With fierce competition for many Melbourne jobs,
is your
Resume or CV good enough to get you on the shortlist?
"Getting shortlisted for an interview is a much more difficult task these days,
and a pitch-perfect CV or resume is required to get through bot-screening & capture
the attention of recruiters. The more desirable the job opportunity in Melbourne,
the more competition there is, and I help give you an advantage"
~ Elle Bradshaw, Owner of Melbourne Resume Writer
Please complete this form to outline your situation and request a 15 minute conversation about your needs. I will respond with available dates and times.
Or text me, 0419-049-237 , Facebook me,
or Whatsapp me.
Hello, I’m Elle. I work directly with every client, and none of your resume work is outsourced offshore or delegated to AI tools, contractors, or junior staff. My expertise is in refining your application so it aligns closely with what employers are looking for, improving your prospects of being shortlisted.
With recruiters drowning in a sea of bland, generic, GPT’d CVs, here is my promise: to illuminate your skills and experience in a way that cuts through and resonates with decision makers.
I’m a graduate of the school of hard knocks, earning a degree while pregnant and working full time at a leading UK university, then becoming an Information Scientist at AstraZeneca before making a complete 180° shift into writing, HR, recruitment marketing, and business ownership.
My 4x4 journey has given me a real understanding of what employers are looking for, how to match skills, knowledge, and experience to those needs, how to write a convincing pitch, and how to structure documents so they get past ATS screening. That puts me in a strong position to help others land quality job interviews.
Because landing interviews is harder than it used to be. Anyone, regardless of fit or experience, can now click and submit an application in seconds. As resumes flood in, the first cut is made by software, not people. Creating an effective resume or CV has become a digital marketing task, and that is where I add value.
I have been helping people build resumes for more than 15 years, including work with leading HR and resources industry firms. I have delivered CV writing courses at universities in the UK and Australia, hold CVRA accreditation, and work as a motivational coach with an international following. Check me out on LinkedIn.
These are genuine reviews that are obviously anonymised. I can provide referees upon request.
Resume - In the Melbourne job market, a resume is usually a concise two to three page document that summarises your skills, education, strengths, and experience. It should focus on what is most relevant to the role, and make it easy for an employer to see why you should be shortlisted.
CV - A CV (curriculum vitae) is most common in academia and research, and in some highly technical fields. It covers similar ground to a resume, but typically includes additional credentials such as publications, presentations, grants, professional affiliations, and referees. The term is Latin for "the course of one’s life".
Not sure? - In parts of Australia, "CV" and "resume" are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Always follow the employer’s application instructions, and if the role is important, seek advice so you submit the right document. Choosing the wrong format can cost you an interview.
Purpose of a cover letter - A cover letter tailors your resume or CV to a specific Melbourne role. For many employers, it is the first screening step. If it does not meet expectations, your resume may not be reviewed. It provides a short narrative that links your experience to the employer’s selection criteria.
What to include - Use your cover letter to explain how your skills, experience, and qualifications fit the role, and to demonstrate genuine interest in the organisation. Both the resume or CV and the cover letter exist to market you, so employer needs should always come first.
When a cover letter matters - Each application requires a tailored cover letter. Reusing generic letters is one of the most common reasons candidates fail to reach interview stage.
Online applications - In online systems, the cover letter may appear as a short written statement or eNote. It serves the same purpose, and carries the same weight, as a traditional cover letter.
Do I need LinkedIn? - LinkedIn is most relevant for executives, professionals building a career trajectory, and those in sales, marketing, or leadership roles. It is not essential for every general job application, but it becomes increasingly important as seniority increases.
Why LinkedIn matters - LinkedIn is now a key self marketing tool for career focused candidates. A well written profile can attract headhunters, Melbourne based recruiters, and direct approaches from employers. It also supports networking and visibility in ways a resume alone cannot.
Consistency counts - Employers commonly review LinkedIn to sense check a candidate’s background. Your LinkedIn profile should align closely with your CV or resume, as inconsistencies can raise doubts.
Corporate consultancy - I have delivered resume writing seminars and outplacement workshops for Australian state and local government employees, as well as universities in Australia and the UK.
My role is to guide and support you with clear, honest advice as your resume takes shape. It must sound like you, because you will need to stand behind it at interview. If you are not targeting a specific role, I will shape your resume around broader industry expectations to appeal to multiple employers. Where a particular role is in scope, a tailored resume will always deliver stronger results.
Start with the job advertisement - The job ad sets out exactly what the employer is seeking, and should guide which documents you need and how comprehensive they must be.
What the packages include - Resume packages are built around four core components: the resume or CV, a cover letter, LinkedIn, and selection criteria. A resume on its own is rarely enough to secure an interview in competitive Melbourne roles.
A resume is more than a job list - It is about aligning your skills, experience, and knowledge with what the role is asking for.
So, what are selection criteria? - Selection criteria describe the skills, experience, capabilities, and personal attributes an employer is seeking. They are used to assess whether a candidate fits both the role and the organisation’s way of working.
How do you address selection criteria? - By clearly demonstrating how your background, experience, and outcomes match what the employer is looking for. For many Australian employers, particularly in government and large organisations, responding to selection criteria is a formal and essential part of the application process.
Whether the criteria are clearly listed or need to be inferred from the role description, ensuring your application speaks directly to them can make a decisive difference.What might selection criteria include? - For general roles, this often covers:
Addressing these criteria directly is critical to progressing to interview. In some cases they are explicit, but often they must be identified by reading between the lines.
Stand alone statements - Many roles across federal, state, and local government, as well as positions in health, education, and the not for profit sector, require applicants to submit separate written responses to selection criteria.
This is often the most challenging part of an application. I have supported many applicants, including nurses, teachers, education support staff, community workers, and public sector professionals, to produce clear and effective statements.Which employers usually require them? - Selection criteria statements are commonly requested for roles such as:
Your application may be rejected before a human ever sees it.
Overlooking ATS screening - Most employers and recruitment agencies now rely on automated screening software to manage application volumes. A significant proportion of resumes are filtered out at this first stage because they do not align closely enough with the role description or selection criteria.
What is an ATS? - An Applicant Tracking System scans resumes for relevant keywords and data points, including skills, employers, qualifications, and career history. It then ranks applicants by perceived relevance, in much the same way a search engine sorts results. Candidates who do not match the required signals are unlikely to progress.
Formatting and structural risks - Many resumes, particularly older documents or poorly designed templates, are not ATS compatible. Issues with layout, formatting, or wording can prevent the system from reading your information correctly, resulting in rejection before your application reaches a human reviewer.
A short phone conversation gives you the opportunity to speak directly with me before you go ahead.
During this call, I explain how the process works and the level of support and communication you can expect. The aim is to ensure you feel confident that your experience will be represented accurately and positioned to maximise your chances of reaching interview.
General roles - These applications are for positions where you are not accountable for overall staff or budget management. You may supervise others without full managerial responsibility. Common examples include hospitality, healthcare, trade, and operational roles.
Executive roles - Executive applications require a different level of strategy. These roles involve direct responsibility for people, budgets, and outcomes, from senior management through to C suite appointments. Selection criteria are often detailed and demanding, and an executive resume must demonstrate leadership capability, strategic judgement, and measurable impact.
When choosing between a general or executive package, consider the level of accountability involved and the complexity of the selection criteria for the role you are targeting.
One of the main reasons people never hear back is the format, content, and structure of their resume and application documents. In many cases, the resume does not make it past the digital gatekeeper, the ATS.The end of the generic resume - One of the biggest changes in recruitment is the shift away from one size fits all resumes. Relying on a generic document and hoping a cover letter will do the heavy lifting is no longer effective.
Its only purpose is to secure an interview. No matter how qualified you may be, it is irrelevant if you are not shortlisted. Generic, long form documents that ignore selection criteria are quickly filtered out. An effective CV or resume is tightly edited, role specific, and written to pass ATS screening and reach human reviewers.
One click applications mean employers receive far more resumes than they can review manually. To get past ATS robot filters, a cover letter must address the selection criteria directly, and a strong LinkedIn profile is often essential. Consistency matters, as employers routinely review your socials before deciding who to interview.
| Hand crafted - A Melbourne CV or resume written to align directly with the employer’s selection criteria. | |
| Your Authentic Voice - No AI led writing that leaves your resume sounding generic, foreign or unnatural. | |
| Australian English - Written in clear, plain language that resonates with Australian employers. |
| Personal Service - Delivered by me, not handed off to junior staff, agents, or overseas contractors. | |
| Tonnes of experience - Practical advice grounded in extensive experience across general and management level applications. | |
| Honest Feedback - If I cannot meet your deadline or believe you are unlikely to be competitive for interview, I will tell you. |
Contact me if you have questions, or select a package below and I will be in touch within 24 hours by email or phone. We work together to refine your CV or resume until you are 100% satisfied. As the documents take shape, we can speak by phone or Zoom as needed.
You're not in the game if you don’t do the hard yards to get to interview. For the price of a night out, a professionally written CV or resume can be one of your best ever investments. The value of landing the right job or promotion can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.