Sample resumes and cover letters

Sample resumes and cover letters We all have different skills, strengths and experiences. The following sample resumes are designed to help you apply for a job at whatever stage you are in your career or job search.

Whether you've finished school early or you've gone all the way to the end of university, you'll be able to one of these resume templates to get your job applications started.

Cover letters can be tricky to get started, too. To help you get over your fear of the blank page we've given you a couple of sample cover letters to start with, depending on whether you've got lots of work experience or none, or whether you're replying to a job ad or you're just letting a company you want to work for that you're keen.

Each of these samples provides tips and ideas and examples to help get you started. Just download the template and follow the tips and advice to use it to create your own personalised resume or cover letter.

Sample resumes

Choose a sample resume that best suits your current situation:

Left school early - no formal work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've left school early (before completing Year 12) but have little, or no, formal work experience.

Left school early - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've left school early (before completing Year 12) and you also have some formal work experience e.g. full-time, part-time or casual work.

Finished school - no formal work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've completed Year 12 (or equivalent) but have little, or no, formal work experience.

Finished school - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you've completed Year 12 (or equivalent) and you also have some formal work experience.

Tertiary qualified - no work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template if you have a tertiary (or equivalent) qualification (or are in the process of getting one) but you have little, or no, formal work experience.

Tertiary qualified - some work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template if you have a tertiary (or equivalent) qualification (or are in the process of getting one) and you also have some formal work experience e.g. full-time, part-time or casual work.

Sample cover letters

Choose a sample letter that best suits your current situation:

Applying for specific position if you have relevant work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Use this template as a starting point if you want to develop a cover letter responding to a specific job advertisement.

Applying for specific position if you have no work experience
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
This is an alternative template to use if you are responding to a specific job but have little (or no) formal work experience.

Cold calling letter of introduction
(download as a pdf - download as a Word file)
Cold calling (contacting employers when there is no specific job advertised) is an excellent job search strategy. Many people land jobs that were never actually advertised. Use this template as a starting point for putting together a letter to use specifically for cold calling a potential employer. Check out our page on The hidden job market and our Cold calling toolkit for futher information.