How to write a CV and cover letter

Although it can be useful to have a CV prepared before moving to New Zealand, don’t forget to adapt it to the job in question and to the style used in New Zealand. A cover letter is more important for skilled jobs, but much less so if you’re applying for backpacker jobs (often a quick text or email is all you need to apply for these).

The CV

In New Zealand, more emphasis is placed on what you can do than on your education or qualifications. Your CV should reflect your practical skills. You can present your CV in two different ways:

• The chronological CV: The most common format. Shows your work experience in chronological order (starting with the most recent) to give the employer a quick overview of your career progression. It’s not necessary to list every single work experience; only list jobs that are relevant to the role you are applying for (especially if you have a lot of work experience, as you need to keep your CV within 1-2 pages).
• The skills-focused CV: Organise your different achievements and experience under each key skill you know how to do, rather than in the order of when you worked at each place. This format is a good way of “disguising” a lack of work experience, a long career break, lots of different, unrelated jobs, etc. Be aware that hiding the length of your experience can be a disadvantage, as many employers look for a certain amount of experience (some will even disregard experience outside of New Zealand).

What should a New Zealand CV look like?

• No more than 1-2 pages long.
• Do not include a photo of yourself.
• Provide New Zealand contact details (a local phone number and an email ending in .com or .co.nz preferably).
• If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can include the link.
• You don’t have to mention your age or nationality but you should include the details of your visa (e.g. “I have a one-year Working Holiday Visa and am available to start immediately”) so employers know when, and how long, you are available to work in the country.
• 2-3 sentences for a personal summary, briefly explaining your work experience so far and what kind of work you are looking for now. Always adapt this based on the job you are applying for!
• Briefly list your main transferrable skills (if providing a skills-focused CV, you will not need a brief list because you will cover each skill in detail). Make sure these relate to the job description (e.g. showing leadership skills is important for a managerial role but less so for an entry-level position). Include any specific training, certifications, courses, programs, etc. if it relates to the role (e.g. “proficient in using Adobe Premiere Pro”).
• For each work experience listed, as well as the job title and dates you worked there, specify the city and country of the job, plus a brief description if it is a company unknown in New Zealand (e.g. “Retail assistant at Waterstones, a leading book store in the UK”).
• A brief description of your level of education. Note that specifics of a diploma or a college/university might not mean much in New Zealand. Try to find the general equivalent of the level of education you reached (e.g. “achieved the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree”). Education is also not valued as highly in New Zealand unless you’re applying for a specific skilled role, so don’t stress too much about this section.
• If you are a recent graduate and don’t have much work experience, it’s fine to include an achievements section where you list non-professional achievements that show how you could be a desirable employee (e.g. “finished top of my class” or “responsible for leading an after-school club”, etc.).
• A brief summary (1-2 lines) of your hobbies and interests outside of work. Many New Zealand companies are made up of small teams so showing your human side is important. Obviously, try to list hobbies that are professional in some way (e.g. “I like reading and creative writing” rather than “I like to get drunk and party on the weekends”!).
• It is important to have 2-3 referees who have given consent for you to provide their contact details for a reference, should you be offered the job. However, you don’t need to list their contact details on the CV; saying “references available on request” is fine. If your referee is abroad, be sure to specify to the employer the best way of contacting them (usually email is better than phoning them).

The cover letter

For casual jobs, you generally don’t need to provide a cover letter; a few sentences about your interest in the position and your relevant experience to complement the CV is enough. However, if you’re applying to more skilled roles or the job ad specifies you must provide one, you’ll need to know how to write a strong cover letter.

The cover letter must be tailored to each job ad and it should fit within an A4 piece of paper. Traditionally, a cover letter is organised as follows:

• An opening section confirming the job you are applying for and how you found the job ad
• Why you want to work for the company
• What you can offer and why you’re the best fit for the job
• Closing summary reiterating the key points.

Make sure the cover letter shows how you match the key skills the employer is looking for (you can find these in the job ad). If the ad is vague, contact the company to ask for more information about the job description and the skillset of the ideal candidate.

A cover letter is also a good way of highlighting skills or experience that aren’t emphasised in your CV. Think about the different aspects of your studies, your jobs, and your personal life that could be of relevance to the employer. It doesn’t matter which examples you use, as long as you can stand out from other applicants and prove you are the right fit for the job.

Some of the most important skills employers look for are:

• Communication skills
• Customer service skills
• Able to work as part of a team
• Good level of literacy and numeracy
• Confidence in using computers and technology
• Organisation and planning skills
• Initiative and a can-do attitude
• Ability to problem-solve
• Able to work independently
• Understanding of health and safety.

Essential websites to help you write a CV and cover letter

Several websites offer advice. You can also look at New Zealand university websites, which provide useful resources for their students.

• CareersNZ: Create CVs, cover letters and profiles
• University of Otago
• University of Auckland
• University of Canterbury
• University of Victoria Wellington