NZ FORMAT CV
Aug 23rd 2011, 7:23 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Upper Hutt, NZ
Posts: 507
NZ FORMAT CV
After writing many replies on another thread, I was asked by BEVS to start a new one on the layout for a NZ CV. So here goes:
General points to note:
...More than 2 pages, but no more than 4 they like loads of info, unlike UK where 2 pages are the max - include bullet points to highlight
... Include MONTHS plus YEARS on your work experience, if you need to 'jig' your months a bit for 'older' work experience dont worry (its unlikely it will get noticed), what prospective employers want to see is CONTINUITY OF WORK.
... Go back as far as you can, even if years ago, it might be relevant
... Remember to include any 'training' courses etc as well as your qualifications, even if it was only a day course
... On your telephone number, remember to include the international dialing code
... Interests, write loads, they want to know everything about you, what your hobbies are, activities etc etc, the more the better
... References, just put 'available upon request' no point at this stage in listing names and addresses
... Include your school and and any higher education names and also qualifications (no matter how old you are)
... Finally PROOF READ your CV, no one likes spelling errors or gramatical errors either - i've known HR people reject a CV just due to bad spelling!!!
EXAMPLE: (MAIN TITLES ONLY)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name:
Address:
Telephone: 00 44
Date of Birth:
Nationality: British
PROFILE
KEY SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
QUALIFICATIONS
WORK HISTORY
Feb 03-Present (EXAMPLE)
Company Name:
Title
(date inc month)
EDUCATION
1974-1979 (example)
INTERESTS
REFERENCES
Hope this helps, if anyone wants a msword download of this, private msg me with your email and I will send you a copy.
General points to note:
...More than 2 pages, but no more than 4 they like loads of info, unlike UK where 2 pages are the max - include bullet points to highlight
... Include MONTHS plus YEARS on your work experience, if you need to 'jig' your months a bit for 'older' work experience dont worry (its unlikely it will get noticed), what prospective employers want to see is CONTINUITY OF WORK.
... Go back as far as you can, even if years ago, it might be relevant
... Remember to include any 'training' courses etc as well as your qualifications, even if it was only a day course
... On your telephone number, remember to include the international dialing code
... Interests, write loads, they want to know everything about you, what your hobbies are, activities etc etc, the more the better
... References, just put 'available upon request' no point at this stage in listing names and addresses
... Include your school and and any higher education names and also qualifications (no matter how old you are)
... Finally PROOF READ your CV, no one likes spelling errors or gramatical errors either - i've known HR people reject a CV just due to bad spelling!!!
EXAMPLE: (MAIN TITLES ONLY)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name:
Address:
Telephone: 00 44
Date of Birth:
Nationality: British
PROFILE
KEY SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
QUALIFICATIONS
WORK HISTORY
Feb 03-Present (EXAMPLE)
Company Name:
Title
(date inc month)
EDUCATION
1974-1979 (example)
INTERESTS
REFERENCES
Hope this helps, if anyone wants a msword download of this, private msg me with your email and I will send you a copy.
Aug 23rd 2011, 8:52 pm
#2
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Upper Hutt, NZ
Posts: 507
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
PLEASE NOTE:
My offer is for a BLANK MSWORD CV format for you to fill in yourself, I won't do your CV for you!!!
Thanks
My offer is for a BLANK MSWORD CV format for you to fill in yourself, I won't do your CV for you!!!
Thanks
Aug 24th 2011, 10:56 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Napier, New Zealand
Posts: 313
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
Great post and really useful for people looking for jobs, thank you
Aug 24th 2011, 12:32 pm
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
The 'Old Skool' Kiwi CV is a long and tedious one including your cub scouts fire making abilities and the one day Health & Safety 101 training you did in 1983. You need to target the audience carefully; one blanket CV will not satisfy the masses I am afraid. The 'olde worlde' personal style will be fine for applying to staunch Kiwi type owner operated businesses but won't cut it in the Corporate world. If you're appealing to the more wordly modern employer then your CV should reflect this, where the two pagey shorter style will go down far better.
You should be looking to give as little reason to be discriminated against as possible and one of the reasons most go into the no hope pile is because of age and nationality. You shouldn't be putting either your date of birth or nationality on the CV. It might be fairly easy to guess your age from your history - but wouldn't be so obvious if you only gave the last ten years.
Almost any education or work experience more than ten years old is not really relevant to the current work environment, so filling space with what you did in the school holiday job twenty years ago isn't required and should be left off.
Nobody has the time to read your life story and you must consider they've usually decided whether you're in or out, long before they even get to the end of the first page.
What you should have on your CV is some reference to your visa or residency status, a must if you already have this sorted.
As for bullet points (often referred to a as 'dot points' here) a few are fine, but too many are not a good thing; you need to show that you are capable of constructing a sentence or two.
Aug 24th 2011, 8:23 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Rolleston
Posts: 734
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
After writing many replies on another thread, I was asked by BEVS to start a new one on the layout for a NZ CV. So here goes:
General points to note:
...More than 2 pages, but no more than 4 they like loads of info, unlike UK where 2 pages are the max - include bullet points to highlight
... Include MONTHS plus YEARS on your work experience, if you need to 'jig' your months a bit for 'older' work experience dont worry (its unlikely it will get noticed), what prospective employers want to see is CONTINUITY OF WORK.
... Go back as far as you can, even if years ago, it might be relevant
... Remember to include any 'training' courses etc as well as your qualifications, even if it was only a day course
... On your telephone number, remember to include the international dialing code
... Interests, write loads, they want to know everything about you, what your hobbies are, activities etc etc, the more the better
... References, just put 'available upon request' no point at this stage in listing names and addresses
... Include your school and and any higher education names and also qualifications (no matter how old you are)
... Finally PROOF READ your CV, no one likes spelling errors or gramatical errors either - i've known HR people reject a CV just due to bad spelling!!!
EXAMPLE: (MAIN TITLES ONLY)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name:
Address:
Telephone: 00 44
Date of Birth:
Nationality: British
PROFILE
KEY SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
QUALIFICATIONS
WORK HISTORY
Feb 03-Present (EXAMPLE)
Company Name:
Title
(date inc month)
EDUCATION
1974-1979 (example)
INTERESTS
REFERENCES
Hope this helps, if anyone wants a msword download of this, private msg me with your email and I will send you a copy.
General points to note:
...More than 2 pages, but no more than 4 they like loads of info, unlike UK where 2 pages are the max - include bullet points to highlight
... Include MONTHS plus YEARS on your work experience, if you need to 'jig' your months a bit for 'older' work experience dont worry (its unlikely it will get noticed), what prospective employers want to see is CONTINUITY OF WORK.
... Go back as far as you can, even if years ago, it might be relevant
... Remember to include any 'training' courses etc as well as your qualifications, even if it was only a day course
... On your telephone number, remember to include the international dialing code
... Interests, write loads, they want to know everything about you, what your hobbies are, activities etc etc, the more the better
... References, just put 'available upon request' no point at this stage in listing names and addresses
... Include your school and and any higher education names and also qualifications (no matter how old you are)
... Finally PROOF READ your CV, no one likes spelling errors or gramatical errors either - i've known HR people reject a CV just due to bad spelling!!!
EXAMPLE: (MAIN TITLES ONLY)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name:
Address:
Telephone: 00 44
Date of Birth:
Nationality: British
PROFILE
KEY SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
QUALIFICATIONS
WORK HISTORY
Feb 03-Present (EXAMPLE)
Company Name:
Title
(date inc month)
EDUCATION
1974-1979 (example)
INTERESTS
REFERENCES
Hope this helps, if anyone wants a msword download of this, private msg me with your email and I will send you a copy.
http://www2.careers.govt.nz/how-to-g...a-nz-style-cv/
One thing I will add though is if you have the section for REFERENCES ......... never use the "upon request" far better to leave this field out all together
Aug 30th 2011, 9:08 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 95
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
People have very different ideas about what constitutes a good CV or not and never the twain shall meet. It usually depends on how old the reader / writer and where they come from.
The 'Old Skool' Kiwi CV is a long and tedious one including your cub scouts fire making abilities and the one day Health & Safety 101 training you did in 1983. You need to target the audience carefully; one blanket CV will not satisfy the masses I am afraid. The 'olde worlde' personal style will be fine for applying to staunch Kiwi type owner operated businesses but won't cut it in the Corporate world. If you're appealing to the more wordly modern employer then your CV should reflect this, where the two pagey shorter style will go down far better.
You should be looking to give as little reason to be discriminated against as possible and one of the reasons most go into the no hope pile is because of age and nationality. You shouldn't be putting either your date of birth or nationality on the CV. It might be fairly easy to guess your age from your history - but wouldn't be so obvious if you only gave the last ten years.
Almost any education or work experience more than ten years old is not really relevant to the current work environment, so filling space with what you did in the school holiday job twenty years ago isn't required and should be left off.
Nobody has the time to read your life story and you must consider they've usually decided whether you're in or out, long before they even get to the end of the first page.
What you should have on your CV is some reference to your visa or residency status, a must if you already have this sorted.
As for bullet points (often referred to a as 'dot points' here) a few are fine, but too many are not a good thing; you need to show that you are capable of constructing a sentence or two.
The 'Old Skool' Kiwi CV is a long and tedious one including your cub scouts fire making abilities and the one day Health & Safety 101 training you did in 1983. You need to target the audience carefully; one blanket CV will not satisfy the masses I am afraid. The 'olde worlde' personal style will be fine for applying to staunch Kiwi type owner operated businesses but won't cut it in the Corporate world. If you're appealing to the more wordly modern employer then your CV should reflect this, where the two pagey shorter style will go down far better.
You should be looking to give as little reason to be discriminated against as possible and one of the reasons most go into the no hope pile is because of age and nationality. You shouldn't be putting either your date of birth or nationality on the CV. It might be fairly easy to guess your age from your history - but wouldn't be so obvious if you only gave the last ten years.
Almost any education or work experience more than ten years old is not really relevant to the current work environment, so filling space with what you did in the school holiday job twenty years ago isn't required and should be left off.
Nobody has the time to read your life story and you must consider they've usually decided whether you're in or out, long before they even get to the end of the first page.
What you should have on your CV is some reference to your visa or residency status, a must if you already have this sorted.
As for bullet points (often referred to a as 'dot points' here) a few are fine, but too many are not a good thing; you need to show that you are capable of constructing a sentence or two.
Aug 31st 2011, 9:17 am
#7
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
Having interviewed and employed several people since moving to NZ I agree with Bo-Jangles and their comment on CV format. On one occasion I received 120+ applications for one part time role and trust me the longer CV's end up being skipped over as they take too long to read, long is not always best. You need to show what you can offer to your prospective employer and expand on this once you get to interview 
How your past roles relate to the job specification is a must and a blanket CV does not cut the mustard.
"Nobody has the time to read your life story and you must consider they've usually decided whether you're in or out, long before they even get to the end of the first page".
Good valid point, highlight at the start what skills and atributes you have to offer and then go into your employment history.
Good luck with the job hunting
From Sunny Nelson
How your past roles relate to the job specification is a must and a blanket CV does not cut the mustard."Nobody has the time to read your life story and you must consider they've usually decided whether you're in or out, long before they even get to the end of the first page".
Good valid point, highlight at the start what skills and atributes you have to offer and then go into your employment history.
Good luck with the job hunting
From Sunny Nelson
Sep 1st 2011, 1:15 pm
#8
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 8
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
If you are looking for a teaching position and are used to the CV, letter of application etc in the UK then I have it on good authority that keeping you CV to the point and two pages long is ideal. As many people have said no-one wants to read your life story. Be clever and look at the key points in the advertisment and tailor your CV to address them.
There is a good format for teaching CV plus letter of application on the Times Educational Website too!
Good luck everyone!!
There is a good format for teaching CV plus letter of application on the Times Educational Website too!
Good luck everyone!!
Oct 3rd 2012, 12:43 am
#9
NZ ways is best ways :0)
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Christchurch, NZ
Posts: 1,109
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
Good thread this, and some accurate tips. I'd just like to add the necessity of a covering letter. Regardless of whether you are applying from the UK, or from within NZ, this is a CRUCIAL part of your application, the importance of which is overlooked by far too many.
A CV is saying what you have done, but a covering letter allows you to say what you would like to do, why you are the best person from the job - and most importantly - why you should be given a shot despite the fact you live in Newcastle/ Aberystwyth/ London. So, ensure that you spell out the facts around your intention to move to NZ, what visa you hold/ will hold if they offer you, how long it will take you to get out to NZ, when you intend to arrive - all the factual stuff they they are otherwise guessing at. Answer those questions straight off in your covering letter, and you will increase your chances significantly.
Finally, if you are applying via an online system (many corporates here use them), there is sometimes no facility to add a covering letter AND a CV. So, incorporate your covering letter as the first page of your CV and job done.
Good luck to all you job seekers out there!
A CV is saying what you have done, but a covering letter allows you to say what you would like to do, why you are the best person from the job - and most importantly - why you should be given a shot despite the fact you live in Newcastle/ Aberystwyth/ London. So, ensure that you spell out the facts around your intention to move to NZ, what visa you hold/ will hold if they offer you, how long it will take you to get out to NZ, when you intend to arrive - all the factual stuff they they are otherwise guessing at. Answer those questions straight off in your covering letter, and you will increase your chances significantly.
Finally, if you are applying via an online system (many corporates here use them), there is sometimes no facility to add a covering letter AND a CV. So, incorporate your covering letter as the first page of your CV and job done.
Good luck to all you job seekers out there!
Oct 3rd 2012, 1:45 pm
#10
She'll be right
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Near the beach, NZ
Posts: 1,498
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
This thread has been very useful, thanks to everyone who has posted! I'm just in the midst of writing a CV and covering letter for prospective employers in NZ.
Wiz n Tom - thanks for the pointers with the covering letter. It hadn't crossed my mind to tell them when I intend to arrive in NZ! Something I now realise is glaringly obvious to mention.
Also I've been reading up online about what to include in your CV. The general advice has been to give out information about citizenship and if you have the right to work in NZ but after reading a post on here I am now not sure. What have other people done with this? Have you included your nationality? I would like them to know I'm a Pom but I also do not want to be discriminated against!
Wiz n Tom - thanks for the pointers with the covering letter. It hadn't crossed my mind to tell them when I intend to arrive in NZ! Something I now realise is glaringly obvious to mention.
Also I've been reading up online about what to include in your CV. The general advice has been to give out information about citizenship and if you have the right to work in NZ but after reading a post on here I am now not sure. What have other people done with this? Have you included your nationality? I would like them to know I'm a Pom but I also do not want to be discriminated against!
Oct 3rd 2012, 4:38 pm
#11
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Upper Hutt, NZ
Posts: 507
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
If you already have PR or citizenship, think its important to mention it. If not, I wouldnt. Your address will give your location away anyway, so if you have an arrival date you should include that so they know what sort of time-frame you are working to.
Oct 5th 2012, 9:30 am
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
There are huge discrimination issues for people who look or sound 'foreign', so if your name is Mohammed Ali or something, then I would definitely make it absolutely explicit that you are British.
Dec 15th 2012, 6:42 pm
#13
Banned
Joined: Dec 2012
Location: Wellington Area
Posts: 3
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
Another handy place for this is
http://www2.careers.govt.nz/how-to-g...a-nz-style-cv/
One thing I will add though is if you have the section for REFERENCES ......... never use the "upon request" far better to leave this field out all together
http://www2.careers.govt.nz/how-to-g...a-nz-style-cv/
One thing I will add though is if you have the section for REFERENCES ......... never use the "upon request" far better to leave this field out all together
Dec 23rd 2012, 9:20 pm
#14
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,603
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
I can absolutely second the part about references. If you expect an employer to ask you to give the information necessary for them to contact your references, that's grounds for them to wonder what you're hiding. Also, the name of one of my references was enough to get me an interview and subsequent job with my current employer. I was hired straight into my old job from overseas, so was a complete unknown (not good!).
It is not appropriate for people to bother your trusted referendes until such point is your close to being offered or have in such been offered a position.
Having your references hounded by several prospective employers to early in the process is not appropriate.
Feb 13th 2013, 1:28 pm
#15
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: North East England (for now)
Posts: 95
Re: NZ FORMAT CV
I'm currently re-writing my CV/resume to the Kiwi style. There's some contradictions in this thread, so I'm trying to follow the better points more closely.
I was wondering if anybody in this thread (preferably with prior experience of interviewing people/checking CVs) wouldn't mind looking over my own and pointing out where it could be improved? I'm not asking you to write it for me, just for some tips!
PM me if anybody is interested! It would be a great help to have more 'personal' guidance on the issue.
I was wondering if anybody in this thread (preferably with prior experience of interviewing people/checking CVs) wouldn't mind looking over my own and pointing out where it could be improved? I'm not asking you to write it for me, just for some tips!
PM me if anybody is interested! It would be a great help to have more 'personal' guidance on the issue.
