How to create a NZ resume or CV?
Hey team,
Welcome back to my blog.
Today I will be discussing with:
How to build your NZ CV for free?
What information you should not include when creating your CV?
What information you must include and how?
How to always tailor your CV as per the job that you are applying for?
Lot’s to unpack today, let’s get you started!
How to build your NZ CV for free?
The most simplest and easiest place to start building your CV is by visiting this link here
➡️https://www.careers.govt.nz/tools/cv-builder/build-a-great-cv/#getting-started⬅️
Careers New Zealand has created a tool where you can easily build your CV in minutes. This is an interactive tool and you can download, print or email in Word or PDF format.
I swear by this website and it has some really useful information for students looking for work in New Zealand.
You will need to create an account, there are 16 steps throughout the process so make sure you have your details handy. You can always stop at either of the steps and resume once you have more information. Get started with CV builder.
Please make sure you have a copy ready before you continue to make changes. Ideally you want to have this in a Word Document.
Do not include the following information at any cost
Never reveal your gender, age and marital status.
Do not use a photograph.
Only share the details of your references when it has been requested.
You can avoid including the interests section.
Your LinkedIn Profile is optional.
You want to avoid all and any information that might be used against you. Although discriminating applicants based on the above information is unlawful, you still want to avoid any opportunity that could lead to it.
Information you must include
I am assuming here that you have built and created the CV from the link that I shared with you, so if you have not done this yet, I would suggest you do so here. I will be explaining each heading and what information to include based on the sample CV that you have built
Contact details
You will be surprised how many times people get the basic contact information incorrect. So always make sure that you include the address. it does not have to be full address, it can just be the location, then your phone number, your valid email address. Sometimes people use email address such as ihateluv@domain.com please do not do so. If you don’t have a professional email, create one and make sure to use it for all your applications.
Objective
This section is optional for me. You can discuss the objectives of the role in your cover letter which I will write a separate blog about. It is kind of given that your objective is to secure a role and that’s the reason you are applying for the role. So save yourself some space and describe it in your cover letter.
Personal statement
This section is the first thing a recruiter is looking at before they start skimming information to understand whether you will go in the yes, no or maybe pile. Always make sure to include one. This is a short bio of who you are, how the job fits with your career aspirations and what will you bring to this role. This section can be at least 4 sentences. Think about this as someone has asked you “so what do you do for a job?” and you are responding to them, only this time, this is your elevator pitch and the objective is to capture the recruiters attention.
Technical skills
You include the technical skills that you have learnt over the years. Recruiters want to see if you have understanding of certain systems that you will be working with on a daily basis. Normally the job description will include the required technical skills that you must have to be able to secure an interview. If you do, you must use this section of your CV to highlight them. Make sure they are in bullet points and you can use two columns formatting to highlight multiple skills.
Work history
In your work history section, you want to highlight the tasks you have completed in the jobs you have held in the past and also make sure to share the highlights/achievements from the role.
An example could be:
Assistant Manager, Electric Al’s
Auckland June 2025 - Present
Responsibilities:
Bullet point one for the responsibility you had
Bullet point two for the responsibility you had
Achievements
Bullet point one for the achievement you had
Bullet point two for the achievement you had
Volunteering experience
If and only if your volunteering experience aligns with the role you are applying you can create a section which highlights how this experience aligns with the responsibilities mentioned in the JD. Another reason to include this section is when the recruiter specifically requires you to demonstrate how involved are you within the community.
Qualification
At the end of your CV you include a table highlighting the year you completed the qualification and the course name.
Formatting of your CV
I would recommend that you stick to the format as shown in the Careers New Zealand website. Keep it simple and easy to read. If you are applying within the creative industry you can include your creative flair by making it modern, but simple, clean and easy to find information should be the biggest objective.
Extra Tips
Always customise your CV to the job you are applying for, even if it means to make a few tweaks.
It’s a numbers game, so be prepared to apply in large volumes.
To keep you motivation levels high, consider creating a structure.
Keep a track of the applications you have made, you never know who will ring you when, so you must be prepared to answer that call when it comes.
Lastly, the only purpose of your application is to secure an interview. When you take the pressure off yourself, you will feel a lot more comfortable and confident.
Once again, thank you for time spent. I hope you learnt something new today. In my next blog post I will be discussing how to create an effective cover letter which makes you stand out.
Picture credit: Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash