You've got years of solid experience, a track record of results, and the skills to do the job. But when you sit down to write your US resume, you hit a wall: How do I explain what I did at a company no one here has heard of? Will they understand my job title? Do Americans even know what a “graduate program” is?
The good news is that your Australian experience absolutely translates—you just need to help American hiring managers connect the dots. Here's how to present your background in a way that makes sense on this side of the Pacific.
First things first: It's a resume, not a CV
In Australia, we use “CV” and “resume” pretty interchangeably. In the US, they mean different things.
A resume is what you need for most jobs—a concise, 1-2 page document focused on your relevant experience and achievements. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a longer, more detailed academic document used primarily for research, academic, or scientific positions.
Unless you're applying for a professor role or a research position, you want a resume. Keep it tight and don't ever mention “CV” again because most people won't know what you're talking about.
Explain the company, not just your title
Here's where a lot of Australians go wrong: they assume the company name speaks for itself.
If you worked at Telstra, Woolworths, BHP, or the ABC, American recruiters likely have no idea what those companies are or how significant they might be. You need to give context.
Add a brief descriptor after (or under) the company name. One line is enough:
Instead of:
Telstra | Melbourne, Australia Senior Product Manager | 2019–2022
Write:
Telstra (Australia's largest telecommunications company) | Melbourne, Australia Senior Product Manager | 2019–2022
Or if space is tight, work it into the company line:
Telstra – Australia's largest telecom provider | Melbourne, VIC
This takes two seconds to read but immediately tells the hiring manager the scale and type of company you worked for. Were you at a scrappy startup or a major national player? They need to know.
Some quick translations for common Australian employers:
- Woolworths → “Australia's largest supermarket chain” (and no, it's not related to the old American Woolworth's)
- Commonwealth Bank / Westpac / NAB / ANZ → “One of Australia's four major banks”
- BHP → “Global mining and resources company” (they might actually know this one)
- Qantas → “Australia's national airline”
- ABC → “Australia's public broadcaster (similar to BBC or NPR)”
- Deloitte / PwC / etc. → No explanation needed—global firms translate fine
For government roles, specify the level and scope: “New South Wales State Government (population 8 million)” or “Australian Federal Government agency.”
Translate your job titles (when necessary)
Most job titles translate directly, but a few Australian terms might cause confusion or undersell your role.
| Australian Term | US Equivalent / Clarification |
|---|---|
| Managing Director | CEO (in the US, “Managing Director” is often a senior-but-not-top role, especially in finance) |
| General Manager | Usually translates, but specify scope if needed |
| Programme Manager | Program Manager (drop the “me if you still use that”) |
| Graduate Program / Graduate Role | Entry-level rotational program or Associate role—worth explaining briefly |
| Casual | Part-time or Contract (the word “casual” sounds too informal to American ears) |
| Redundancy | Layoff or Position eliminated (Americans don't use “redundancy” as often this way) |
| Long Service Leave | Just say “extended leave” or don't mention it—this concept doesn't exist here |
| Superannuation | Retirement benefits or 401(k) equivalent (if it ever comes up) |
If your actual title was something uniquely Australian or internal jargon, consider adjusting it to a more universally understood equivalent—just make sure you can back it up if asked.
Quantify everything (Americans love numbers)
This isn't unique to Australian resumes, but it's worth emphasizing: US hiring managers want to see measurable results. Australians sometimes undersell themselves with vague descriptions of responsibilities. Don't do that.
Weak:
Managed a team and improved sales performance across the region.
Strong:
Led a team of 12 sales representatives across 3 states, increasing regional revenue by 34% ($4.2M) over 18 months.
If you managed budgets, say how big. If you led a team, say how many people. If you grew something, say by how much. Numbers make your experience concrete and comparable.
And yes, convert to US dollars if you're talking about revenue, budgets, or financial impact. You don't need to be exact—a rough conversion is fine—but $5M means something to an American recruiter in a way that $7.5M AUD might not.
Adjust your formatting
Australian resumes and US resumes are structurally similar, but there are a few formatting differences worth noting:
No photo. This is standard in some countries but a no-go in the US. Leave it off.
No personal details beyond contact info. Don't include your date of birth, marital status, or nationality. US anti-discrimination laws make employers nervous about this stuff—they don't want to know, and you shouldn't offer it.
Keep it to 1-2 pages. Unless you're very senior with 20+ years of experience, aim for one page. Two is acceptable for more experienced candidates, but don't pad it. Less is more.
Use US English. This seems small but it matters. “Optimized” not “optimised.” “Organized” not “organised.” “Labor” not “labour.” American spell check will catch most of this, but do a manual pass. It shows attention to detail and that you've adapted to the local market.
Use American date formats. January 2022 or 01/2022, not Jan '22 or 2022-01. And if you write dates numerically, remember: month comes first in the US. 01/15/2022 is January 15, not the 1st of the 15th month.
Handle Australian references strategically
American employers will want references, and they will want to call them. This can be tricky when your references are in a timezone 15 hours away.
A few tips:
- Give your references a heads up about the time difference and that they might get calls at odd hours (or more likely, emails asking to schedule a call).
- Include the international dialing format for phone numbers: +61 4XX XXX XXX, not 04XX XXX XXX but really try to include a +1 US-based number if you can
- If possible, have at least one US-based reference—even if it's a colleague who also moved here, or someone you've worked with on a cross-border project.
- Offer LinkedIn as a backup. If an employer is struggling to connect with an Australian reference, suggest they review recommendations on LinkedIn as supplementary validation.
A quick word on cover letters
Everything above applies to cover letters too. Explain unfamiliar companies, translate jargon, and use US English. But also: use the cover letter to directly address your move.
A sentence or two acknowledging that you've relocated (or are relocating) and are committed to building your career in the US can go a long way. It shows intentionality and reassures them you're not going to disappear back to Sydney in six months.
Something like:
“After eight years in Australia's financial services sector, I relocated to New York in 2024 and am building my long-term career here. I'm excited to bring my experience in [X] to [Company].”
Short, confident, forward-looking.
The bottom line
Your Australian experience is valuable—you just need to present it in a way that American hiring managers can immediately understand. Give context for companies they won't know, translate titles and terms where needed, quantify your achievements, and remove any friction around work authorization.
Do that, and your resume will read just as strongly as any local candidate's. Probably stronger—you've got international experience and the guts to move across the world. That counts for something.
