The Resume AI Trap: Why ChatGPT and Copilot Can Quietly Cost You Interviews
The Resume AI Trap: Why ChatGPT and Copilot Can Quietly Cost You Interviews Can recruiters tell when a resume is written by AI? Let’s say you did what everyone’s doing. You opened ChatGPT or Copilot. You pasted your job history. You added the job ad. You asked for a “professional, ATS-friendly resume”. And the output looked… good. Clean. Confident. Polished. So why does it still feel like your applications are vanishing into thin air? Because a resume isn’t judged the way an English essay is judged. It’s judged like a risk document. Hiring managers aren’t asking, “Is this written nicely?”They’re asking, “Do I believe this person can do the job, and do I trust what I’m reading?” And right now, AI-written resumes are triggering a very specific reaction in hiring teams: “This looks… fine. But I don’t feel the person.” Recruiters have even published guidance on how they spot AI resumes, and generic language without substance is one of the biggest giveaways. This article isn’t “anti-AI”. We use tools thoughtfully at Successful Resumes. But letting AI author your resume from scratch is where people get hurt, not dramatically, not obviously, just… quietly, consistently, through fewer callbacks. After reviewing thousands of resumes across industries at Successful Resumes, we see the same pattern repeat: AI-written resumes look competent on the surface but quietly erode trust where it matters most. Here’s why. AI makes you sound employable… in the most forgettable way AI is brilliant at producing “professional” sentences that could apply to almost anyone. That’s the problem. Recruiters are seeing waves of resumes full of the same smooth, interchangeable phrasing, and when everyone sounds the same, nobody stands out. Recruiters themselves say generic, “all the right words” language is a common AI tell. A human resume that gets interviews usually has something AI struggles to generate: a specific scope a clear “before/after” result a credible level of detail the right weight in the right places AI will happily tell an employer you’re “results-driven”.A strong resume shows what changed because you were there. This is where AI often hurts strong candidates more than weak ones. It smooths away exactly what made them credible in the first place. The resume starts mirroring the job ad (and that can backfire) Most people prompt AI like this: “Use the job description and tailor my resume.” So AI does what it does best: it mirrors language. The risk is you end up with a resume that reads like a rehash of the job ad, keyword-heavy, light on proof. That doesn’t feel tailored. It feels manufactured. And manufactured is the opposite of trust. (Yes, keywords matter. But “keywords without evidence” is where applications die.) AI can accidentally invent things, and you won’t always notice AI tools can “fill gaps” when your input is incomplete, vague, or messy. In normal writing, that’s helpful. In resumes, it’s dangerous. It might: inflate your seniority (“led”, “owned”, “directed”) broaden your responsibilities smooth over dates or scope imply certifications you don’t have Even small inaccuracies create big interview problems. Not because someone is trying to trick you, but because the resume is now presenting a version of you that you can’t comfortably defend under pressure. And interviewers notice that mismatch quickly. ATS “optimisation” is more than keyword stuffing A lot of candidates believe AI = ATS safe. Sometimes it is. Often it isn’t. Two big reasons: Formatting and readability If you use AI tools plus templates that lean on columns, tables, text boxes, or fancy layouts, many ATS platforms struggle to read them properly, content can be scrambled or dropped altogether. So you may think you applied with a strong resume, but the employer’s system captured an incomplete, mangled version. Structure and section logic AI often produces resumes that look tidy but don’t follow the most effective hierarchy for screening: the sections recruiters scan first, the order that sells your fit fastest, the balance between scope and outcomes. ATS isn’t just a gate. It’s the first layer of a human hiring workflow. Recruiters can spot AI writing, and many don’t like it This is the part job seekers underestimate. It’s not that using AI is “cheating”. It’s that AI writing has a smell, patterns, rhythm, buzzwords, polished emptiness. And once a recruiter suspects it, a question appears: “If they didn’t write this, then what else don’t I know about them?” One widely reported survey result that did the rounds in career media: a large proportion of hiring managers say they dislike AI-generated applications and believe they can identify them. Even when employers don’t formally ban AI, the perception can still cost you. Your resume might not match your real voice, and that creates a “trust gap” Here’s a reality we see all the time: AI resume = polished, corporate, extremely “together” Candidate = normal human who speaks plainly Then the interview happens. And the hiring manager experiences a gap between the document and the person. Not a skills gap, a credibility gap. The resume reads confident and senior. The candidate is thoughtful and capable, just more measured. The gap isn’t dramatic, but it’s enough to introduce doubt. That gap makes hiring feel riskier. A great resume isn’t the fanciest version of you.It’s the truest professional version of you, the one you can naturally back up in conversation. Privacy: you’re feeding highly personal data into systems you don’t control Resumes contain sensitive information: employment history, locations, contact details, sometimes salary, sometimes visa status, sometimes health gaps you’re trying to explain carefully. When you paste that into a generative AI tool, you may be creating privacy and security risks you didn’t intend, and privacy experts have warned that the AI boom introduces new privacy challenges around personal data. Even major institutions and firms advise caution with what you enter into AI tools, because conversational interfaces encourage oversharing. At minimum: if you use AI, anonymise names, companies, and identifying details. The job market is adapting, and “AI applications” are changing hiring processes As AI-generated applications
What is your Expected Salary?
It’s probably the most awkward phase of the recruitment process but setting your salary expectations is an essential step for many roles. Unless the recruiter or hiring manager has been upfront with the salary range, the first hurdle can be knowing the right time to bring it up. According to this PayScale post, a Robert Half survey found that 38 per cent of managers felt discussion about salary should at least wait until the second interview. This is consistent with conventional thinking that says talking about money in the first meeting is a faux pas. The reasoning behind this comes mainly from managing perceptions. You don’t want the employer to think you are more interested in the money than the job. Jobseekers the world over have experienced the ramifications of bringing up money too early. In 2017, a Canadian food delivery service SkipTheDishes landed in a social media storm when a job applicant tweeted their response after the applicant, Taylor Byrnes emailed the company to ask, “If I do end up filling this position, how much do you think I’ll be getting paid an hour?” Byrnes asked. “Benefits will also be included, right? Sorry, I just thought I should ask now. Thanks for your time and have a lovely day.” The talent acquisition manager Karras then followed up with another message clarifying the company’s position. “As a start-up company, we seek out those who go out of their way to seek out challenges and new opportunities. We believe in hard work and perseverance in pursuit of company goals as opposed to focusing on compensation,” she wrote. “Our corporate culture may be unique in this way, but it is paramount that staff display intrinsic motivation and are proven, self-starters. For these reasons, questions about compensation and benefits at such an early stage is a concern related to organizational fit.” After public support and a #boycott hashtag that gained popularity, the company rescinded its stance and invited the applicant for a second interview. None of the media reports mentioned whether she got the job though. How do you successfully navigate salary discussions?For most candidates, the biggest challenge is knowing where to pitch yourself. If you go too low, you could be underselling yourself but if you go too high, you could take yourself out of the race. The key to win/win negotiations is to be diplomatic and prepared. We’ve suggested some steps you can take below: Don’t rush to the discussion of money.Taking your time will give you an opportunity to get a better idea of the role and the challenges the company might be facing. Linking these to your skills might give you a chance to build your potential as a solution and increase your value. For many companies, a candidate who might cost $10,000 more but can hit the ground running and is the right fit for their future business goals may be an investment that pays off. Do your research.Research is important throughout the entire job search process. When it comes to salary negotiations, it’s good to build your understanding of what’s a fair starting salary for the job and the company you’re considering. There are salary benchmarking tools on the market to help this process. Glassdoor, PayScale and Seek all offer in-depth salary data for specific jobs and employers. Likewise, recruitment firms including Hays and Robert Half also offer salary guides for Australia and New Zealand. These tools will help you identify industry standards and provide some parameters around your own expectations. Set a range.Setting a salary range provides greater scope for negotiating. If you start negotiations at the upper end of the range, there is room for movement. It’s important to set a realistic range that considers how long you’ve worked in the industry, your qualifications, your achievements, location, the demand for your skills, the company and industry hiring trends. Each of these will help inform where you should pitch your expectations. Know your range but don’t volunteer it first. It’s generally best to get the employer to give a number first. Think beyond the salary.When it comes to accepting a role, it’s not just about the salary. There is value in the whole picture. This can include, responsibilities, job titles, location, and flexibility, along with the potential for career advancement, professional development, and further education. When it comes to thinking about where you want to go in the future, looking at the opportunity with a holistic lens that considers salary and non-cash benefits could be important. Not all roles are up for negotiation.If the role is in the public sector including local, state, and federal government, it’s likely there will be a fixed salary range with no room for negotiation. Don’t assume you have to accept the first offer.Even in competitive job markets, negotiating diplomatically and in good faith is always acceptable. It’s important for all employees to feel valued and compensated fairly for their skills and experience. In fact, research shows it has a direct impact on job satisfaction. The Australia Pay Experience Report, released in 2019 by Ceridian, revealed that more than half of Australian workers (54%) are unsatisfied with their level of pay. To ensure lasting success in any role, mastering salary negotiations to ensure you feel valued is a perfect place to start. For more information on how we support job seekers navigate their next career move, please contact us below.
How to Find a Job using Social Media in Australia
Starting your job search can be challenging but knowing the right places to look for opportunities can take the frustration out of the process. According to the Australian Government’s Survey of Employers’ Recruitment Experiences, 2018, although many jobs are advertised on recruitment websites and jobs boards, employers are also using other methods to find the right candidate for their roles. What can you do to increase your chance of finding the right job? Most job seekers are familiar with recruitment websites and using an agency or employment service, but what about social media? We’ve known for a long time that the majority of employers use social media channels to research candidates. In fact, according to Robert Walters, 62% of employers use social media to check on prospective employees. With 8 in 10 Australians using social media, employers are now looking at ways to use social channels to attract and recruit candidates. In 2012, only 1% of available roles were advertised on social media. In 2018/19 it rose to 14%. Where are these roles? According to the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Facebook ‘job groups’, in particular, have grown in popularity. Offering a free online forum, Facebook has become a popular tool for employers to advertise available positions and for job seekers to find employment. Facebook job groups have started popping up in almost every region in Australia. Most relate to geographical areas however some are industry specific. The Transport and Truck Jobs Australia have more than 20 posts per day and 23,000 members. Also with more than 26,000 members, Redlands Jobs Board in QLD offers an online space for local businesses to find local jobseekers. To find the right groups, search for terms like ‘jobs in Perth’ or ‘construction jobs’. Join any that you think look relevant. Not only will you be able to access potential roles, but these groups can also be a great way to build your local or industry network. Once you have joined, you can publish text posts, upload photos and comment on other members posts or announcements. If you are looking for work, you can create a post outlining the type of work you want. Add in details like how much experience you have and your availability. For the most part, though, you will use the group to browse available jobs and comment when you find one that could be a good match for you. For now, it seems that employers in the services sectors are using Facebook the most for recruitment. The rate of technology adoption and engagement continues to grow. We think it’s likely that over time, more employers will use social media to find candidates.
Mature Age Workers: Unlocking Opportunities for Job Seekers and Employers in Australia
Written by: Louise De Chiera, Successful Resumes South West Western Australia Are you wondering what it means to be a mature age worker? As I sit here contemplating this question, I find myself in my mid-40s, reflecting on my own professional journey. Despite having worked for myself over the past seven years, I can’t help but acknowledge that I may fall into the mature age bracket. If I were to enter the labour market and apply for a new position, I would likely be considered a mature age candidate, competing against individuals from various age groups. According to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, mature age workers are generally classified as individuals over the age of 45. This means that you may spend a significant portion of your working life, approximately twenty-two years, as a mature age worker until retirement at 67. That’s not even taking into consideration that an increasing number of people are choosing to work well beyond the age of 67, extending their careers into their 70s. If you are a mature age worker contemplating a job change or considering a career transition, it’s essential not to let age become a barrier. There is growing recognition of the value that mature age workers bring to organisations, prompting business owners, HR professionals, and recruiters to reconsider their perceptions. As a young twenty-year-old starting my career, I learned invaluable skills from colleagues aged over 45. I am grateful for the knowledge and experience they passed on. As a mature age worker, you possess life experience and a diverse range of skills that can greatly contribute to a business. Employing mature age workers offers numerous benefits: When applying for positions as a mature age worker, it’s important to communicate these advantages to prospective employers. How to avoid age bias Discrimination based on age, whether it’s favouring younger candidates or overlooking the skills and experience of mature age workers, can limit opportunities in the job market. Here are some simple tips to help avoid age bias during the recruitment process, consider the following tips: Reach out for support Jobs and SkillsWA offers support programs for mature age workers re-entering the workforce, including Skills Checkpoint, Skills and Training Incentives, and Work Bonuses that allow you to earn additional income without affecting pension payments. At Successful Resumes, we understand the unique experiences and challenges faced by mature age workers. Our team of writers, most of whom fall into this category, can relate to your situation. Contact any of our writers today to help identify your skills and tailor a compelling resume and cover letter for your next application. Ultimately, the mature age workforce presents a distinctive opportunity for both job seekers and employers in Australia. Excerpt: Are you a mature age worker considering a job change or career transition? Don’t let age be a barrier to your success! Discover the benefits of employing mature age workers and how to avoid age bias during the recruitment process. At Successful Resumes, we understand your unique experiences and challenges, and our expert writers can tailor a compelling resume and cover letter to showcase your skills. Take advantage of the distinctive opportunities in the mature age workforce. Contact us today!
What to Look for In Your First Apprenticeship
Learning a trade is one of the most forward-thinking career decisions a young person could make. Apart from giving you a strong and stable entry into an industry, trades teach valuable, transferrable skills that can help individuals stay employed even during economic downturns. But how do you know you’re making the right choice in a trade? At Successful Resumes, we provide up-to-the-minute career advice for tradespeople at every stage of their careers so that their next career move is a smarter one. We’ve put together this short article, rounding up a few crucial tips for aspiring apprentices, so they can start on the right foot. Looking for jobs in the right places Unless you’re dedicated to a particular trade, we encourage our applicants to look at the job market in their local area. There are many parts of the country where the role you’re looking for may simply not exist or more importantly, roles you might not have considered are in high demand. Recent labour force data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has both manufacturing and construction in the top ten fastest growing industries in the country. If you haven’t already, it’s well worth considering if you would enjoy a career in roles as diverse as carpentry, boiler making, welding or bricklaying. Building a diverse skill-set It’s also important to think about which trade is going to offer you the most flexible and versatile skills. Some industries are more at risk of disruption from technology than others, so consider where you could take your skills in the future as technology continues to impact our world is crucial. Polishing your application If you’re a young applicant, recruiters are unlikely to expect extensive industry experience. The focus will be on the right attitude and relevant study or extracurricular experience. Recruiters and employers are going to want to see that you’re ready and capable of learning and that you have a strong work ethic. If you’ve studied any relevant topics in school, highlighting them not only shows that you have some understanding of the job requirements, but that you have had a lasting interest in the industry. At Successful Resumes, we want to support you. Start a conversation with our team and find out how we can make your next job application your best yet.
Do you need a LinkedIn profile?
A question I get asked often at Successful Resumes Adelaide is whether clients need a LinkedIn profile. My answer is always – yes! No matter what career stage you are at, a LinkedIn profile will complement your job-seeking tools. Job markets are changing and now more than ever, a professional online presence can open doors for you. Possibly doors to opportunities you didn’t even know existed. A well written and optimised LinkedIn profile can be the key to a modern job-seeking toolkit. Despite this, we still find it’s common for clients to only choose to have cover letters and resumes written. In my experience working with Adelaide job seekers, this approach means you could be missing out on great job opportunities! Although both a professional resume and cover letter is required in most job-seeking efforts, they are, for the most part, reactive. You often need to wait for jobs to be advertised and then hope that you are the strongest candidate applying for the role. A professionally written LinkedIn profile can be a highly successful passive job-seeking tool. With recruiters using LinkedIn to source new candidates, you can let opportunities come to you. Do employers in Adelaide use LinkedIn? Yes! Recently a client in her late-50s was completely opposed to having a LinkedIn profile. She said she would email her contacts and send off some applications through Seek, using her new resume and cover letter. She tested her success doing this and, as a result, did get some leads. However, what she found was that employers and recruiters were asking – do you have a LinkedIn profile? Within a few weeks of her creating an online presence with LinkedIn, she started connecting with networks and recruiters in Adelaide and in other states. It opened doors to local recruiters looking for new staff because they found her online. Guess what? Soon after, she emailed to tell me she had been offered a job; an Adelaide recruiter had found her on LinkedIn! she emailed to tell me she had been offered a job; an Adelaide recruiter had found her on LinkedIn! Are jobs in Adelaide advertised on LinkedIn? Yes! In fact, there are 2,484 jobs listed on LinkedIn in Adelaide right now and this is in the midst of one of Australia’s toughest job markets in recent times. If you visit the jobs section of LinkedIn and set the location to Adelaide, you’ll see the incredible range of roles being advertised. It’s a common but outdated myth that these roles are all for senior executives. 50% of the roles listed are classified for entry-level or early-career candidates. With approximately 660 million users in 200 countries and new members joining every second, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional online network. Can you afford to miss out on this opportunity? There will always be jobs you have to apply for. Applications for roles in the Australian Public Service, South Australian government or local government still have requirements that must be met. Roles at universities like Adelaide University still require you to address selection criteria. LinkedIn does not replace that. It also doesn’t replace applying for jobs with a cover letter and resume. What a LinkedIn profile does do is gives you professional credibility, demonstrates your network and acts as a tool so that job opportunities can come to you. If you are ready for recruiters and hiring managers to find you, speak to us. We help people across Australia create engaging LinkedIn profiles that attract potential employers and networking opportunities. We take the time to get to know you and where you want your career to go so that you can build a network of people to help you get there. Successful Resumes also offers the full suite of job-seeking tools including Professional Resumes, Cover Letters and Selection Criteria. Find out how we can help you get the job you want by contacting Esther Daniell of Successful Resumes below.
Be A Communications Superstar
Excellent communication skills are essential to building relationships and succeeding in workplaces. They can also make or break your interview success. Here are our top strategies to help you master the art of communicating so that you can connect with people, be understood and build a strong rapport. Learn the basics of nonverbal communication. Albert Mehrabian, one of the first researchers of body language in the 1950’s, discovered that around 7% of the total impact of a message comes from words, 38% from your tone of voice, inflexion, and other sounds and 55% of your impact is nonverbal. That means that most of what you say, or what people take in, isn’t communicated through your words, but through your body language and physical cues. When it comes to job hunting, learning the art of empowered nonverbal communication is critical. Especially at interview time. Even if you are feeling nervous, give yourself a pep talk beforehand to prop up your posture. Stand taller, straighter and prouder. Make sure you maintain appropriate eye contact and be interested. Lean in ever so slightly and remember to smile. Stand and sit tall and avoid slouching or folding your arms. Taking it one level up, calibrating your tone, energy level, language and body language to the interviewer can show that you’re fully engaged in the conversation and will make it easier to build rapport. Although the trick here is to be subtle about it! Prepare notes, then throw them away There is a well know trick to interviews; confidence can get you the job and confidence is built from preparation. When you are ready and armed with examples of your experiences, answering interview questions is easier. We suggest creating a series of career narratives to use across a range of questions or scenarios. We also recommend researching the company and thinking about how your strengths can add value. Once you have done all that, throw it away. When it comes to the actual interview you want your responses to be engaging, agile and responsive. If you over-prepare, you run the risk of sounding rehearsed and scripted. Be a listener To communicate effectively, first listen to what others have to say. Then you can provide a thoughtful answer that shows you understand what they are communicating. Let the speaker finish their question before you start thinking about your response. This is incredibly important during job interviews. Many people are so nervous in job interviews that they hear the beginning of a question and immediately start thinking of their answer before the interviewer has finished the question. When they start to respond, they often lose focus, realising they didn’t get the full question and their not sure what the interviewer was really asking. Bring into play the Power of the Pause Pausing before you speak is one of the most underrated tools that candidate can use in interviews. Great things can happen in pauses. You allow time to think of the most effective response, you carve out the mental space to better articulate your response and importantly you breathe and therefore slow down your speech. Once the interviewer has asked the question, take a few seconds to consider the best way to respond. Really think about the skills they want to you demonstrate and find the best example you have before you launch into your response. Be curious When CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,500 employers, they found that 32% of hiring managers believed that one of the worst mistakes that candidates make is not asking good questions at the end of the interview. Job interviews are a two-way street. Asking intelligent and meaningful questions, can set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate you’re genuinely interested in the role. More importantly, it’s the perfect way to determine if the job fits your career goals. Old-fashioned manners It’s amazing how far old-fashioned manners will get you. This includes being courteous and polite in the way you speak. Greet the interviewer with a warm smile and use a friendly tone when speaking on the phone. Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in your spoken communication as well as when you write, will ensure you’re looked on favourably when it comes to manners. And last but not least, it’s good practice to write a small and simple thank-you note or email to your interviewer to thank them for their time and consideration. For some, this has meant the difference between being asked to attend a second interview, or not. If you would like to be invited to more interviews, start with a successful resume. Our team have helped more than 100,000 Australians get the job they want with a professional resume. Complete the form below to find out more.
Improve Your Job Applications with Resume Keywords
If you’re applying for roles and getting the standard ‘unlikely to progress further’ message it might be time to look at how well you are using keywords in your resume. Did you know that when you submit a job application online, your resume gets transferred into recruitment software known as an Applicant Tracking System? This software was created to help companies manage their recruitment electronically. Now a billion-dollar industry, recruitment software is used by recruiters, HR teams and employers to automate and simplify the recruitment process. Along with recording and tracking the progress of every job application they receive; applicant tracking systems are designed to filter and rank the applications based on the best candidates for the job. This is where keywords come into play. If you’re not using the right keywords for the role you are applying for, chances are you won’t rank as a good match for the role. Here are some tips on how you can use keywords to improve your chances of being asked for an interview. Make Your Application Relevant to the Role The most important step to maximise how well your resume performs in the system is to make sure it is designed for the role. Optimising keywords is a lot like SEO. When you enter words and phrases into Google, the search engine finds the websites that it thinks are the best match. Similarly, when an employer is looking to fill a job, they enter the keywords and phrases that best suit the role in their system. The ATS sorts and filters all the applications it has received. It then ranks the candidates that are the best match for the job, based on the employer’s search terms. The resumes that rank the highest, are most likely to be considered for an interview. To make sure your resume has the right keywords, look closely at the job description. What skills and/or experience are they asking for? Have you included these words and phrases in your resume? Word clouds can be a great way to identify keywords. We used MonkeyLearn.com to create a word cloud based on a Sales Manager role in Sydney. By copying and pasting the job description into the generator, you can get great ideas of keywords you can include. Consider Keyword Variations Everyone is different and the language that one person uses is different from another’s. Make sure you optimise your resume by using different names for the same thing. For example, in one bullet point, you might say sales management and in another bullet, you might write account manager. Be aware of other variations people might use. For example, some people refer to Microsoft Office and some call it Microsoft Suite or Microsoft 365. Mirror the Job Titles It helps to look at the language an employer uses to make sure the language in your resume matches. If they are recruiting for a project manager but your current job title is an obscure version of a project manager, like Delivery Specialist, make sure you include the actual title of project manager in your document. It’s ok to change your current title to better reflect the title of the role you are applying for. Just make sure it’s still consistent with the job that you did. Acronyms Systems don’t have the ability to recognise abbreviations like MBA, CPA and PMP if the hiring manager or recruiter is searching for the full name. For example, if they search for Certified Public Accountant but you use CPA in your document, the system won’t make the match. Consider using both in your document. Avoid Keyword Spamming Although tempting, it’s important to not just throw keywords in to try and trick the system. They need to make sense and sit within a context. Eventually, your resume will be read by a human. If it’s not people-friendly, you might make it through the system but fall at the next round in the process. A good resume is successful all the way to an invitation for an interview. Recruitment Software is a growing industry. Although the US is the biggest users at the moment, the Asia Pacific region is expected to have the highest incremental market growth. This, combined with a push to automate recruitment due to COVID, means that applicant tracking systems, like other recruitment tools, including video interview platforms, game-based skills assessments and virtual reality simulations, are all likely to evolve and increase at a much faster rate than in the past. To make sure your resume ranks highly for the roles you are applying for, speak to the team at Successful Resumes.
Getting a Job in Australia during COVID-19
Recruiting experts Hays recently polled job seekers in Australia and New Zealand and found that 39% of people looking for work, didn’t feel confident they knew how to create a job application that would lead to being shortlisted for interview. These findings come at a tough time for Australia. Although the post Coronavirus economic outlook seems better than anticipated, the number of unemployed people in Australia is still expected to peak at 10 per cent, or well over 1.3 million people by the end of 2020. Analysis from the Lowy Institute reasoned it will take the rest of this year and most of next to get Australia’s employment back to where it was in December 2019. To support Australians navigate these challenges, the Government recently announced an extension of the JobKeeper Program for a further six months until 28 March 2021. The impact of COVID-19 hasn’t been equal across all industries in Australia. The accommodation and food industry has been the worst hit with 36% of jobs lost since March 2020. At the other end of the spectrum, the financial services and insurance sector has seen a very slight gain. With fewer roles being advertised and more people looking for work, the competition to secure available jobs is set to increase. We’ve outlined some steps you can take to help your application stand out and be shortlisted for interview. Create a contemporary resume or CV format that will work in electronic systems Many people equate standing out to mean creating alternative resume styles to differentiate themselves from other candidates. Unfortunately, this approach often has the opposite effect. Complicated layouts are still hard for electronic recruitment software to process. Keep it clean and avoid columns to give yourself the best chance. Focus on keywords When you submit a job application online, your resume is transferred into recruitment software also known as an Applicant Tracking System. This software was created to help companies manage their recruitment electronically. Along with recording and tracking the progress of every job application received, the systems are designed to filter and rank the applications based on the best candidates for the job. This is where keywords come into play. If you’re not using the right keywords for the role you are applying for, chances are you won’t rank as a good match for the role. Demonstrate why you are the best match for the job Your future employers are looking to understand how you will bring value to their business. The best way to do this is by demonstrating how you brought value and impact to previous employers. Transform your previous job responsibilities into examples of how you contributed to the success of the business by using the 5 W’s and a H – what, where, why, when, who and how much. Use the summary section to tie your experience to their role A resume that is relevant to the reader will always perform better. Use the summary section of your resume to showcase the technical capability, experience, qualifications, and soft skills that will help you bring value to their business. Focus on the skills they are looking for and dive into your career to find the best example of how you have those skills. If you would like more specific advice based on your career, contact one of our resume writers. We craft resumes and CV’s that help our clients stand out – in a good way. Successful Resumes is a leader is professionally written resumes, CV’s and application documents. With more than 30 offices around Australia, and international offices in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and India reach out to us to how we can help elevate your career.
Mastering the Pitch – Writing Australian Government Job Applications
To be competitive at any career level, you must be able to articulate your achievements and the impact of your work. When applying for roles with the Australian Government, you do this in a pitch. Over the last five years, government agencies have evolved their application process. In an effort to streamline recruitment procedures and reduce the time it takes to recruit, the public service farewelled individual selection criteria in favour of a ‘submission’ and resume. While the submission element can take many forms, the most common request is a 1 or 2-page pitch. Sometimes it can also be a limited word pitch of 500, 750 or 1000 words. What is a Government Job Application Pitch Considered a ‘brief of evidence’, a pitch is your opportunity to tell the hirer why you are the right person for the job with the evidence to back up your claim. It is not enough to say you’ll be great at the job, you need to prove it with demonstrated evidence. The pitch also provides an opportunity to tell the hirer why you want to work at the organisation. It’s your chance to explain why you are interested in the role, what you can offer, and how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications are applicable to the role. To write a successful pitch, we spoke with Jenny Carlin, owner of Successful Resumes Canberra. Here’s what Jenny had to say, “To write a successful pitch, I suggest using a 3 part structure. The structure helps keep you on succinct while presenting all the information they need to make a favourable decision”. Part 1 – The opener Introduce your interest in the role and present your case as a strong candidate with a tailored and highly relevant opening paragraph. The opening paragraph should make the case for why you should be considered for the vacancy. The Department of Jobs and Small Business suggests it should include things like, why you are interested in the role, what you can contribute, and how your attributes, skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications will ensure your success in the role. To be effective, it must demonstrate relevance to the reader. Focus on highlighting the specific skills, experience and qualifications they are looking for. Part 2 – The proof The next part of your document is providing proof. In this section, you should include several example-based paragraphs to demonstrate and quantify your capability. For a 1-page pitch that means 2-3 examples and a 2-page pitch might be more like 5-7. Using a formula for these proof points is critical. Jenny suggests using CAR stories. C : Circumstances Add value here by outlining the strategic context or complexity of the situation, other players, and any risks, difficulties, challenges A : Action Ensure you include an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on you! Jenny suggests also including the most critical and relevant reasoning or decisions behind the actions R : Results This is where you describe how the end result impacted on the objective of the organisation or team. Jenny suggests mentioning both the intended and unintended outcomes of your actions. Along with including feedback, lessons learnt and impact on the work area / agency) You do not need to use different examples to demonstrate the individual skills required in the position overview. Likewise, if the agency mentions selection criteria that reflect the federal government ‘Integrated Leadership Framework’ that describes the required competencies for each level. For example, if the position overview states “we are looking for a confident communicator with the ability to problem solve and work effectively as part of a team”, you can use one example that demonstrates all of these skills. In choosing your career stories, focus on examples that are relevant to the job and the level you are targeting. Once you understand the role requirements, create a list of examples from your previous experience that will show the panel why you have the right experience to be successful in the role. Include the best examples in your pitch. The remaining ones can be used to both tailor your resume for the role and at the interview. It’s good to show the panel that you have plenty of examples to draw on. Part 3 – The closing The final part of your document is a short closing paragraph. Jenny suggests using this paragraph to wrap up by outlining the contribution you could make in the role. It’s also a great opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the opportunity. [icon name=”key” prefix=”fas”] Dont risk your next job application. Successful Resumes can work with you to create the perfect pitch that helps Government recruitment teams put your application on the top of the list. For more information on how a small investment in yourself can pay big rewards, please get in touch below.