Australia
33 guides for the Australian job market.
What jobs can ADF members get after leaving? A practical way to answer it
Rank and trade names do not translate directly into civilian job titles. Here is how to work out what to target next, based on what you actually did rather than what you were called.
Veteran job interviews: answering 'aren't you overqualified?' and other civilian panel questions
Civilian interview panels ask about culture fit and motivation in a register Defence does not use. Here is how to answer the objections that come up almost every time.
A personal brand for your job search, without the cringe
You do not need to become a thought leader. You need your LinkedIn, your CV and your search results to tell the same true story. A practical guide for the Australian job market.
How to tailor your CV to any job ad
The keyword-matching method that works on any job ad, not just SEEK: what to change, which keywords actually belong on your CV, and what to leave alone.
How to put AI skills on LinkedIn without sounding like everyone else
'Proficient in ChatGPT' tells a reader nothing. Here is how to describe what you actually do with AI tools, on LinkedIn and on your CV, so you can back it up when someone asks.
CV vs resume in Australia: what's the difference?
In Australia, CV and resume mean the same document, unlike the US and UK where they differ. Here is what an Australian resume should actually look like, and how long it should be.
Can every line on your CV survive a follow-up question?
AI can make any CV read well. It cannot answer the follow-up question for you. A practical audit for every claim on your CV, and how to build the evidence file that makes interviews easier.
The best AI tools for job applications in Australia, compared honestly
Six AI tools for CVs, ATS scoring and job applications: what each one actually does well, what it costs in Australia, and who it suits, including where CVelo is not the right fit.
APS resume example: what a public service panel needs on the page
An APS resume is a different document from a private sector one. What to include, what classification and clearance detail panels look for, and what to leave off.
Registered nurse CV example (Australia): what hiring managers and ATS software look for
A registered nurse CV example for Australian roles, with the AHPRA, clinical skills and shift detail hiring managers check first. Before and after, plus a free ATS score.
Key Selection Criteria for Victorian Government jobs: how the VPS differs from APS and NSW
Victorian public sector roles use Key Selection Criteria written into each position description, and the rules for answering them are not the same as Canberra's or Sydney's. What to expect and how to respond.
How to address selection criteria when you have no direct experience
Career changers, graduates and people stepping up a level all hit the same wall: a criterion asking for experience they do not have. Here is how to answer it honestly and still score.
Seven selection criteria mistakes panels see every round (and the fix for each)
Selection panels in Australian government, health and education read the same errors in application after application. Here are the seven that cost the most marks, why they happen, and what to write instead.
The Queensland Government two-page statement: how to write 'how you meet the criteria'
Most Queensland Government and Queensland Health roles on SmartJobs ask for a resume and a short statement, usually two pages, on how you meet the requirements of the role. Here is what panels want in it and how to structure it.
How long should each selection criteria response be?
Word limits, page limits and what an Australian selection panel actually reads. The length rules for individually addressed criteria, APS pitches, NSW targeted questions and the two-page state statements.
Cover letter, resume and selection criteria: what goes where in an Australian application
Government and health applications in Australia often ask for three documents that seem to overlap. They do not. Here is what each one is for, what to put in it, and what to leave out.
What 'demonstrated experience' actually asks for
A plain-English guide to what 'demonstrated experience' and similar phrases mean in an Australian selection criterion, and how to write a response that actually proves it.
How to answer selection criteria with the STAR method (with a real example)
A plain-English guide to answering selection criteria using the STAR method, with a full worked example for Australian public sector applications.
ADF resume example: translating military experience for civilian employers
A before and after ADF resume example. How to translate rank, trade and jargon into civilian language that gets past recruitment software and reads well to a hiring manager.
AI mock interviews: how to practise for an Australian job interview
How AI mock interviews work, what they can and cannot fix, and a practice plan for an Australian panel. Free practice sessions, no card required.
Selection criteria for NSW Health, Queensland Health and state teaching roles
State government health and education applications have their own rules, their own credential checks and their own filters. What to write, what to attach, and where nurses and teachers lose marks.
13 selection criteria examples, with model answers you can adapt
The thirteen criteria that turn up in almost every Australian government, health and education job, each answered in full, with a note on what the panel is actually scoring.
Turning an overseas CV into an Australian resume
What to cut, what to add, and what quietly counts against you when you apply in Australia with a CV written for the UK, India, the US, the Philippines or elsewhere.
GradStart and new graduate nursing applications: what actually gets you shortlisted
NSW Health's GradStart recruits across more than 150 facilities in one statewide process. Here is what the criteria are asking, and the mistakes that cost strong graduates a place.
NSW government jobs: how to write to the focus capabilities
NSW does not use traditional selection criteria. It assesses you against focus capabilities and rates you Did Not Meet, Met or Exceeds. Here is how that changes what you write.
Applying for council jobs in Australia: what local government wants
Local government hires across more trades and professions than almost any other Australian employer, and the applications are more winnable than state or federal. Here is the format and what councils score.
How to address selection criteria in an Australian job application
Selection criteria decide most government, health and education jobs in Australia, and almost nobody is taught how to write them. Here is the structure panels are scoring you against, with worked examples.
How to write an APS pitch, from APS4 to EL1 (with worked examples)
The one page pitch has replaced individually addressed criteria across much of the Australian Public Service. Here is what the panel is scoring, how the levels differ, and worked examples at APS5, APS6 and EL1.
APS merit pools explained: why a rejection can still get you the job
Merit pools run for 18 months and can fill ongoing, non-ongoing and casual vacancies. Understanding them changes which APS jobs are worth applying for.
The STAR method, explained for Australian interviews (with word-for-word examples)
What the STAR method actually is, why Australian interviewers rely on it, and three worked answers you can adapt, including the setback question everyone fumbles.
Top 10 interview questions at ANZ, Westpac and CBA, and how to answer them
The questions Australia's big banks actually ask, what they are really assessing, and a simple structure for answering them with confidence.
How to tailor your CV for SEEK job ads
A practical, step-by-step method for tailoring your CV to any SEEK listing, so a recruiter searching for the right skills can find it, and read it.
What is an ATS, and how can Australian job seekers prepare a clear CV?
How recruitment software handles your application in Australia, what it can and cannot do, and how to write a CV that is easy for both software and people to read.
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