Career situations
How to write a graduate resume in Australia
Turn education, placements, projects and part-time work into evidence, with a worked example.
A graduate resume has to do more with less. You may have a degree, a placement, part-time work and a few projects, and the job is to show which of those prove you can do the role.
A graduate resume structure
| Section | What to include | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Contact details and work rights | Name, phone, email, city; visa type and work conditions if relevant | Graduate visa holders should state the work rights and expiry |
| Career objective | Two sentences: the role you want and the evidence behind it | Name the field, not just "a challenging role" |
| Education | Degree, university, completion month and year, majors, WAM or GPA if strong, awards | Add a capstone or thesis title if it matches the role |
| Relevant experience | Placements, internships, part-time jobs with relevant tasks | Use the same format as a job: title, organisation, dates, achievements |
| Projects | Two or three projects with your role and the result | Link a portfolio or repository if the role values it |
| Volunteering and leadership | Clubs, societies, mentoring, community work | Show responsibility and outcomes, not just membership |
| Skills | Tools and methods the job ad names | Give honest proficiency |
| Referees | Placement supervisor, lecturer, manager | Ask permission first |
The University of Sydney's resume guide suggests listing majors, WAM, academic awards and scholarships under education. It recommends describing practicums and placements with the organisation, duration, responsibilities and outcomes, and treating volunteering and extracurricular roles like employment. Study Australia's resume guide adds academic projects, group assignments and club involvement for applicants without paid experience.
Treat placements and part-time work as evidence
A placement is experience, whether or not it was paid. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that vocational placements that are a required part of a course can be unpaid. You list them the same way as a job.
Part-time work in retail or hospitality is also useful evidence. Show the parts that match the role: handling complaints, working to deadlines, cash reconciliation, training new staff.
Turn a project into a result
Projects are where most graduate resumes are vague. Use one line for what the project was, then bullets for what you did and what it produced.
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| Group project on customer data | Cleaned and joined three years of sample sales data (40,000 rows) in Python for a four-person capstone |
| Did analysis and charts | Built the dashboard our team presented to the industry partner; they adopted two of our five recommendations |
| Worked in a team | Ran weekly stand-ups and kept the task board current, so the team met all four milestones |
A worked example
Fictional graduate Lucas Tran is applying for a graduate data analyst program. His education entry and first project read:
Bachelor of Commerce (Business Analytics), Example University, Sydney · Completed November 2026
WAM 76 (Distinction) · Dean's List 2025
Capstone project: retail demand forecasting (industry partner: Example Grocers)
- Cleaned and joined three years of sample sales data in Python (pandas) for a four-person team.
- Built a weekly demand forecast and a Power BI dashboard for the partner's buying team.
- The partner adopted two of the team's five recommendations for seasonal ordering.
Each line answers a question a graduate recruiter would ask: what tools, what scale, what result.
Graduate programs and online assessments
Many graduate programs combine an online application, psychometric or video assessments and an assessment centre. Keep a short record of each application and its deadlines; our application tracking guide includes a template.
Questions about graduate resumes
Should I include high school results?
If you finished school recently and have little else to show, the University of Sydney suggests including secondary qualifications. Once you have a degree and some experience, drop them.
Should I include my WAM or GPA?
Include it if it is strong or the employer asks for it. Graduate programs often request a transcript anyway.
Is part-time retail work worth listing?
Yes. It shows reliability and customer skills. Keep the bullets focused on what matches the role.
What if I am an international graduate?
State your visa and work rights clearly, and see our guide to writing a resume with no Australian experience for how to present overseas roles.
One page or two?
One page works for many graduates. Two pages is fine if placements and projects are relevant. See how long a resume should be.
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