We suggest writing a full and detailed CV. Most employers read CVs to get an overall understanding of the candidate's suitability. Make sure your CV is no more than four pages and easy to read by having plenty of white space as well as using a sans-serif typeface such as arial or calibri. Keep the font size around 12 and don’t shrink the text size to fit more information on. Use Adobe Indesign or a professional word editor like Microsoft Word so you can control the formatting and make the best use of the space you have available.

There are many different CV templates you can follow, but at a minimum include your personal contact details, work history, qualifications, education and skill set (software, applications, machinery and equipment experience, any special licences). You can also include a short introduction that shows your personality, highlights any attributes you possess and gives your CV a human touch. Including references in your CV is now seen as outdated. Instead add a small message at the end of the CV stating “References available on request.”

New Zealanders are quite informal and prefer casual language over fancy words and technical jargon. Keep the tone of your CV professional, concise and to the point.

Always get another person to read over your CV for grammar and spelling mistakes, even if English is your first language.

Before submitting your CV, read through the job descriptions and look for keywords that describe the skills or experience you have. Update your CV to better reflect the job ad and make it look more relevant to the employer.

New Zealand is an equal opportunity employer and hiring on race, nationality, gender, sex, marriage status, religion or age is against the law. Leave these details off your CV and instead focus on your qualifications and experience.

Many New Zealand businesses are made up of small teams and employees often manage multiple roles covering a range of disciplines. Include a section on your CV that lists any software and applications that you are experienced in. These skills are often viewed as transferable and you never know when they might come in handy.

Include all the languages you speak on your CV. Although we are a large exporting nation, many New Zealanders only speak English and knowing other languages could be valuable for your role.

Make your CV relevant to your current position (and the position you are applying for!) by including your job description, responsibilities, and any other relevant information. Many New Zealand businesses do not have HR departments, so it’s important to give context to your experience.