How to write a CV for Australia and New Zealand: 1-3 pages, tailored, no photo

To write a CV for Australia or New Zealand, keep it to 1-3 pages (2 if you can for New Zealand), use a plain layout with clear headings and dot points, rewrite it for every job using the words in the ad, and leave out your photo, age and date of birth. Australians often say resume and New Zealanders say CV, but it is the same document. Below you get the two countries side by side, a 7-step build, and the mistakes that get overseas applicants skipped.

Australia vs New Zealand: CV advice side by side

Two government careers services give clear, practical advice. On the Australian side, the Queensland Government publishes a resume and cover letter guide. In New Zealand, careers.govt.nz now redirects to Tahatū Career Navigator, run by the Tertiary Education Commission, which has its own guide to writing a CV.

Here is what each one says, point by point.

The overlap is bigger than the differences. Write one tight, plain document and you can send it in either country with small edits.

How long should an Australian resume be?

Queensland’s advice is 1-3 pages, scaled to how long you have been in the workforce. A recent graduate with one internship fits on a single page. Someone with a long career may need three.

Tahatū’s target for New Zealand is 2 pages if you can. So 2 pages is the sweet spot: it suits New Zealand and sits inside the Australian range.

To get there, give full detail only to your recent and relevant roles. Older or unrelated jobs can shrink to one line each: title, organisation type, city, country and dates.

Layout: make it easy to skim

Hiring managers skim first and read later. Tahatū suggests a plain black font like Calibri 11, short sentences, bold headings and plenty of white space. Queensland asks for a neat, simple layout with headings and dot points.

A clean order that works in both countries:

• Name and contact: email, phone with country code, city and country.
• Profile: 2-3 lines on who you are, your trade or field and what you want next.
• Key skills: the skills the ad asks for, in its own words.
• Work history: newest first, with month and year for every start and finish.
• Qualifications and licences: name, institution, country, year.
• Referees: names and contacts, or “Referees available on request”.

Skip tables, columns, icons and text boxes. They look smart on screen but can scramble when an employer’s system reads the file.

Skills-focused or work-focused: pick your CV type

Tahatū describes 2 main types of CV. A skills-focused CV suits school leavers, people without work experience and people with gaps. A work-focused CV suits people with a solid work history or those changing jobs.

If you are an accountant with years in one firm, go work-focused and let your roles do the talking. If you are a recent graduate, or you stepped away from work for a while, lead with a skills section and back each skill with a short example from study, volunteering or part-time work.

Tailor every version to the ad

Tahatū’s advice is to update your CV for each application using information and keywords from the job ad. In practice, that means mirroring the ad’s language. If the ad says “stock control” and your CV says “inventory”, change it.

Keep one master CV with everything, then save a trimmed copy for each job. For an office role such as this front of house receptionist job in Perth, lead with the duties that ad actually lists, not the ones you like best. More roles like it sit in the administration jobs category.

Some jobs, especially government jobs, ask you to meet selection criteria (also called core or key capabilities). Queensland says your answers should prove, with relevant examples, that you have the experience, skills and abilities asked for. A list of duties is not enough there.

What to leave out of a CV for Australia and NZ

A shorter CV is often a stronger one. Cut these:

• Photo, age and date of birth. Tahatū says it is usually best not to add them.
• Your full street address. Scamwatch says to be careful about putting your physical address or date of birth on a resume. City and country are enough.
• Passport and ID copies. Scamwatch advises never sending your passport or identity documents to an employer or recruitment firm unless you are certain they are genuine.
• Marital status, religion and similar details. Under the Fair Work Act an employer can’t take adverse action against a prospective employee for discriminatory reasons, and protected attributes include race, age, marital status, religion and national extraction. These details add nothing to your case.

One thing worth adding if you need a visa: a single honest line in your profile about your current work rights or that you need sponsorship. It saves both sides time.

Applying from overseas: make your experience easy to check

Your dates matter more than you might think. For Australia’s Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), applicants need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, gained within the last 5 years; part-time or casual work must add up to at least 12 months full-time. New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa asks for 2 years or more of relevant experience, or a qualification at level 4 or higher on the NZQCF, in the same field as the job.

So write month and year for every role, and say whether it was full-time or part-time. Keep your CV consistent with the documents you may later be asked for. For an Australian visa, any non-English document needs an English translation, provided together with the original.

Ready to test your CV on real ads? Browse sponsored jobs in Australia and New Zealand, or see how a role like this production planner and supply chain job in Hamilton spells out what it wants.

Referees and the cover letter

Referees

Tahatū says to include contact details for at least 2 referees if the job ad asks for them, ideally including a current or former manager. If the ad does not ask, write “Referees available on request”. Ask your referees before you list them.

Cover letter

Queensland says a cover letter only needs to be 1 page, addressed to the employer or contact person and tailored to that job. Tahatū adds that employers usually read it before the CV, so it should not repeat everything in the CV.

Send both files as PDFs unless the employer asks for Word, with your first and last name in the filename, as Tahatū advises.

Using AI to write your CV: where it helps and where it hurts

Tahatū’s page on using AI for a CV or cover letter is blunt: recruiters and employers can often spot an AI-generated CV, and AI results must be checked for errors and exaggerated claims.

A builder such as Build AI CV can get the layout and a first draft done quickly. Then make it yours: rewrite the profile in your own voice, delete any claim you could not explain in an interview, and check every date and job title.

AI is reshaping office work too. Our quick facts on AI and Australian office jobs show which tasks are most exposed.

Build your CV in 7 steps

1. Collect your facts: every job title, employer type, city, country, start and end month and year, and every qualification.
2. Choose your type: work-focused if you have a steady work history, skills-focused if you are new to work or have gaps.
3. Write a master version with headings, dot points and a plain font, without worrying about length yet.
4. Pick one real ad and highlight its key duties and words.
5. Cut the master down to 2 pages for that ad, using the ad’s words where they truly describe your work.
6. Remove your photo, date of birth and full street address, and add referees or “Referees available on request”.
7. Save as a PDF named with your first and last name, write a 1-page cover letter for the same ad, and send both.

Common mistakes

• One CV for every job. Without the ad’s keywords, a strong candidate can look like a poor match.
• Five pages of history. Queensland’s top end is 3 pages and Tahatū aims for 2.
• Vague dates. Years without months, or no mention of part-time, make your experience hard to check against visa rules.
• Photo, birth date and home address at the top. They take space and expose you to scammers.
• Sending a passport scan with the first application. Only share identity documents once you are certain the employer is genuine.
• Unchecked AI text. Generic wording and inflated claims are easy to spot and hard to defend in an interview.
• A file called “CV final”. Use your first and last name in the filename so it is easy to find.

Frequently asked questions

Is a CV the same as a resume in Australia?

In practice, yes. The Queensland Government guide calls it a resume and New Zealand’s Tahatū calls it a CV, but both mean one document that sums up your skills, work history and qualifications for an employer.

How many pages should a CV for Australia be?

Queensland Government advice is 1-3 pages, depending on how long you have been in the workforce. Tahatū suggests 2 pages for New Zealand if you can manage it, so 2 pages is a safe target for both countries.

Should I put a photo or my date of birth on my CV?

Usually not. Tahatū says it is usually best to leave out a photo, your age and your date of birth, and Scamwatch warns to be careful about putting your date of birth or physical address on a resume.

Do I need to list referees on my CV?

If the job ad asks for them, Tahatū says to give contact details for at least 2 referees, ideally including a current or former manager. If the ad does not ask, the line “Referees available on request” is enough.

Can I use AI to write my CV for Australia or New Zealand?

You can use it for a first draft, but Tahatū notes that recruiters and employers can often spot an AI-generated CV. Check every line for errors and exaggerated claims, and rewrite the profile in your own words before you send it.

Key takeaways

• Aim for 2 pages: inside Australia’s 1-3 page range and on target for New Zealand.
• Plain font, bold headings, dot points and white space beat fancy designs.
• Rewrite the CV for every ad using the ad’s own words.
• Leave out your photo, age, date of birth and full address.
• Give month and year for every role: visa rules count your experience.
• Check any AI draft line by line before you send it.