Get a job
Free, sourced guides to applying for your first job, an apprenticeship, a graduate program or medical school in Australia. Resumes, cover letters, STAR method, LinkedIn, interview prep and using AI to apply (without faking it).
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15 evergreen guides. Sources cited from Fair Work Ombudsman, ATO, ASIC Moneysmart and the Australian university careers community.
Resumes
What a school leaver, trades applicant or graduate actually needs on a one-page CV. Structure, content and the patterns that screen-out applicants.
How to write a resume as a school leaver in Australia
How to write a one-page resume when your only work experience is school, sport, volunteering or a casual job. Australian conventions, what to leave off, and the format that actually gets you to interview.
How to write a resume for a trades apprenticeship in Australia
What an apprenticeship application resume looks like in Australia. Differs from the white-collar template: licences, white card, fit-for-work attitude, transport and references all sit higher up the page.
Cover letters
Cover letter templates, the STAR method and how to address selection criteria without sounding like an essay.
Cover letter template for school leavers and graduates
A four-paragraph cover letter template that works for retail, hospitality, apprenticeships, internships and graduate programs. Plus what to do when the application has selection criteria instead of asking for a cover letter.
STAR method for interviews and selection criteria
How to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer behavioural interview questions and write selection-criteria responses. With worked examples and the common mistakes that drop the answer.
LinkedIn and online presence
LinkedIn profile basics for teenagers, what recruiters actually search for, and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Interview prep
First-job, graduate-program, apprenticeship and medical-school interview prep. Plus what to do with rejection.
Apprenticeship and trade interviews (electrical, plumbing, building, automotive)
How a trade apprenticeship interview actually runs in 2026. Hiring putties test attitude, reliability and basic numeracy more than tools experience. What to wear, what to bring and what they ask.
First-job interview prep for school students and leavers
What a casual retail, hospitality or supermarket interview actually looks like in 2026, what to wear, what they ask, and what to say when you have zero work experience.
Graduate program interviews (Big 4, banks, government)
How Australian graduate programs at Big 4 accounting firms, big banks, and APS departments actually run their interviews in 2026. Online tests, video interviews, assessment centres, partner panels and how to prep for each stage.
Handling rejection from jobs, uni offers and apprenticeships
What rejection from a job, uni offer or apprenticeship actually means, what it does not mean, how to get feedback and how to apply again without losing momentum. Includes signposts to free mental-health support.
Medical school interviews (UNSW, Monash, UQ and the MMI)
How undergraduate (UNSW) and graduate-entry (Monash, UQ) medical school interviews actually run. MMI structure, station types, how the scoring works, how to prep and what they screen for.
AI for students and grads
Using AI as a learning tool, a job-application tool and an at-work tool, without falling for the obvious traps.
AI at work in 2026 (junior accountant, dev, paralegal, marketer)
An honest snapshot of what junior roles in accounting, software, legal and marketing actually involve in 2026 now that AI does much of the entry-level work. What the day-to-day looks like, what is still on you, and how to be the junior nobody wants to replace.
An AI portfolio you can build before you finish school
Three small AI projects (a script, a one-page website, a data analysis) that prove to a future employer or uni admissions officer that you can use AI as a tool. Step-by-step build instructions, tooling, ethics and what to show in an interview.
How to use AI for study without learning less
Honest playbook for using ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini as a study tool in Years 11 and 12 without crossing into academic misconduct or eroding the skills you need on exam day.
Spotting AI bullshit (hallucinations, fake citations, fabricated cases)
A field guide to recognising when ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini has made something up. Why hallucinations happen, the categories of fake content to look out for, and a verification workflow that takes about 60 seconds per claim.
Using AI to tailor and critique your job applications
Practical patterns for using ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to tailor resumes and cover letters to specific roles, stress-test your application before you send it, and avoid the dead giveaways that get applications binned by 2026 recruiters.
How to use this hub
Pick a guide that matches where you are. School leavers writing a first resume should start at the resume guide for school leavers. Trades applicants have their own page, because the format is different. If you already have your resume sorted, the cover letter template and STAR method pages are the next two to read. Interview pages assume you have already worked through the resume and cover letter material. AI guides are for everyone.
ExamExplained is not a recruitment agent or registered career counsellor. The guides here summarise public guidance from Fair Work Ombudsman, ATO, ASIC Moneysmart and Australian university career services. For advice on your individual situation, talk to your school careers adviser, the university careers hub, or a registered employment service.