Aged Care Resume

Examples and Useful Tips

Written by: Nadia Bouzenada
First published: January 2024

Building a Great Aged Care Resume with Examples

The aged care industry is constantly changing and progressing, with new opportunities being planned in the aged care reform roadmap. When looking to land your dream job, standing out from the competition can be done through a high-quality aged care resume.  Showing off your invaluable experience and aged care qualifications is essential. This post details how to perfect your aged care resume with examples. Regardless of whether you are looking to transition into the industry, seek a promotion, or are just entering the workforce, this resume builder can be adapted for multiple applications.

Aged care resume example

An aged care resume should be easy to read but thorough. Condensing your education, skills, and experience down into a one-to-two-page document isn’t the easiest task. We’ve put together an aged care resume example that does just that:

You can adapt the layout as you wish, as long as it is written clearly, looks clean and ends at the bottom of the page. Follow this structure and your aged care resume will be sure to wow any employer!

How to write a strong aged care resume

Aged care resume basics (with examples)

There are blanket rules when it comes to building an aged care resume. Make sure you include your:

• Full name
• Contact details (email address and phone number are ideal)
• Location (suburb, postcode, and state are sufficient)

You can also add in your current job title underneath if you wish. These details should be included at the top and can be structured as you wish (see below for examples):

Example 1:

 

Example 2:

Do not feel obliged to include your gender or date of birth.

Your personal statement

Next, summarise your experience, aged care qualifications, and personality in a few sentences to introduce yourself. This can be a tricky task; getting all this condensed into a short paragraph is not easy. We would recommend:

• Highlighting your qualifications and how you have actively put these into practice. Simply listing your qualifications won’t be as effective.
• Mentioning skills and knowledge you have developed because of your current work or voluntary experience. This will show you’re proactive in personal development and are eager to learn.
• Stating what you are looking for. Not necessarily salary wise, but you can talk about what you’re looking to get out of a new aged care role. Think about how this new position will benefit your career journey, as well as to the home you’re applying for.

Your aged care qualifications

This is the necessary part of your aged care resume. It must be included to show you have the education requirements for the role you’re applying for.

List the aged care qualification name, the institution, and the years qualified.

You can lay out qualifications in your aged care resume using the following method (always from most recent to oldest):

You can switch the layout if you want to and have all the details listed on one side:

As long as the layout you choose displays uniformity, you can change the alignment as you wish.

Your aged care work experience

This is potentially the most vital part of your aged care resume. Whether your experience is paid or voluntary, this is the perfect opportunity to highlight your skills and knowledge. It can also help you to stand out from your competitors.  When you’re creating this section, detail your most recent experience first. You can use the layout above but change it to include your title, place of work and when you worked there. If you’re still in this position, use ‘Current’ as your end date.

You can also split your experience into paid and voluntary roles if you’ve done plenty of voluntary work or don’t have much paid experience. Harness the job advertisement that you are applying for. If the advert hones in on a particular skill set or knowledge area, use this in your application. The experience you have should display the knowledge and the skills that the job description is looking for. Focus on the advertisement’s wants and needs and always back up your claims with examples.

Your skills

This is optional but can sometimes be a key part of an aged care resume. You may want to add a section that lists the skills that you’ve developed through your study or work experience. If you’re going to include this, make sure it is relevant otherwise it will seem that you’re short of things to say about yourself. You can bullet point these, or depending on the layout you have chosen, you can list them at the side of your resume (see example below).

Heading: ‘Skills acquired/key skills/additional skills‘ (you can choose which one you pick):

Your references

References are non-negotiable. You need to make sure you have at least two clinical references (if possible) with their permission ready to go. However, you don’t necessarily need to have these on your aged care resume.

Adding in ‘References available upon request’ shows you’re able to fulfill the requirement whilst keeping your referee’s personal details confidential.

Tips for building an aged care resume

Your aged care resume should be simple to edit so that you can easily tailor it to the job you’re applying for. The foundation can be the same, but having this flexibility can increase the likelihood of receiving those job offers.  Also keep these tips in mind when writing your resume and applying for new jobs:

• Remember what you’re applying for. Your resume shouldn’t be stagnant. Read the job advertisement properly and
  emphasise the skills and knowledge that the employer is looking for.
• Sell yourself! Your resume is about you and what you bring to the table. Don’t be shy in advocating for yourself and highlight what you are great at.
• Be honest. As tempting as it is to fabricate some points on your resume, this will ultimately hinder your application. If you don’t have the amount of experience they’re asking for, don’t say that you do. Instead, focus on what you do know and emphasise why you’re the ideal candidate, experience or not.
• Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs that you don’t meet the exact requirements for. You will need the relevant aged care qualifications, but lacking experience in a certain area shouldn’t necessarily be a reason not to apply. Many employers will consider your application if you display the right attitude, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn.
• Use the correct formatting. Choose a clear font, a good size text (11 works well), bolding for headers and bullet points for structure. Having a resume that looks good gives the employer all the more motivation to read it
• Proofread your resume. A resume with mistakes doesn’t look professional and may be neglected, no matter how much of a strong candidate you are.

Writing an aged care resume and the job application process can be daunting, but we hope this article will help you when you’re next looking for a role. If you’re in the market for a new opportunity, would like to see what we roles we have available, or for a confidential career discussion, please call us on 02 8549 8101 or for a free resume assessment submit your resume below: