This is an excerpt from our interview with Bobby Semple, founder of Simplified Recruitment Solutions. Bobby has over 15 years of experience in recruitment across major national and international brands, including Virgin Atlantic, Rolls Royce and My Chemist Warehouse Group. Bobby is originally from the UK and moved to Australia 10+ years ago.
Some people call it a resume; some people call it a CV. Which one is right?
Whether you talk about CVs or resumes, people will still understand either way. What’s more critical when applying for jobs in Australia is to understand that certain terms may have different connotations than in other countries.
For example, Because I’m from the UK, I once asked a policeman for a “garage” to get a drink. He was confused because in Australia, a “garage” typically refers to a place to park a car. The term for a gas station here is “servo.”
Imagine applying for a job as a “garage attendant” in Australia, a role you’ve previously held in the UK. While you might be familiar with the term “garage attendant,” in Australia, it’s more commonly called a “servo attendant.”
Using the correct terminology demonstrates that you’ve researched and are familiar with local customs, even though it makes no sense to you right now. This can make a positive impression on potential employers and increase your chances of landing the job. Remember, it has to make sense to the person reviewing the resume.
What other tips do you have for creating an Australian resume?
Recruiters have an applicant tracking system that will match keywords from the open position to the resume. Before they read your resume, the system will tell them how relevant your resume is to the job advert you’ve applied for. One is the lowest, and 100 is the best.
So if the recruiter is looking for “servo” through that resume, and you’ve got “garage”, the tracking system will say, “This person doesn’t have any keywords.” You will be rated the lowest score on your resume. Hence, it’s crucial to use those words that the employers use in the job advert.
Remember: Australian slang can be quite unique. For example, the Salvation Army is often called “Salvos.”
The Melbourne Cricket Ground was shortened to MCG but it’s often simply referred to as “the G.”
Another example of Australian slang is the nickname “Jeff’s Shed” for the Royal Exhibition Building. This is similar to the NEC in the UK but on a smaller scale.
Australians tend to shorten words and add “O” to the end of them. It’s a fun aspect of the local culture and can be a bit confusing for newcomers.
The key takeaway here is to have that quality resume over quantity. Read each job description carefully and incorporate the relevant keywords in your resume so they fit through the tracking system.
Of course, you must have the skills and experience, too, but the point is you have to speak the same language as that business.
Is there such a thing as an Australian CV?
No such thing. If anything, if you’re coming from another country, and you’re going to write your resume, will probably be written better than most Aussies.
