Home Import Export Clerk Resume template
Import Export Clerk resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what import export clerks actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most import export clerks should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Import export clerk experienced in preparing customs declarations and shipping documents for international cargo. Skilled in Integrated Cargo System, CargoWise One and Excel, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance and keeping clients informed throughout clearance. Known for attention to detail and meeting tight border deadlines.
Key skills
- Regulatory compliance
- Operations management
- Data analysis
- CargoWise One
- Integrated Cargo System (ICS)
- Descartes
- Microsoft Excel
- Attention to detail
- Time and deadline management
- Written communication
- Customer service
Experience: example bullet points
- Prepared and lodged customs declarations and shipping documents for a steady flow of sea and air freight consignments, reducing clearance delays from two days to same day through accurate tariff classification and permit checks.
- Coordinated freight bookings with forwarders and carriers, consolidating part shipments to cut freight costs noticeably while still meeting delivery windows.
- Tracked shipments and advised clients on clearance progress, handling around 40 active files each week and keeping clients updated ahead of vessel arrival.
- Checked tariffs, duties and import permit requirements, identifying duty-saving opportunities through tariff concession orders and correct entry types.
- Liaised with customs, quarantine and border agencies to resolve holds, clearing three biosecurity queries in a quarter without escalation.
Education
Year 12 or a Certificate III/IV in international trade, customs broking or logistics, with on-the-job training in Integrated Cargo System and CargoWise One; some clerks hold a diploma or bachelor degree.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Australian Border Force
- Department of Home Affairs
- Integrated Cargo System (ICS)
- CargoWise One
- customs declaration
- import declaration
- export declaration
- tariff classification
- biosecurity import conditions (BICON)
- Incoterms
- bill of lading
- packing list
- commercial invoice
- freight forwarding
- customs broker
- Australian Trusted Trader
- tariff concession order
- entry for home consumption
- duty
- GST
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
- Descartes
- Microsoft Excel
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.