Skills to put on an Australian resume

The best skills section is short, relevant and supported by evidence elsewhere in your resume.

Hard skills and transferable skills

Role-specific skills

Systems, tools, licences and methods needed to perform the job—such as MYOB, forklift operation, medication administration, SQL or case management.

Transferable skills

Capabilities that apply across workplaces—such as stakeholder communication, scheduling, conflict resolution and process improvement.

Examples by job family

Administration

Calendar management, document control, data entry, Microsoft 365, records management, minute taking, travel coordination and customer enquiries.

Customer service and retail

POS systems, complaint resolution, product knowledge, cash handling, upselling, stock control, visual merchandising and omnichannel support.

Healthcare and community services

Patient communication, clinical documentation, care planning, privacy, infection control, manual handling, medication support and multidisciplinary teamwork. Include only skills you are qualified or authorised to perform.

Trades and construction

Safety compliance, interpreting plans, fault finding, preventative maintenance, quality assurance, hand and power tools, site coordination and relevant tickets or licences.

Leadership

Workforce planning, coaching, performance management, budgeting, change leadership, risk management, negotiation and continuous improvement.

How to choose the right skills

Highlight the capabilities requested in the job advertisement.
Remove anything you cannot honestly demonstrate.
Prioritise specific skills over vague personality labels.
Show your strongest skills again through achievement bullets.
Use the employer’s terminology when it accurately matches your experience.

Show, do not only tell

If you list “process improvement,” support it with evidence such as: “Redesigned the appointment reminder process, reducing missed bookings by 18% over six months.” This makes the skill credible to both recruiters and hiring managers.

Build a focused skills section

Add, reorder and edit skills inside your selected resume template.

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