You don’t needs years of experience to apply for government or council positions, the opposite is often the reality.
Building or tailoring your resume for such jobs without guidance or priority knowledge of the best resume tips to attact the attention of selection committees is challenging.
The truth is public sector organisations are constantly seeking new employees and hiring managers are targeting those applicants that can show they have attributes such as:
- Reliability
- Communication skills and an openness to engage.
- The ability to learn new skills and
- Follow procedures and policies
- The ability to get on well with their teammates or as I like to say play nice.
We will cover my most important tips for your next resume in this article but If you don’t take away any other tips but one, just remember:
If you are between 18 and 30 and applying for Australian government or council jobs, this guide will help you build a resume that looks professional that you can use for your next application even if you only have limited experience.
5 Common Resume Mistakes
A common mistake if you are an application applicants make is assuming they need:
- huge resumes
- complicated wording, difficult to read
- lots of graphics
- multiple pages
- dozens of previous jobs listed (think about relevancy)
5 Tips that will make your Resume shine:
- clean
- simple
- easy to scan
- professionally written
- matches the skills/jobs you reference in your selection criteria response.
For younger adults seeking a first or second public sector job your resume mainly needs to answer a few important questions for the hiring manager and committee:
Can this person:
- show up reliably?
- communicate professionally?
- work in a team?
- follow processes?
- stay long term?
- represent the organisation well?
That is why attitude, presentation, and structure matter so much!
The Best Resume Length
For most applicants aged 18–30:
One page is ideal.
Especially if you:
- only have 1–3 pervious jobs
- are applying for junior roles
- recently left school or university
- have mostly casual or part-time experience
Trying to stretch limited experience across multiple pages can actually weaken the application.
A short, polished resume usually feels more confident and professional. Plus it is easy to read quickly for the selection committee when they are culling applications.
How Many Jobs Should You Include?
A good rule is:
- Last 2 jobs = ideal
- 3 jobs maximum if you have moved around frequently
Older or irrelevant jobs can usually be removed.
For example, if you have worked:
- at McDonald’s, Subway, KFC or Hungry Jacks
- in retail, Officeworks, JB Hi fi, Kmart or BigW
- in hospitality
that is already enough to demonstrate:
- customer service
- teamwork
- reliability
- communication skills
- ability to work under pressure
These are all highly transferable skills for government roles.
McDonald’s Experience Looks Better Than Many Young Applicants Realise
A lot of younger Australians underestimate how valuable structured hospitality experience can be.
For example, working at McDonald’s as a:
- Crew Member
- Crew Trainer
- Shift Manager
can actually translate very well into government applications.
Recruiters often recognise these environments as:
- fast-paced
- process-driven
- team-oriented
- customer-focused
If you became a Shift Manager, that demonstrates:
- leadership
- responsibility
- time management
- staff coordination
- conflict resolution
All highly valuable public sector skills.
Should You Include Interests on Your Resume?
Yes, especially for younger applicants with limited work experience. There are some guidlines though, your interests should should professional, leave out clubbing on the weekend or Xbox and engery drinks on a Saturday night.
For regional Australian applicants, good examples include:
- outdoor recreation
- four-wheel driving
- camping
- dirt bike riding
- sport
- community involvement
- volunteering
These can help create the impression of someone who is:
- practical
- community-oriented
- active
- confident
- suited to regional environments
Avoid including:
- partying
- nightlife
- drinking
even though employers know these activities are common socially.
Some resume templates include a photo, should I?
For an Australian public sector job the answer is:
No.
Generally should not include:
- photos
- age
- marital status
- unnecessary personal details
A clean, professional layout creates a stronger impression than a headshot.
7 Resume Design Tips that Will Make Difference
Resumes for public sector jobs do not need flashy graphics or complicated templates.
In fact, overly designed resumes can sometimes hurt your chances.
The best resumes are usually:
- clean
- easy to read
- well spaced
- include your references ( 2 is the magic number)
- professionally worded
- simple to scan quickly
- Short; try to keep it all on one page.
Good fonts include:
- Calibri
- Arial
- Aptos
Avoid:
- excessive colours
- large graphics
- multiple columns filled with clutter
- huge paragraphs
White space is important.
Find some great templates in our resources section.
