New Zealand Resume Formats, Templates, and Writing Tips

If you want to get a job in New Zealand, it’s important to learn how to write a great New Zealand resume.

No matter what industry you’re in, you will need a great resume if you want to land an interview.

In this article, we will discuss:

• Requirements for a New Zealand resume
• New Zealand resume sections
• How to write an effective New Zealand resume
• New Zealand resume FAQs

New Zealand Resume Requirements

Before writing your resume for New Zealand, it’s important to understand the expectations New Zealand employers will have. You need to include the right personal details and resume sections for your resume to be successful.

Mandatory personal details

There are certain details that are mandatory if you want your resume to be accepted. These include:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Address

Optional personal details

If you have a professional online profile, like LinkedIn, Github, or an online portfolio, you can include it in your New Zealand resume. If you do, make sure everything it contains is completely professional and appropriate for the workplace.

Do not include

Some personal details, while common in other countries, should never be included on a New Zealand resume. Do not include your:

• Photograph
• Age
• Marital status
• Health status
• Nationality

How to Write a New Zealand Resume

To write a great resume for New Zealand, it’s important to make sure you have all the right sections and feature the right experience. To make sure your resume is ready for the New Zealand job market, simply follow these steps:

1. Choose the right New Zealand resume format

There are essentially two resume formats for New Zealand: A reverse-chronological resume, focused on your work experience, or a skills-based resume, focused on your skill set.

Reverse-chronological New Zealand resume format

In a reverse-chronological resume, the Work History section is the longest and most important part of the resume. In the Work History section, you list past positions in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent role and working backwards. In each role, list responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments.

The reverse-chronological resume format is ideal for most job seekers. It clearly shows your career progression, and demonstrates your most important tasks and accomplishments in all of your past jobs. As long as you have had a fairly typical career, with roles largely in the same industry, this is the right choice for you. This is the most straightforward resume format, and the one most New Zealand employers will expect.

Skills-based New Zealand resume format

In a skills-based resume, the Skills section is the most prominent section of the resume. In the Skills section, you make each skill or skill area a heading, then provide a detailed explanation or list of accomplishments related to each skill. The Work History section will be shorter and less detailed, and may be reverse-chronological or sorted by relevance.

A skills-based resume format is a great choice for job-seekers who have had a less traditional career path. If your work history has had long gaps, frequent job-hopping, or significant career changes, you may want to consider using a skills-based resume format. This format allows you to foreground your skill set, so you can make sure your most impressive and most relevant skills are clear to employers when your work history does not make this obvious. This resume format is less common than the reverse-chronological resume, but it can benefit the right job-seeker.

2. Select a great New Zealand resume template

The right resume template for your New Zealand job search will depend on your experience, your career goals, and your personality.

If you are in a more traditional industry, like law or finance, and you are applying for a large corporation, you will probably want to use a traditional resume template. Classic resume templates use little or no colour, a single column, and plenty of white space.

For example, VisualCV’s Standard template is a great choice for a classic New Zealand resume template.

If you are in a more modern or creative industry, like social media marketing or graphic design, a visually striking resume could be a benefit to your job search. A modern resume template might include more striking colours, multiple columns, and other visual elements.

For example, VisualCV’s Quartz template offers a second column and a splash of colour that allows your resume to be expressive while remaining professional.

3. List your contact information

Once you have decided on your resume format and resume template, you can start adding the content to your resume. To start, make sure to list your contact information.

At the top of your resume, include your:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Email Address
• Home Address

This ensures that the employer will be able to contact you. Make sure all of your contact information is up to date, and be sure that your email address is professional and appropriate for work.

Optionally, you can also include a link to a professional online profile, like a personal website or LinkedIn account. This will give employers greater insight into your career and online presence. If you do, however, make sure everything on the account is completely professional and appropriate for work.

4. Write a great personal statement

At or near the top of your resume, many job-seekers include a Summary, Objective, or Personal Statement. This section is optional, but a great professional summary can be a great way of introducing yourself to an employer and ensuring that your key qualities are easy to find, right at the beginning of your resume.

In a Summary or Personal Statement, offer some key skills, accomplishments, or qualifications that make you a great candidate for the position you are applying for. This section should be short–only a few sentences or bullet points–but impactful. By listing some key details up front, you can impress hiring managers right away and convince them to keep reading.

Objective statements are more rare, and are sometimes seen as outdated. We recommend including a Summary instead. If you do include one, however, briefly describe your career goals and how your experience relates to the position you are applying for.

5. Showcase your work experience

Your Work Experience section is the longest and most important part of your resume. In this section, you can list all of your previous positions in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent job.

For each job, include the:

• Job Title
• Company Name
• Dates of Employment
• Job Description

The job descriptions of each role can be the most effective parts of the resume. These sections are where you can list your achievements, skills, and abilities so the employer knows exactly what you bring as an employee.

To write great job descriptions, make sure to focus on achievements rather than responsibilities. Accomplishments are more impressive than duties, and a job description focused on success is going to catch the hiring manager’s eye.

If you’re having trouble thinking of accomplishments for each role, try to come up with measurable aspects of the job. This can be things like sales, customer growth, and budgets. Anything you can put a number to will look great on a resume. Using numbers to describe your experience simultaneously provides concrete examples of your experience, while showing that you are a data-driven worker who keeps track of your performance.

Further, use active language as much as possible to describe your work experience. Action verbs like “spearheaded”, “led”, and “developed” show that you are a dedicated worker with leadership qualities. It’s important to sound like you can think for yourself and take initiative, and describing your experience in the right way can help you do this.

6. List your skills

Writing a great Skills section in your New Zealand resume can be the push that your resume needs to land you an interview. If your Skills section has just the right technical skills and personal attributes the employer is looking for, your resume is sure to be taken to the next stage.

It’s important to include both hard skills and soft skills in your resume. Hard skills are the professional skills specific to your career, like logistics, welding, or JQuery. Soft skills are the people skills that make you a great person to work with, like communication, problem solving, and time management.

To write a great Skills section, make sure to think carefully about the job you’re applying to. The company will have specific technical skills they’re looking for, so it’s important to make sure you have the right skills. List the most relevant skills right at the top of the list.

7. List your education and qualifications

Your education is an important part of your career story. Below your Skills and Work Experience sections, include a section for your degrees and other certifications. In your Education section, list accreditations in reverse-chronological order. For each item, include the:

• Degree Name
• School Name
• Month of graduation

If you have other certifications you would like to include, such as workshop certifications, associate certificates, or post-secondary courses, you can include them in your Education section as well. Some job-seekers call this section Qualifications so that the different certifications will all fit in.

8. Add Referees

It is customary to include a section for Referees, sometimes called “References”, in your New Zealand resume. If you have space, you can include the full details for each referee, including their name, job title, organization, and contact details.

If you don’t have space, or if you would prefer to keep your referees’ details private until they are needed, you can simply write “Referees available upon request” in your Referees section.

9. Customize your resume

Once all of your qualifications have been included, it’s important to customize your New Zealand resume for every application.

To do this, carefully study the job description of the position you are applying for. The company will have specific skills and experience they are looking for. Take note of the key words and phrases used in the job description, then use them in your own resume. The closer your own skill set matches the job requirements, the more likely you are to be invited to an interview.

New Zealand Resume FAQs

How long should a New Zealand resume be?

Your New Zealand resume should be one or two pages long.

For most job seekers, one page is enough. If you are a mid career professional, you should be able to condense your skills and experience into a single page by focusing on the most relevant achievements.

If you are highly experienced, with many years of relevant experience, a two page resume can be appropriate. If you use two pages, make sure every detail adds value and supports your application.

Is it “New Zealand resume” or “New Zealand CV”?

In New Zealand, the terms resume and CV are usually used interchangeably. Both typically refer to a short professional document outlining your skills, experience, and qualifications.

In most cases, CV does not mean a long academic curriculum vitae. For standard job applications, resume and CV mean the same thing.

Should you include a picture in your New Zealand resume?

No, you should not include a picture in your New Zealand resume. It is not standard practice, and employers do not expect it. Including a photo can also increase the risk of bias during screening.

Keep your resume focused on your skills, qualifications, and experience.

What personal details should not be included on a New Zealand resume?

You should not include personal information such as your age, date of birth, marital status, health status, nationality, or a photograph. These details are not relevant to most hiring decisions and are not expected by employers in New Zealand.

Only include necessary contact information such as your name, phone number, email address, and home address.

Is it mandatory to include your address on a New Zealand resume?

Traditionally, including your home address has been common on a New Zealand resume. However, many candidates now choose to include just their city and region. The main purpose is to show your location and whether you are local to the role.

If you are applying from overseas, you may also wish to clarify your work eligibility.

What is the best resume format for New Zealand?

The reverse chronological format is the most common and widely accepted resume format in New Zealand. This format lists your most recent role first and works backward through your employment history.

A skills based format can also be used if you have career gaps, frequent job changes, or are changing industries. However, most employers expect a reverse chronological layout.

Should I include referees on my New Zealand resume?

It is customary in New Zealand to include a referees section. You can either list your referees with their contact details or write “Referees available upon request.”

If you list referees, make sure you have their permission and that their contact details are up to date.

How do I make my New Zealand resume ATS friendly?

To make your resume ATS friendly, use standard section headings such as Work Experience, Skills, and Education. Avoid tables, graphics, and complex formatting that software may struggle to read.

Incorporate keywords from the job description naturally throughout your resume to improve relevance during screening.

Should I customise my New Zealand resume for each job?

Yes. You should customise your resume for every application. Review the job description carefully and adjust your summary, skills, and experience to reflect the specific requirements of the role.

Tailoring your resume increases your chances of progressing to the interview stage.

What is the best file type for a New Zealand resume?

A PDF is generally the best file type because it preserves formatting across different devices and operating systems. If an employer specifically requests a Word document, submit a .docx file to meet their requirements.