Aged Care Resume Guide for Australia (2026) — What Actually Gets You Hired

Aged care is one of the most in-demand sectors in Australia right now. The workforce shortage is real, the need is growing, and providers across the country are actively looking for good people.

And yet applications for aged care roles are rejected constantly — not because the applicants aren't qualified, but because their resumes don't say the right things in the right way.

This guide is for anyone applying for personal care worker, support worker, aged care worker, or home care roles in Australia. It covers what certifications to include, how to write your experience section, what NDIS and police check requirements look like on a resume, and what the major providers are actually looking for.

If you're considering aged care as a new career path, there's a section on that too.

The Aged Care Workforce in Australia in 2026

Before getting into the resume, it helps to understand the landscape.

Australia's aged care sector employs around 360,000 workers. Demand is forecast to grow significantly over the next decade as the population ages. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (which wrapped in 2021) created lasting changes to how providers hire, train, and retain staff — including mandatory minimum qualifications and new background check requirements.

What this means for you: providers are under more scrutiny than ever. They need to demonstrate that their workforce is qualified and properly vetted. Your resume needs to reflect that.

The good news: if you have your qualifications in order and can present them correctly, you're genuinely in demand.

The Mandatory Minimum: What You Need Before You Apply

Since 1 July 2023, providers delivering residential aged care funded by the Australian Government are required to ensure their workers meet minimum qualification standards. Here's what that looks like in practice:

For most personal care roles: Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) — also known by its training package code CHC33021 (current) or HLT33115 (superseded but still widely accepted).

For more senior or specialist roles: Certificate IV in Ageing Support (CHC43015) — for roles involving more complex care, medication management, or team coordination.

NDIS Worker Screening Check: If your role involves working with people with disability (which many aged care roles do, especially in home care), you'll need a current NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a nationally recognised clearance — not a state police check. They're different. You can have both.

Police check: Most providers require a current National Police Certificate (issued within the last 12 months). Some also require a Working with Vulnerable People or Working with Children check depending on the state and the scope of the role.

List all of these on your resume with the issuing body, the date issued or expiry date, and whether it's current. "Police check — current" is not enough. "National Police Certificate — issued March 2025 — clear" is better.

How to Structure an Aged Care Resume in Australia

1. Contact Details

Name, mobile, professional email, suburb and state. If you have your NDIS Worker Screening Check number, you can include it here or in your certifications section.

Do not include your full date of birth. You may include your NDIS Worker Screening Check number if it's current — this signals that you're ready to work without the provider needing to wait on clearances.

2. Professional Summary

Three to four lines. Include:

Your qualification (Certificate III or IV)
How many years of experience in aged care or a related field
The types of care you've provided (residential, community, home care, dementia-specific, palliative)
Whether your checks are current and you're available to work

Example:

"Aged care worker with four years of experience in residential and home care settings across Victoria. Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) — current. NDIS Worker Screening clearance and National Police Certificate both current. Experienced in dementia care, personal care routines, and medication assistance under delegation. Available for full-time or part-time shifts."

That summary does real work. It answers the key screening questions before the provider even reaches your experience section.

3. Certifications and Compliance (Before Work Experience)

For aged care roles, list your certifications above your work experience. In aged care, qualifications are the first filter — get them above the fold.

List:

Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) — CHC33021 — [Training Provider] — [Year completed]
First aid certificate — HLTAID011 or equivalent — [Issuing body] — [Expiry date]
CPR certificate — current
Manual handling training — [Year]
Medication assistance training (if applicable) — [Provider] — [Year]
NDIS Worker Screening Check — [Clearance number if comfortable sharing] — current
National Police Certificate — issued [Month Year] — clear
Infection control certificate

If you're still completing your Certificate III, say so explicitly: "Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) — CHC33021 — currently enrolled, expected completion [Month Year]." Don't leave it ambiguous.

4. Work Experience

For each role, include:

Job title
Employer / provider name
Location (suburb and state)
Dates (month and year)
Four to six bullet points describing what you actually did

Weak: "Assisted residents with personal care."

Strong: "Provided personal care support for 8–10 residents per shift in a 60-bed residential facility, including showering, dressing, continence management, and mobility assistance."

Weak: "Supported clients in a home care setting."

Strong: "Delivered home care services across 6–8 client visits per day under a Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) plan, including meal preparation, medication reminders, and social support."

Weak: "Worked with dementia residents."

Strong: "Supported residents with moderate-to-advanced dementia using person-centred care approaches, including structured daily routines, reminiscence techniques, and de-escalation during episodes of distress."

5. Education

Certificate III or IV in detail here if not already listed in certifications. Any secondary education. Any relevant additional study.

6. References

Two references from supervisors or managers in care settings. "References available upon request" is fine if you're not ready to list them.

Key Terms ATS Software Looks for in Aged Care Resumes

Make sure these appear in your resume if they apply to your experience:

Personal care worker / PCW
Certificate III in Individual Support
CHC33021 or HLT33115
NDIS Worker Screening
Residential aged care
Community aged care
Home care package
CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme)
Person-centred care
Dementia care
Palliative care
Wound care
Medication assistance / medication management
Manual handling
Infection control
Incident reporting
Care plan documentation
Overnight shifts / night duty

Don't use these if they don't apply to you. Use them if they do and they're not in your resume — they should be.

Switching Into Aged Care: What to Include If You're Coming From Another Field

A lot of people move into aged care from retail, hospitality, childcare, nursing support, or general community services. Here's what to highlight if you're making that transition:

From hospitality or retail: Customer-facing communication, composure under pressure, shift work, physical endurance, working as part of a team.

From childcare or education: Patience, behaviour support, understanding of care plans and documentation, managing vulnerable people.

From nursing support or AIN roles: Clinical adjacency, following care plans, documentation practices, understanding of medical environment.

What to add: If you don't yet have your Certificate III, most providers will support you to complete it on the job. Mention that you're enrolled or willing to enrol. Some providers offer traineeships that pay you while you study.

What not to overstate: Don't claim experience you don't have. Aged care is a regulated environment. False claims about qualifications or experience can have serious consequences.

What Major Aged Care Providers Look for on a Resume

The big providers in Australia — Bupa, Regis, Estia, Bolton Clarke, Baptistcare, Uniting, HammondCare, St Vincent's — all use ATS. They're volume hirers. Here's what they consistently prioritise:

Current clearances. An NDIS Worker Screening clearance that's lapsed or a police check from 2022 is a problem. Keep them current.

Qualification detail. "Certificate III" is not enough. Include the full name, the code, the training provider, and the completion year.

Evidence of ongoing care. Gaps in employment history in aged care require context. If you took a break to care for a family member, say so. If you were casual, say that. Silence looks like you left roles under bad circumstances.

Stability. Short tenures at many employers is a flag. If you've moved around, explain why briefly in your summary.

References from care settings. A reference from a retail manager means less than a reference from a team leader or care coordinator at an aged care facility.

The Short Version

An aged care resume in Australia needs:

Full certification details above the fold (cert name, code, provider, year)
NDIS Worker Screening clearance and Police Certificate listed explicitly and marked current
Specific bullet points — care terminology, client numbers, care types
A summary that answers the compliance questions before the hiring manager has to search for them
References from care settings

The workforce shortage is real. Good candidates are needed. The resume is often the only thing standing between a qualified worker and a role they'd be great at.

Get it right, and the shortage works in your favour.

Updated June 2026. Aligned with current Australian aged care qualification requirements and provider hiring practices.