New Zealand CV and resume guidance

"CV" is the word most New Zealanders use, although "resume" is also understood and some job ads use it. In practice they mean the same thing for most jobs: a two- to three-page summary of your experience, skills and education.

You will mostly see:

• "Send your CV and cover letter" in private and public sector ads.
• "Upload your CV" on job sites and agency forms.
• "Academic CV" for university teaching and research jobs, which is longer.

Title your document with your name rather than the word "CV" at the top, and save the file as something clear, like "Aroha-Smith-CV.pdf".

A standard New Zealand CV is two to three A4 pages, reverse chronological, with a short personal statement, key skills, work history with achievements, education and referees. It is plain and easy to scan, without a photo or detailed personal information.

A typical order:

• Name, phone, email, city or region, LinkedIn.
• Personal statement or profile: three or four lines.
• Key skills: six to ten relevant skills.
• Work history: most recent first, with dates, employer, title and bullets.
• Education and training.
• Licences, certificates and memberships.
• Referees, or a note that they are available.

The New Zealand Government's job hunting pages link to official help on writing a CV and cover letter, which is a good place to check local expectations. Tailor your CV to each job, especially the key skills and personal statement.

Two to three pages is common for experienced applicants, and one to two pages for students and school leavers. New Zealand employers want enough detail to see your achievements, but not a long list of every task you have done.

Guidelines:

• School leavers: one page.
• Graduates and early career: one to two pages.
• Experienced professionals: two to three pages.
• Academic or senior medical roles: longer, with publications or clinical detail.

If you are coming from a country with very long CVs, cut older roles to a single line each and remove duties that do not relate to the job. Keep your best material on page one.

No, these are not usually expected. A New Zealand CV normally leaves out your photo, date of birth, age, marital status, religion, health and family details. Employers focus on skills, experience and whether you suit the role.

Keep your personal section to:

• Full name.
• Mobile and email.
• Town or city.
• Work status in New Zealand, if relevant.

If you are moving from a country where these details are standard, removing them helps your CV look local. If a later form asks for information such as your date of birth for a background check, provide it there.

Yes. New Zealand English follows British spelling: programme, organisation, colour, centre, licence, labour, travelled. Consistent local spelling shows care and fits what NZ employers are used to reading.

Watch for:

• "Programme" for plans and courses; "program" is often used for computer software.
• "Licence" as the noun, "license" as the verb.
• "Mobile" rather than "cell phone".
• Dates written as "June 2024" or "06/2024".

Set your spell checker to English (New Zealand) or English (UK). Te reo Māori words that appear in organisation names or job titles, such as "Kaiāwhina" or "Te Whatu Ora", should keep their macrons.

Two referees is common, and at least one is usually a recent direct manager. New Zealand employers often call referees before making an offer, sometimes asking detailed questions about your work, attitude and reliability.

Options for your CV:

• List two referees with name, title, organisation, relationship, phone and email.
• Write "Referees available on request" and send details when asked.

Example: "Tom Ngata, Store Manager, Southside Hardware, Hamilton (my manager 2022–2025), 021 000 0000"

Always ask permission first and tell referees which job you have applied for. If you are new to New Zealand, overseas referees are acceptable; give an email and phone number with country code, and mention any time difference.

List your highest NCEA level, the year and any endorsement, then a few relevant subjects if you are a school leaver or student. Once you have tertiary study or work experience, a single line is enough.

Examples:

• "NCEA Level 3 with Merit endorsement, Riverside College, 2025"
• "NCEA Level 2, 2024. Relevant subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Digital Technologies"
• "University Entrance, 2025"

If an employer asks for a specific level, put that level first. Leave out credit totals unless asked, because most employers only look at the level and endorsements.

Mention it when the job ad asks for a level or when your qualification title does not make its level clear. NZQF refers to the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (now officially called the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework), which puts certificates, diplomas and degrees on levels.

Examples:

• "New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3), 2025"
• "New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5), Southern Institute, 2024"

For well-known qualifications like a bachelor's degree, the level is usually unnecessary. For overseas qualifications, do not claim an NZ level unless an official assessment has given you one; write the original title, institution and country instead.

Show clearly where you are, when you can start and your work status, then make your experience easy to understand for a New Zealand reader.

Practical changes:

• Location line: "Currently in Manila, Philippines; available to start in NZ from March 2027".
• Work status, written accurately and only what your documents say.
• Remove photo, date of birth and other personal details not expected in NZ.
• Use A4 and NZ spelling.
• Add a short note on what unfamiliar employers do and their size.
• Give phone numbers with country code and say you can interview by video.

For official information on job hunting in New Zealand, start with the government's job hunting pages, and check official immigration sources for anything about visas rather than CV guides.

Write your mobile in local format, such as "021 123 4567", or with the country code, "+64 21 123 4567", if you are overseas or might be called from abroad. For location, give your town or city and region, not a full street address.

Examples:

• "Christchurch, Canterbury"
• "Lower Hutt, Wellington"
• "Tauranga (open to relocating to Auckland)"

Employers use location to judge travel time, especially for shift work, trades and rural roles. If you are planning to move, add the city and date. Make sure your voicemail has your name, because NZ recruiters often call first.

Many applicants add one short, accurate line about their work status near the top, because employers often want to know early whether you can work in New Zealand. If you are a citizen or resident, saying so removes any doubt.

Examples:

• "New Zealand citizen"
• "New Zealand resident"
• "Work visa holder, valid until August 2027"

Only write what your documents say. Do not describe visa conditions or eligibility you are unsure of, and check official New Zealand immigration sources for any question about your status. The employer may ask for proof before an offer, so keep the wording simple and true.

Yes, list te reo Māori and any other languages in a Languages section with a simple, honest level. Language skills can be valuable in New Zealand, particularly in education, health, public service, tourism and community roles.

Examples:

• "Te reo Māori: conversational"
• "Samoan: fluent"
• "Mandarin: native; English: professional working proficiency"

If you have completed a te reo course, list it under training. If a role mentions tikanga Māori or working with whānau, give a concrete example in your experience, such as supporting a hui or adapting communication with families, rather than just listing the word.

Add your licence stage and class when driving matters for the job, such as trades, sales, delivery, community care and rural roles. New Zealand uses learner, restricted and full licence stages, and employers want to know which one you hold.

Examples:

• "Full Class 1 driver licence"
• "Restricted Class 1 licence (full licence test booked for May 2027)"
• "Class 2 licence with forklift (F) endorsement"

For office jobs in a city, you can leave it off. If you hold an overseas licence, state the country, and check the official transport agency's rules on using it in NZ instead of guessing on your CV.

Keep it to one page and focus on availability, physical work experience, reliability and any relevant tickets. Seasonal employers usually hire quickly and want to know you can start on time and work outdoors.

Include:

• Availability: "Available from November to April, full-time, including weekends."
• Any orchard, farm, packhouse or outdoor work, with what you did.
• Driver licence and transport.
• First aid or forklift certificates.
• Languages if the team is multicultural.
• One or two referees from recent jobs.

Example bullet: "Picked and graded apples to export standard on a 30-hectare orchard over two seasons."

Be honest about your work status and dates you can stay.

Show your degree, results, relevant projects, work experience and involvement, all within one or two pages. NZ graduate programmes in government, banking, accounting, engineering and tech often recruit well before you graduate, so check each employer's dates and have your CV ready early.

Key sections:

• Degree, university, expected completion and grade point average if strong.
• Summer internships and part-time work.
• Projects or capstone work with outcomes.
• Clubs, leadership and volunteering.
• Skills tied to the programme stream.

Example bullet: "Led a four-person capstone team that built a booking app for a local marae, presented to the community committee."

Tailor your personal statement to each programme's values.

List it under work experience like any other role, with the organisation, title, dates and two or three bullets. New Zealand employers value internships highly for graduates, so describe what you did and achieved, not just that you attended.

Example:
"Summer Intern, Infrastructure Planning, Waitaha District Council, Nov 2025 – Feb 2026

• Mapped stormwater assets in GIS for a flood risk review.
• Drafted a report section used in a council committee paper."

If the internship was part of a scholarship or programme, include its name. Keep confidential projects general.

Use a clear two- to three-page CV that matches the position description's key accountabilities and competencies. Public sector roles in New Zealand often come with a detailed position description, and your CV and cover letter should show evidence for its main points.

Tips:

• Read the position description and pick the four or five main requirements.
• Write bullets that show you have done similar work.
• Mention experience with policy, stakeholders, Treaty of Waitangi principles or community engagement if the role refers to it, with real examples.
• Follow any instructions about application forms or questions.

Example bullet: "Coordinated feedback from 12 iwi and community groups for a regional transport plan."

Many New Zealand agencies are flexible, but some ask for Word files so they can reformat your CV into their own template before sending it to clients. Follow what the agency or job ad asks.

Tips for agency applications:

• Keep a simple layout without tables or text boxes so it converts cleanly.
• Include clear job titles and dates.
• Add a short skills list near the top.
• State your availability and preferred work type: permanent, contract or temp.

ResumeBuilder.ae exports text-based PDFs only. If an agency insists on Word, you can copy the text from the builder into a word processor and save it there.

Show any time working, volunteering or studying in New Zealand, and make your overseas experience easy to relate to local roles. You cannot create local experience, but you can show you understand the local workplace.

Ideas:

• Volunteering with community groups or charities in NZ.
• Short courses taken locally, such as health and safety training.
• Temp or contract work, even outside your field.
• Experience with NZ-standard tools, terms or regulations relevant to your job.
• Clear descriptions of overseas employers' size and sector.

Example bullet: "Volunteer treasurer for a Wellington community garden, preparing monthly accounts in Xero."

Yes, usually. A cover letter is commonly expected for professional, public sector and graduate roles in New Zealand, and many ads ask for "CV and cover letter". Keep it to one page and specific to the job.

What to include:

• The role you are applying for.
• Two or three reasons you fit, with evidence.
• Why you want to work for that organisation.
• Your location, availability and work status if relevant.

Example opening: "I am applying for the Community Health Coordinator role with Te Awa Health. I bring five years of community nursing experience in Auckland and Fiji."

The government's job hunting pages link to official help on writing cover letters.

List them in a "Qualifications and Licences" section with the full title, provider and year, plus any registration or certificate number if the job requires it. Trade employers usually check qualifications early.

Examples:

• "New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4), 2024"
• "Apprenticeship, Plumbing, completed 2023"
• "Site Safe Passport, current"

Describe apprenticeship work as experience, with real tasks and project types. If your role requires a licence or registration, list it with its number and expiry date as required by the regulator.

Write the degree under its original title, with institution, country and year, and add a short explanation if the subject is unclear. If you have an official assessment from a recognised body, add a line showing the result.

Example: "Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2016. Qualification assessed as comparable to an NZ bachelor's degree."

Tips:

• Translate titles that are not in English.
• Do not claim an NZ equivalent you have not had confirmed.
• If your profession is registered in NZ, write your registration status honestly.

If your field requires registration, check with the relevant official body and list your status as it is now.

It is common and recommended. A New Zealand personal statement is three or four lines summarising who you are professionally, your strengths and the kind of role you want. It helps busy readers decide quickly whether to keep reading.

Example: "Experienced warehouse team leader with eight years in distribution centres in Auckland and Brisbane. Strong in health and safety, rostering and stock accuracy. Looking for an operations supervisor role in South Auckland."

Tips:

• Make it specific to the job you are applying for.
• Avoid clichés like "passionate team player".
• Write in a natural voice; first person without "I" is common.

Yes, if the role involves physical work, sites, care or customer contact. NZ employers in construction, forestry, farming, manufacturing and healthcare often look for health and safety awareness and current certificates.

What to include:

• Certificates with year: "First Aid (Workplace), 2025".
• Site or industry inductions that are current.
• Experience as a health and safety representative.
• Bullets showing actions, such as running toolbox meetings or hazard reporting.

Example bullet: "Introduced a hazard register for a team of 20 that improved near-miss reporting."

Keep expired certificates off unless they show relevant experience.

Keep it to one page and show reliability, school achievements and any work, sport or volunteering. NZ employers hiring for part-time, retail, hospitality or entry roles know you have little experience.

Include:

• Contact details and suburb.
• A short objective: "Year 13 student seeking weekend café work in Dunedin."
• Education: school, NCEA level, relevant subjects.
• Experience: part-time jobs, babysitting, lawn mowing, work experience.
• Activities: sport, kapa haka, music, leadership roles.
• Availability.
• Referees: a teacher, coach or employer.

Ask a teacher or careers adviser to review it before sending.