Quick tips on Australian resumes from a UWA student (and why most WHV/student CVs get skipped)
Hey everyone,
I'm an international student at UWA (University of Western Australia). Talking to local managers around Perth—especially across hospitality, retail, and warehouse gigs—I noticed so many working holiday makers and new students keep making the exact same resume mistakes:
Photos & Age: Don't include headshots, date of birth, or marital status. Due to Australian anti-discrimination laws, automated systems or cautious managers will literally bin them to avoid bias issues.
Hidden Visa Status: Put your visa condition right at the very top under your name (e.g., Working Holiday Subclass 417 - Full-time availability or Student Subclass 500 - 48h/fortnight). Managers skip resumes if they have to guess your work rights.
Listing "Tasks" Instead of Impact: Don't just write "Made coffee and took orders." Managers know the job description. Instead, highlight reliability: "Maintained fast order turnaround and drink consistency during peak morning rushes with the bar team." (Keep it factual—no need for fake metrics).
Licences Upfront: If you hold an RSA, White Card, or Driver's Licence, place it prominently near the top.
I got tired of seeing friends struggle with terrible Word layouts, so as a coding project, I built a lightweight tool that formats ATS-friendly Aussie resumes and cover letters in seconds:
https://aus-resume-builder.vercel.app
It's free to generate and preview your layout. Hope it helps anyone currently job hunting down under, and feel free to ask any questions about study/work life in Perth!
Posted Sep 6, 2026, 3:25 AM UTC