

Don’t let the fear of choosing the correct CV format overpower you. Read this article and follow its advice. And once you do that, you’ll finally be able to say: “I’ve got this!”
Am I professional enough?
What would recruiters think of me when they see my CV?
You’re about to pick a CV format, and those worries haunt you like a Kapunda’s ghost.
But here’s what I think: you’re safe with us.
This guide will show you:
See?
Nothing to be afraid of.
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Sample CV made with our builder—See more templates and create your CV here.
Let’s set some things straight first.
A CV and a resume are the same documents in Australia. So if you’re looking for CV or resume format details, have at it. No matter which one you choose, you’ll always be right.
Now, there are three CV formats you can choose from:
Have a look at what they look like in real-life examples:
Let’s start with the first on the list, and that is—
Jamie Hyland
Product Owner
(07) 4571 6143
jamie.hyland@email.com
linkedin.com./in/jamiehyland
Summary
Ambitious and self-driven product owner with 4+ years of experience. Certified ScrumMaster and Project Management Professional. Excellent at aligning the business objectives with market demand. Increased conversion rates 2-fold, thanks to well-scripted user stories. Seeking a career opportunity at Deal to drive high-income results through a developed product.
Experience
Product Owner
ProjectDough, Sydney, NSW
March 2020–February 2022
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievement:
Junior Product Owner
Plannel, Sydney, NSW
October 2017–December 2019
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Education
Bachelor in Project Management
University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW
September 2013–June 2017
Skills
Certifications
Languages
Interests
The reverse-chronological CV format is also called a chronological format. Thanks to its layout and structure that highlight one’s career progression, it’s the most valued CV format by the hiring managers.
It’s versatile, which means you can use it no matter what career situation you’re in. Whether you’re advancing, branching out, or have had a long break from employment, it’s always a good choice.
See what to include in a standard job CV format:
Moving on—
Jamie Hyland
Product Owner
(07) 4571 6143
jamie.hyland@email.com
linkedin.com./in/jamiehyland
Objective
Ambitious and self-driven product owner; certified ScrumMaster and Project Management Professional. Excellent at aligning the business objectives with market demand. Seeking a career opportunity at Deal to drive high-income results through a developed product. With proven user-centred design and validation skill set.
Skills Summary
Project management
User experience design
Communication
Experience
Product Owner
ProjectDough, Sydney, NSW
March 2020–Present
Junior Product Owner
Plannel, Sydney, NSW
October 2017–December 2019
Education
Bachelor in Project Management
University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW
September 2013–June 2017
Certifications
Languages
The skills-based CV format, or functional as some may call it, is there to prove you’ve got the skills for the job. The experience section is timed-out with only dry facts about where you worked and when.
This curriculum vitae format is perfect for writing a CV after an employment gap or when moving industries. Its goal is to give the employer what they want while having limited experience.
Make sure you include these sections in the functional CV:
There’s one little thing to mention here, though.
Recruiters prefer the reverse-chronological format. Functional CVs leave your experience in the background and recruiters with stretched reasons for inviting you to an interview. So if you still want to go for a functional CV format, you’d better do an outstanding job with the resume skills descriptions!
Jamie Hyland
Product Owner
(07) 4571 6143
jamie.hyland@email.com
linkedin.com./in/jamiehyland
Summary
Ambitious and self-driven product owner certified ScrumMaster and Project Management Professional. Excellent at aligning the business objectives with market demand. Seeking a career opportunity at Deal to drive high-income results through a developed product. With proven user-centred design and validation skill set.
Skills
User experience design
Communication
Experience
Product Owner
ProjectDough, Sydney, NSW
March 2020–Present
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Education
Bachelor in Project Management
University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW
September 2013–June 2017
Certifications
Languages
The last of the great three CV formats is the combination format. As the name suggests, it’s a hybrid of chronological and functional CVs.
This is the sections structure of a combination CV:
Again—this isn’t the format recruiters are typically looking for. Unless you’re an executive presenting your numerous strengths, you don’t want to bet on this horse.
But, there’s one more format you may want to learn about—the academic one.
See what I mean:
Flynn Copeley
Graduate Student
University of Melbourne
Grattan Street, Parkville,
Victoria, 3010, Australia
Phone: (03) 5361 8617
flynncopeley@unimelb.student.edu
Academic History
MA, Art History, University of Melbourne, 2022, “Art Research Methods: French Art Reverse-Engineered”
Class of Dr Bobby J. Elliott
BA, Art History, University of Melbourne, 2022, “The Past Is in the Present: The New Mainstream”
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Publications
“Today’s Matisse.” Journal of French History. Vol. 65, no. 2 (Spring 2020): 66-90.
Awards and Honours
Dissertation of the Year, University of Melbourne, 2020
A prize for the most insightful thesis in the Art History Department. Only one award like that is received a year.
Dean’s List, University of Melbourne, 2019–2021
Magna Cum Laude, University of Melbourne, 2021
Grants
The Raphael Grant for the Present View on the Past, 201
Italian Art Association
Conferences
“You Look But You Don’t See.” History of Art Conference. Boston, NY, 2021.
Languages
English—Native speaker
French—Fluent in reading and writing
References
Bobby J. Elliott
Faculty Member
University of Melbourne
Grattan Street, Parkville,
Victoria, 3010, Australia
Phone: (03) 5361 8617
bobbyjelliot@unimelb.faculty.edu
The academic CV format is necessary to apply to a graduate school, receive a grant, join a fellowship, or get a job in academia.
Compared to the standard CV format for a job, it’s a complete list of all your professional and academic experiences, which you update as you go instead of tailoring to every position you apply for.
The standard structure of an academic CV is this:
CV format may sound intimidating, but in reality, it really is not.
Success comes with practice, so why don’t you do exactly that with our Zety templates?
Here are Australian CV format PDF examples that you can try out for free in our CV maker:
Primo
An ideal template for a chronological CV format. The timeline design perfectly highlights the progression you’ve made over the years. Plus, its unique take on the initials will make the recruiter remember you.
Simple
That’s one of the templates that always work. It’s simple, clear, and just right for you, no matter which CV format you decide to use. The splash of colour won’t distract the reader from picking the essentials. In fact, it draws attention to them.
Cascade
If you believe you’ll need quite a bit of space, then Cascade has been made with you in mind. The thought-out structure allows you to fit Elon Musk’s achievements into one page. And that’s quite a lot to squeeze in.
Cubic
Cubic ensures your CV lands on the recruiter’s desk. Why? Because it’s ATS-friendly. And once it reaches their hands, it won’t go anywhere. With the heading format like this, your name will stick with them for a long time.
Valera
It’s a single-column template that guides the gaze with its structure. But what’s striking is not the layout but the one-of-a-king typography resembling hand-lettering. The admissions office will surely appreciate such a design for your academic CV.
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
The CV structure is crucial for recruiters to figure out what’s what. But the layout makes it all crystal-clear. Literally, there’s never enough whitespace.
Follow these simple CV formatting tips to help you get started:
ProTip: If you can see the original content after pasting your CV into a basic text editor like Notepad, it means your PDF is readable by the ATS.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
And that’s what you should remember for a lifetime:
And that’s that.
Thank you for reading my article!
Please tell me—
Do you have questions about the CV format for a job you’re applying for? Not sure about the best CV format for you? Would you like to see yet another example of a CV format? What do you feel is the most professional CV format?
Give me a shout in the comments! Let’s get the conversation rolling.
Is your head aching from conflicting advice about how to write a cover letter? Use our writing guide and stop spinning.
CV, resume, cover letter… It’s all too easy to get confused when applying for jobs. Time to sort it out once and for all: what is a CV, and is it different from a resume?
Is it the email you write when sending your resume to a recruiter? Is it a thing of the past? What is a cover letter and what’s it for? Time to find out!