CV and Resume Tips for Provisional Psychologists

As part of your application for General Registration as a Psychologist, you will need to supply AHPRA with your curriculum vitae. There is a standard format that you should follow (available here https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Process/Standard-Format-for-Curriculum-Vitae.aspx).

We have been employers of Provisional Psychologists and General Psychologists for many years now so here are some of our tips for a resume or curriculum vitae that stands out from the crowd which is the purpose of your CV! Get yourself shortlisted and get to the next step – the interview. But first things first…

Set yourself up for success. As part of your provisional registration journey, we recommend setting up your resume as per the APHRA format and adding to and updating it as you progress through your internship. You can make the formatting and structure your own while staying in keeping with the key headings. 

It’s a great idea to have a professional curriculum vitae that includes relevant industry information that sits apart from a resume that you may be using for retail, hospitality or similar roles. 

We suggest removing your age, date of birth and high school as these are no longer relevant in a professional setting. Be sure to state that you are eligible for provisional registration or that you hold provisional registration. A great section to include that makes you stand out, is having a career objective or career goals. A note, however – it is key to make sure that each time you submit for a role, that these career goals are compatible with the job you are applying for. These are also a great addition to your cover letter.

We recommend adding a knowledge section to highlight fields where you may have done extra work or study. Given that you may not have vast experience at this time in your career, this is a great way to draw attention to the knowledge that you have secured so far.

If you have no (industry-specific) work experience – seek it out! It doesn’t matter what it is, just start somewhere, a few hours per week volunteering in a practice doing administration tasks or telephone counselling for instance or enrolling in relevant professional development courses demonstrates your keen interest and motivation to start your career. You will gain valuable insight and experience as well as the ability to include experience in your CV or resume. Not to mention you will be making a positive contribution to your industry. 

Include a focus on transferable skills if you are currently working in a different industry. Ideas include communication, organisation and time management and interpersonal skills as these will be relevant throughout your professional career in psychology.

Provisional Psychologist Hub offers career coaching delivered by a Board Approved Supervisor highly experienced in organisational psychology. These sessions are open to anyone looking for career coaching in the area of psychology. Whether you are studying at university, looking for work, provisionally registered or fully registered, these sessions are open to you. Any sessions you complete with our career coach can be logged as part of your board approved supervision hours if you are completing an internship pathway. Book a Career Coaching Session HERE.

For more in-depth tips start with our FREE E-Seminar 'Finding Employment as a Provisional Psychologist' HERE before jumping into Professional Development for Aspiring Provisional Psychologists. 

Author: Susie Upton 30/03/223