About

My name is Mel and I am the founder and operator of “Mel Writes Resumes”.

I live in Perth, WA. with my partner and our two fur-children. I am a qualified teacher and have worked in primary, secondary and tertiary settings for the past 20 years. Having worked as both a teacher and member of school executive, I have been on many interview panels over the years. I am also an AITSL accredited Highly Accomplished teacher. I am currently completing a Doctor of Education with CQU and hold FHEA accreditation based on my constrictions to teaching and assessment at two different universities.

Why start a business helping people to further their career prospects? Over the past 20 years I have supported numerous friends and colleagues apply for government and private sector roles in education, youth services, trades, environmental services, IT, health care, retail, administration and more. In total, I have written over 100 different selection criteria for individuals. I have also worked with over 50 senior secondary students to support them to create detailed, truthful and well-structured resumes to help with those “first job out of school” jitters. Numerous Canberra schools, as well as the Australian Training Company, now use these resume templates as support materials for their students. In 2020 I was awarded the Career Advisers Association award for “Excellence in Student Engagement” for developing a successful transition and employment program for a small, independent school working with students with a trauma background. Helping people further their career prospects is a passion of mine and I am very familiar with the situation where an amazing candidate may not make it past the initial application round due to the quality of their written submission…when they may be the best suited to the role.

What qualifications do you have? I am a qualified teacher registered with both the Teachers Registration Board WA and the ACT Teacher Quality Institute. I hold the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
  • Master of Education (Behaviour Management/Literacy)
  • Master of Education (Focus: Student Engagement)
  • Doctor of Education (in progress, focus: Experiences of reading-to-dog programs)

What other qualifications or special skills do you have? Quite a few!

  • I am accredited at Level 1: Basic and Level 2: Intermediate for Australian Sign Language
  • I was certified as a “Highly Accomplished Teacher” with AITSL in 2021. Highly Accomplished teachers are recognised as highly effective, skilled classroom practitioners and routinely work independently and collaboratively to improve their own practice and the practice of colleagues
  • Volunteer with Labrador Rescue and Rainbow Paws including writing adoption biographies, social media updates, grant applications and (of course) cuddling dogs! I also volunteer with Story Dogs visiting schools with my rescue dog Sasha to help children improve their literacy and engage therapeutically with animals
  • Career Advisers Association “Excellence in Student Engagement Award” winner 2020 for developing a trauma informed careers program for students
  • State level exam writer and marker for ATAR subjects including Earth and Environmental Science, Politics and Law and the Academic Skills Test used in all ACT senior colleges
  • Unit coordinator and tutor at multiple Australian Universities in their BEd Primary, BEd Secondary and MTeach degree courses
  • Former Cert II, Cert III, Cert IV and Diploma level trainer in childcare, education assistant, small business and community services
  • Extensive experience in trauma informed practice in school-based settings

How did you arrive at your pricing model – it is so expensive / cheap?! I have heard both ends of this question a few times! Some Australian companies charge $800+ for a resume while others charge $79 and selection criteria seem to range from $200 up to $1000+. So, it was definitely challenging to settle on a pricing structure initially. My pricing model is based on being affordable for you while also acknowledging that when you work with me you get:

  • One person – the same person – to deal with the entire time who has upfront pricing with no hidden extras at the end. Check out my “Services and Pricing” page for more info
  • Someone based in Australia with extensive writing experience and a high literacy level (not a grad student or an international ghost writer working for some extra cash). Not to mention some of the ones I have seen which cost hundreds and are very clearly ChatGPT generated!
  • A person who works to get to know you individually to create the most accurate representation of you for future employers and ensures your authentic voice and personality are present in all documents
  • An honest representation, including samples, of what to expect beforehand. Check out my “Portfolio” page
  • Someone with extensive experience in running and being part of panel interviews for government roles in education, youth work, administration and higher education