Resume advice is everywhere, and half of it is outdated. The conventions that worked five years ago don’t necessarily apply in 2026, and some “rules” that people cling to were never really rules at all.

I’ve collected feedback from Australian recruiters and hiring managers to put together an up-to-date guide. Here’s what actually matters right now.

What’s Changed

Length Expectations Have Relaxed

The “one page only” rule has been dying for years, and in 2026, it’s officially dead for experienced professionals. Australian recruiters consistently tell me that two pages is perfectly fine for candidates with more than five years of experience. Three pages is acceptable for senior roles with extensive relevant history.

The caveat: every line needs to earn its place. Two pages of relevant, well-written content is ideal. Two pages padded with irrelevant details is worse than one tight page.

Skills Sections Have Evolved

The old-style list of skills at the bottom of the resume (“Microsoft Office, teamwork, attention to detail”) has been replaced by more sophisticated approaches:

• Technical skills listed with proficiency levels (Expert, Proficient, Familiar)
• Tools and platforms relevant to the role, grouped by category
• Certifications with completion dates and issuing organisations
• Languages with proficiency levels (if relevant)

Generic soft skills listed without evidence are a waste of space. Demonstrate them through your achievement descriptions instead.

Objective Statements Are Dead

Nobody wants to read “Seeking a challenging role where I can apply my skills and experience in a dynamic organisation.” It says nothing useful.

Replace it with a professional summary: three to four sentences summarising your experience, specialisation, and key strengths. Think of it as your elevator pitch in text form.

Design Matters (But Not Too Much)

Clean formatting, consistent fonts, and strategic use of white space matter more than ever. Recruiters process large volumes of applications, and visually cluttered resumes get skimmed rather than read.

But don’t overdo the design. Overly creative resume layouts can cause problems with Applicant Tracking Systems and distract from the content. A clean, well-structured document beats a visually flashy one for most industries.

What Still Works

Achievement-Focused Descriptions

This has been best practice for years and remains the most important resume writing principle. Every role description should focus on what you achieved, not just what you were responsible for.

Before: “Managed the digital marketing budget and campaigns across multiple channels.”

After: “Managed $1.2M annual digital marketing budget across paid search, social, and display channels. Achieved 35% year-over-year increase in marketing-qualified leads while reducing cost-per-acquisition by 22%.”

The difference is evidence. Numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, timeframes. These make your claims concrete and credible.

Tailoring for Each Application

Generic resumes perform poorly. Tailoring your resume for each role, adjusting your professional summary, reordering experience points, and emphasising relevant skills, takes 20-30 minutes per application but dramatically improves results.

This doesn’t mean rewriting your entire resume. It means adjusting emphasis. Move the most relevant achievements to the top of each role description. Mirror the language used in the job listing where genuine.

Reverse Chronological Order

Despite occasional advice to use functional or hybrid formats, reverse chronological remains the standard that Australian recruiters expect. They want to see your career progression clearly, with your most recent role first.

The exception: career changers may benefit from a skills-based format that groups relevant experience regardless of when it occurred. But even then, include a chronological work history section.

Common Mistakes in 2026

Ignoring ATS Compatibility

Most medium and large Australian companies use Applicant Tracking Systems. If your resume can’t be parsed by these systems, it may never reach a human reviewer.

Tips for ATS compatibility:

• Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills)
• Avoid text boxes, tables, headers, and footers for critical information
• Save as .docx or PDF (check the job listing for preferred format)
• Don’t embed important text in images or graphics

Outdated Personal Details

Australian resumes should not include:

• Your date of birth
• Your marital status
• A headshot (unless you’re in an industry where it’s standard)
• Your full home address (suburb and state are sufficient)
• References (save them for when requested)

Gaps Without Explanation

Employment gaps are more accepted in 2026 than ever before. But unexplained gaps raise questions. A brief note covering career breaks, study periods, travel, or caregiving responsibilities removes ambiguity.

Your Resume and Portfolio Working Together

Your resume gets you considered. Your portfolio gets you interviewed. They work as a team.

Include your portfolio URL in your resume header, alongside your phone, email, and LinkedIn. Make it easy for a recruiter who’s interested in your resume to immediately access your portfolio for deeper evidence.

Align the stories across both documents. If your resume mentions a major project, your portfolio should have the detailed case study. Consistency builds credibility.

One Final Tip

After writing or updating your resume, read it from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Does every claim have evidence? Is the value you bring obvious within the first 30 seconds of reading? Would you interview yourself based on this document?

If not, revise until the answer is yes.