.


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    #5
    missannik
    Registered Users Posts: 184 ✭✭missannik


    I have to admit that I had a lot of trouble condensing my Australian resume from 6 pages down to the 2-3 pages required in Ireland. So believe me, a lot of work places in Australia like long resumes (well in my area of work I guess.) However I see no harm in supplying a resume that is 2 pages long in Australia, so long as it gets your point across. Don't try to lengthen your version just because us Australians like to waffle on in ours (in fact now that I've condensed mine I will be keeping it that way, 6 pages was far too long!) So long as you sell yourself well, you'll be fine.


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    #6
    Daithio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,679 ✭✭✭Daithio


    I have a few friends who work in recruitment here in Sydney and a common complaint that they have is that cvs from Aussie uni grads here are FAR too long. The shorter the better is pretty much always the case. One particular friend of mine who works in human resources for a big consulting firm says that their immediate reaction to a really long cv is that the person is full of themselves/ arrogant.

    Shorter is better in every country I think. You want your achievements to jump out at them straight away, not for them to have trawl through 3 pages of bull**** before they realise what you're good at. 1 page is best, but if you can't manage to condense it down, then two full pages, MAX. Don't do 1 and a half though.

    Mine is only 1 page long and I've got a lot on there. Here is an excellent website for lay out too: http://www.lifeclever.com/give-your-resume-a-face-lift/

    It talks you through loads of cool layout tricks on MS Word. Looks great when it's finished.


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    #7
    Shutuplaura
    Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭Shutuplaura


    Not much of a difference afaik. Their CV's tend to be a bit longer than ours (the golden rule in Dublin was less than two pages, a recruitment consultant told me that isn't necessarily the case here ) and have things like a mission statement - or whatever they are called, a candidate summary type thing with a career goal etc. 4 lines is ample.


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    #8
    randombar
    Registered Users Posts: 3,398 ✭✭✭randombar


    Yup longer and more descriptive, heard that from about 6 recruitment agencies in Melbourne when I showed em my two compact pages!


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    #9
    EoinG
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭EoinG


    GaryCocs wrote: »
    Yup longer and more descriptive, heard that from about 6 recruitment agencies in Melbourne when I showed em my two compact pages!

    Thanks to everyone for their input on this...

    Hmmm, so some say shorter, some say longer... Back to square one I think! I'd be inclined to go for the shorter option I guess, a) because I'm only 21 and have had only one job relevant to the post I'm seeking (teaching - the rest is just J1 summer-type stuff) and b) because that's how my CV is at the moment, so less changes to make :-)

    Will stick with that unless anyone strongly recommends otherwise... I presume an accompanying cover letter is standard as well? About one A4 page in length?


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