Resume Trends in 2025: What to Keep, What to Ditch, and What to Highlight

2. What’s In: The Top Resume Trends for 2025

2.1 Emphasis on Value and Impact, Not Just Duties

Employers are less interested in what you were “responsible for” and more focused on the impact you made on your team and the wider business. Bullet points for each recent role should emphasise highlights and outcomes, not tasks.

For example, instead of:

• Managed a team of five

Try

• Led a team of five in exceeding service delivery KPIs across time to respond, time to resolve, and equipment downtime.

This approach provides the evidence of your skillset, and helps you stand out with details of tangible impact and results. Whether you’re in healthcare, IT, marketing or government, outcome-based language elevates your resume from a passive document, to a branded pitch that actively sells your value to your potential new employer.

2.2 Clean, Minimalist Layouts That Prioritise Readability

A professional resume design doesn’t mean flashy. Graphic resumes are more disruptive than they are helpful. In fact, overly designed resumes often confuse ATS software and distract human readers, convoluting the initial screening process and the way the reader digests your information.

Here are our top 2025 design tips:

• Use plenty of white space – So as to not overwhelm the reader and lose important information in border-to-border text.
• Stick to clean fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica – These fonts are softer on the eyes, and make for a clear document that is easy to scan.
• Avoid graphics, images, and columns – These can negatively impact the way that ATS parses the content in your document, and scatter the screening process for the human reader.

Visual clarity is the key to looking current and professional, and ensuring your reader picks up on your value with ease. To use Elevate’s very own premium resume templates, download our ECS Job Search Bundle here.

2.3 Strategic Use of Personal Branding Elements

Incorporating subtle personal branding helps create a strong first impression, and adds a human element to your application. Job application documents can be quite sterile, and in a pile of 100 resumes, adding character can make all the difference in being shortlisted. This includes communicating attributes in your resume summary, adding a strong tagline, or using a consistent tone that reflects your personality and professional brand.

For example:

• Commercially savvy digital marketer | Driving integrated campaigns & measurable growth
• Executive Leader | Designing strategy, systems, and structures that serve

Aligning these elements of personal branding with your LinkedIn profile helps to boost credibility and create a more complete picture of who you are and what you offer. Learn more about LinkedIn here.

2.4 Skills Section Overhaul: Technical + Soft Skills

With the rise of skills-first hiring, especially in Australia, resumes that communicate both hard and soft skills in a clear section are outperforming those that don’t, by far. Separate technical skills (software, programs, etc.) into a separate section, and dedicate a solid skills section to soft skills and other capabilities relevant to your target roles.

Example structure:

• Technical Skills: Adobe Creative Suite, Tableau, Power BI
• Key Capabilities: Stakeholder Engagement, Project Planning, Team Building

Make sure your skills are highly aligned with the job advertisement or position description, without keyword stuffing! Be clear and concise – say what you need to say once, and with impact.

2.5 Customisation Is Ley: The Rise of Tailored, Role-Specific Resumes

A one-size-fits-all resume no longer cuts it. In 2025, successful applicants take the time to tailor their resume to each role. As recruitment processes become faster and more limited in resources, it is important to profile yourself in line with exactly what the hiring manager is looking for. Essentially, screen yourself for the position, and present those relevant and aligned details in your documents.

How?

• Mirror the language and keywords from the job ad/position description
• Highlight the most relevant experience first
• Order your bullet points in order of relevance to the role
• Adjust your skills profile to align with the position’s priorities.

Customisation will have a significant impact on your interview opportunities. It speaks directly to the hiring manager filling the specified position, and deems you as relevant in the initial screening process within a few seconds. Check out what a clean, modern resume in 2025 looks like here.

3. What to Leave Behind: Outdated Resume Practices in 2025

3.1 Overly Designed Resume Templates

Colour blocks, icons, and multiple columns might look great on Canva, but they often will reduce your interview opportunities. Not only do they confuse ATS systems, but they scatter the way in which the reader digests your information. They can emanate a ‘junior’ profile and reduce the professionalism of your document. Unless you are in graphic design or another form of creative work, avoid graphic resumes.

Instead: Use a professional resume format with a simple structure, consistent spacing, and easy navigation. A clean, crisp document ensures the content is the primary focus for the reader, and sells your capabilities for the role without distractions. Need help? Our professional resume writing services are built for both ATS compatibility and human readability. Learn more about our resume writing services here.

3.2 Objective Statements and Generic Career Goals

Career objectives have long been outdated. Recruiters don’t need to read: “Seeking a challenging role where I can grow.” Replace this section with a value proposition, or profile summary, which clearly articulates your unique value. This is your ‘sales pitch’. Think – ‘If I were to meet the hiring

manager and I had 30 seconds to explain why they should hire me, what would I write?’ This is what belongs in your profile summary.

Instead: Use a professional resume format with a simple structure, consistent spacing, and easy navigation. A clean, crisp document ensures the content is the primary focus for the reader, and sells your capabilities for the role without distractions. Need help? Our professional resume writing services are built for both ATS compatibility and human readability. Learn more about our resume writing services here.

3.3 Full Street Addresses and Excessive Personal Details

In 2025, listing your full home address is unnecessary and potentially a privacy risk. Simply include your city and state.

Do include: LinkedIn URL, phone number, and email.

Don’t include: Date of birth, full address, photo

3.4 Listing Every Job You’ve Ever Had

Focus on the past 10-15 years or the most relevant roles. A resume is not a career portfolio – it’s a marketing document. It should be sharp, concise, and highly targeted, with only the most relevant information detailed. Use an ‘Earlier Career’ section for roles outside the time scope or relevance.

4. How to Optimise for ATS and Human Reviewers in 2025

4.1 Understanding ATS in Australia: How It Reads Your Resume

ATS software reads resumes from left to right, top to bottom. It identifies keywords, structure, and clarity.

Tips:

• Use standard headings (e.g., “Professional Experience”)
• Spell out acronyms (e.g., SEO (Search Engine Optimisation))
• Use consistent heading and job title formatting across your resume

4.2 Layout and Formatting: Balancing ATS and Aesthetics

Avoid text boxes, tables, headers/footers, and custom fonts. Stick with:

• DOCX or PDF format (if accepted)
• Clear section headers
• Standardised bullet points and alignment

4.3 File Naming and File Types: Small Details, Big Impact

Best practice: Firstname-Lastname-Resume-2025.pdf

DOCX is generally safe across the countless types of ATS systems out there, but check the employer’s upload instructions for specified requirements. Avoid JPEG or PNG formats entirely.

5. Special Considerations: Crafting a Resume for the Australian Job Market

5.1 Australian Resume Conventions to Follow in 2025

Australian resumes have unique expectations, though they do vary based on your career level, industry, and the type of role. Generally, the below are standard guidelines across all resumes in Australia:

• Length: 2-4 pages is acceptable, especially for mid to senior professionals
• Spelling: Use British English (e.g., “organise” not “organize”)
• Tone: Professional but human; avoid jargon and buzzwords

6. Pro Tips for a Resume That Gets Interviews in 2025

6.1 How to Get Instant Feedback on Your Resume

Online tools like Jobscan can help assess ATS readiness, but these tools can often be misleading, as ATS is mostly utilised as a database, rather than a scoring tool in Australia. Nothing replaces tailored advice from a professional resume writer.

At Elevate Career Services, we offer custom resume reviews that take your specific circumstances, your target roles, and industry-specific insights into account. A budget service with a high impact.

6.2 Leveraging LinkedIn to Complement Your Resume

Your resume and LinkedIn profile should echo each other—not duplicate, but complement.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Inconsistent job titles or dates
• Conflicting branding in terms of job function or industry
• An incomplete LinkedIn profile Need help aligning your profile? Check out our LinkedIn writing services.

7. Frequently Asked Questions: Resume Tips & Trends 2025

What is the best resume format for 2025? A reverse chronological layout with a clean, professional, ATS-compliant design is the way to go. Graphic resumes hurt your application more than help it. Keep your resume concise and easy to follow with a crisp layout.

How can I make my resume ATS-compliant without sounding robotic? Use natural language, incorporate keywords from job ads, and avoid adding keywords as filler content. Focus on your genuine skillset and capabilities.

Should I include a photo on my resume in Australia? No, unless it’s explicitly required. Including a photo can invite unconscious bias. Your resume’s real estate is limited, and should be used purely on selling your capabilities and value to the employer through the written content.

Is it okay to use AI to write my resume? AI tools can help generate drafts, but professional editing and customisation are essential. Your resume needs to sell your unique value, and AI can only use what you provide. If you are not clear on what your unique value is, or how to write it down, a professional resume writing service is what you need.

How long should a resume be in 2025 for mid-level professionals? In general, 2-4 pages is typical in the Australian market. However, consider that the length is not the number one consideration. The number one consideration is that all the content in your resume is relevant, and adds value.

Can I still use Canva for resume design if it looks good? Avoid it for online submissions; it’s better for printed or networking resumes.

Is a two-column resume layout good or bad in 2025? Avoid it for ATS; use a single-column format for better readability.