Life

Making Resume for Applying Job || Preparing to Enter Career World at Australia

January 31, 2018



Hi all,

After more less nine months didn't go for work, finally I faced another step in my life, which is going out there, search for job. Because now my Australian visa allow me for working here, and I already been inactive for more than nine months, I guess this is the time.

Preparing to End Jobless Era

So, while I am waiting for my partner visa granted, the Australian immigration gave me Bridging visa which allow me to work or study in Australia (without government fund), while I also have to finish gathering and attaching documents that they need.

Feels like I am starting for the beginning. With the fact from lots of people's stories at Indonesian at Australian Group at Facebook, most of them said that our Indonesian education result have no value at Australia, it makes me really have to start from nothing.

Anyway, I guess it will be worth it right? There are always be the first step for every grand plans. Including have a career at other countries. Before I really have limited point of view about working or social life in Aussie. Why? Because I just stayed at home, didn't take any course or any social life out there.

Because now I have this bridging visa, so I have to face the real life out there. Including preparing my self for working.

One of the thing that I prepared was making a resume. Since in Indonesia lots of people using CV for applying job, I should find out is it the same between CV and Resume?

Also read: My Struggle Applying Australia De Facto Visa

Resume Vs. Curriculum Vitae

Like I said before, people in my country, Indonesia, used to hear and preparing their Curriculum Vitae than resume. And apparently they are two different things. CV is things that include all of our experience in working, studying, achieving, awarding, publishing, our identity in detail.

Curriculum Vitae

Like I said before, CV used to fill with our detail of achievement, working experiences, and studying. So we could tell the company about our experiences in detail. There is no limit of the page for CV. You could write two until ten pages, if you have lots of experiences.

Not all employer asked for CV. But in Indonesia, some of the companies indeed need CV for their soon-to-be employee. In my experiences of applying for job, none of the companies that i have been work or applying job before asked for resume.

But, for some Indonesian who want to find a job outside Indonesia, you have to be really pay attention about what the company want you to send, is it CV or is it resume.

To be simple, the company who asked for CV usually they who need someone who want to work in certain field. Usually for educational matters, like research, or them who want to apply for scholarship. Them who want to do those things usually will be asked for their CV.

What you should write at your CV? Like I write above, they who asked for your CV usually want you to tell in detail all of your experiences.
  1. Usually in CV you included your complete name, address, phone number, email address, and your biography in detail, especially detail about your biography that have connection with the job that we apply.
  2. Your education experience starting from high school until the last educational achievement you have is also essential. If you have course before, you could put it in too. Usually if you have thesis or dissertation, it also include too. Put your educational stories in really detail
  3. Beside educational, your working experience should be write in detail too. Beside the companies that we had work before, we could put another professional thing in here, like when your last company sent you for course or anything. 
  4. CV also give us lots of space for writing our point interest, especially the interest that have connection to professionalism.  For example, if you are the volunteer for teaching in the inland places in your country, or taking course of sign language, these could be your positive point.
  5. You can speak more than two languages? You could put that too in your CV. You could put the result of your foreign language test, and where you took it. Or anything that can make you outstanding, like you are an expert at photoshop, or good at playing basket ball, as long as it's not too far from the job you tried to apply, that will be fine.
  6. Put as much as references you have. But, before you put it, make sure you contact all of the references you have about your plan for applying the job. So when one of the company contact them, they are not surprise
  7. These are some things that you can put at your CV:
  • Studying aboard experience
  • Exhibition experience
  • Member or have permit for professional clubs
  • Research experience
  • Teaching experience
  • etc
For information, some companies at countries in Europe like Ireland, England, New Zealand, Middle East, Africa and Asia usually will asked for CV. 

Resume

If we could put lots of things at CV, you couldn't do that when you make resume. In making resume, you have to remember to put simple but important things in it.

You could tell that resume is just the summary of your CV. All of the working and studying experiences will be packed into simple summary.

They who asked you to make the resume, usually the company that really have a little time to read and choose all the candidates in their hand.

Even thought it said the summary of your CV, it is really not that easy to make it. Especially for me. We couldn't just put everything in everywhere we like, but there are some thing that we have to remember when we make the resume:
  • The Purpose for Making Resume
Because resume is like your marketing tool, so we have to prepare the resume that:
Can make us accepted to work
Explaining how we are fit with the criteria that the company needs
Explaining our qualification and our studies are match with what they want
Explaning that we have the same experience
Explaining that we are at the exact level

  • Length of the Resume
The point is, resume will not as long as CV. Usually 1 until 2 pages is enough. You could write until three pages if you really have lots of working and studying experiences.
  • Specify the Resume Type 
According to my future  There are three types of resume:

  1. Chronological Resume, is traditional format resume. Usually experiences list will be sorted according the date. This resume is fit for applying job in the more conservative company.
  2. Functional Resume, is fit for those who have different working experiences, and them who have not much working experiences. 
  3. Combination Resume, is the combination of those two types of resume. You could combine two aspects of those two type, but you have to be really carefull because without you realize it, it could make your resume too long.
  • Making a Header
You already decide what type of resume you want to make? Next step is making a header at your resume. What we have to put at header? Put your name, complete address with your ZIP code, an active phone number and email address.

You could make your name with big and bold words, so it will stand out, and the company will easier to get your name.

Beside giving your active phone number, it is better for you to prepare a professional voice mail too. Since in Indonesia I never use a voice mail (because to make, and open it you have to pay) but since in Australia, people around me seems to have a voice mail. So yes, you need to set up your voice mail in professional way.

Your email address should show a professionalism too. Put your name as an email address is the safest way. If you have dickliketolick@something.com, say goodbye to your dream job.
  •  Career Aims
Determining your career aims in one or two lines is also good to try. Just a put a sentence that explain about your purpose applying the job and what will it do with your career aims. If you applying for more than one job, try to make a sentences that can fit all the positions.

But if you don't have a career aims, or not sure what the aim is, or you just want to be accepted in any positions at that company, you better pass this.
  • Working Experiences
For chronological/ combinations resume type
For this type of resume, you starting to write your working experiences from the last job you did until the first one. Don't forget to put your position too.

Don't worry if your working experiences are not in one field. Usually lots of companies will add more points for them who working hard by having lots of positions at their jobs. And don't worry too if you have a big gap in your working experience, as long as you write in date order, it will be not a problem.

When you come into writing your achievements, make sure you start put a word that show the achievements, like achieving, getting, adding, controlling, etc,

For functional/ combinations resume type
In this type, you could brag your self a little. Tell them your skill and your biography too. Make two or three story lines how you could achieve it, and what you get from your skill.

Make sure the skill that you told is skill that have connection with the job you try to apply. Adding your ability at IT also add more point at your resume too.
  • Activities List
Write in detail how many activities you have join and your membership function at that group. If your group have no connection with the job, but you think it will add your value, just add it. For example, you are the volunteer for non profit organization.
  • Education
Write in detail your educations history, from the last education you have. Put your GPA and special recogniziton too. Just put something important in it, doesn't have to be too details.

If you have academic experiences, like training, course, or anything, you could also put it in.
  • Awards and Achievement 
You have receive awards or achievement? Don't be afraid to write it in too. Just write what kind of awards, and when you receive it.
  • Personal Interest
More less like your hobby, but make sure your personal interest is something that can add your value.

Since in Australia most of the companies I search asking for resume, and I think this resume have it's own advantage, especially for someone who doesn't have lots of experience, and don't know what to explain in the experiences.

I thought it would be easy to make it. Especially after I know all the formulas above. Just open the office words, and type type and type

Is it?


Apparently, there is one crucial thing that we have to put it as a serious thing too. Even we follow all of the formulas above, we have to make sure too that our resume is having a good and outstanding design.

Especially if we try search the image at google image. You will jealous about how good and creative people's resume's designs. But, worry not, if we use microsoft office as our program, this could help us. All you going to do just jump at Microsoft office and OneDrive, and account to sign up.

Microsoft Office


If you have windows 98 or above, you could find this application online too. Before all you going to do just came at office words, and find the template. But now, you just come into microsoft website, choose office, then choose template.
Office templates & themes choices at Microsoft Office
You will find lots of templates that already there. All you going to do just choose what templates you need. Starting from Resume and Cover Letters, Flyers, Planners and Trackers, Newsletter, Brochures, etc.

Because I want to make resume, so I choose resume and cover letter template. In this template, you could see lots of templates of resume, cover letters, and CVs design. All you going to do just choose your template and edit it.
lots of choices for starting making your own resume / CV
To edit it, all you going to do just download it or if it have the edit at browser choice, you could edit it online.

Microsoft OneDrive


I choose to edit my resume online. All I going to do just sign in into my OneDrive account. If you don't have it, just google it at your computer and/ or laptop.

When I finished choosing my resume template, microsoft will take you to the page which you can choose to download it or edit it in browser. But you have to remember, not all the templates have edit in browser option. Don't worry, you still able to edit it at your office words offline.

Choose the your favorite and right resume / CV and start to download it

I choose edit in browser, and it will take me to onedrive page, and asked for sign in
if you don't have onedrive account, you can sign up in this page
after you sign in, it will take you to office words online page
and you can start to edit your resume/ cv
Since I choose edit in browser, because apparently, beside I have OneDrive account, I also think edit it online is way much more easier.

You could save offline and online too. If you want to safe it offline, just choose save as, and save it in your offline office words format. If you choose online, no need to worry, because it will automatically saved at your OneDrive account.

If you are finish with your resume/ CV, and ready to send it to the company, make sure you save a pdf. format too. I think it is a save way to have pdf. format too, especially when you try to apply job online. And, some of companies want you to send it online only.

So, that is one of my story to prepare my self for career world in Australia. Especially how to make resume for company. And I think it so helping, knowing I am really don't know the differences between CV and resume. Plus, even thought the Microsoft templates not as crazy outstanding like any templates I saw at google images, at least it helped me making a good resume. How about you?

sharing is caring

You Might Also Like

0 comments

Hi, please write your comment here, but I will delete all the spams...