Below are a few things to help you hone your CV – its advice you can use at your discretion and apply where applicable.
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We see a lot of CVs. Each week we review many applications and CVs vary dramatically. Too often they miss the mark and aren’t doing their owner any favours!
We’ve put together a few key points on how to make sure your CV is working best for you.
You’ve got five seconds to grab the reader’s attention. A clean, well designed, impactful CV packed with value is your goal. Consider how many CVs the recipient is reviewing and how yours will grab their attention, with a good balance of creativity and professionalism.
Canva, Google and AI tools are your friend. Take the opportunity to get inspiration from templates that work.
You might be tempted to go wild with the layout to reflect your creativity, however clarity is paramount.
AI tools can help tidy up wording. Just don’t let it strip out your voice. A good CV is clear and professional with concise wording.
Some tips:
• Avoid tiny fonts and dense paragraphs
• Avoid over-designed templates with inconsistent spacing or fussy design
• Use white space well—it helps people focus
• Keep infographics to a minimum
Create or update your LinkedIn profile to supplement your CV. This is a great place to expand on previous roles and achievements, especially if your CV is getting too long.
• Include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile within your CV.
• Ask for recommendations to include on your LinkedIn profile – these are like mini references that can make a real impression.
Don’t panic about getting your CV down to a single page. More critical is that you’re able to sell yourself and get your point across. That said, anything over five pages is probably too long! Lengthy paragraphs are not the way to go. Embrace bullet points and white space. Keep earlier experience in summary form, and if necessary, refe the reader to your LinkedIn profile for more detail.
Remember to include:
- Your full name (first and last – no middle name)
- Email (hyperlink it)
- Mobile number
- City (not full address)
- Hyperlinks to your LinkedIn and if applicable, your creative portfolio
Your elevator pitch - a great way to introduce yourself and give an overall summary of your expertise, reflect your personality, passions and approach. Helpful prompts could be:
Purpose – What drives you in your work?
Professional Summary – What do you bring to the table?
Passion – What do you want to do next?
You can write this in a short paragraph or bullets. Just keep it real and focused.
Want to step down from a senior gig for lifestyle reasons? Say so here. Better it’s clear know upfront to avoid assumptions.
This is the main event.
Start with your most recent role and work backwards. The further back you go, the shorter the summary, and no need to go all the way back if your career spans many years. Again, refer people to LinkedIn.
Pretty self-explanatory. If you’ve had a bespoke title that’s okay. Your role summary will clear things up!
Include the full company name for each role, and if you worked abroad, specify the city. You can also add a hyperlink to the company’s website to help readers quickly understand the nature of the business – just be sure to check all links are working.
Include both month and year for each role. “2023–2024” could mean a year... or a week. Make it clear.
It should look a little something like this:
Project Manager
Aotearoa Creative Ltd, Auckland
Apr 2021 – Dec 2024
It may be appropriate to start with a brief summary about the company (especially if it’s not well known), e.g. Aotearoa Creative is an award-winning independent design studio who work with high profile clients such as ABC Limited, DEF and GHI.
Then outline your responsibilities and key achievements. Be concise and avoid buzzwords and jargon.
This is your time to shine. What did you do that made a difference?
• Campaigns you led that achieved amazing results.
• Awards (Effies, Marketing or Best Awards etc) – include links to the work if possible.
• Any internal culture initiatives or changes you led.
Bullet points are your friend. Keep it skimmable. You can also separate achievements into their own section if it makes sense. And remember, your LinkedIn profile is where you can add a lot more detail if required.
List the tools, platforms and software you have experience with.
Adding your personal interests shows a glimpse of who you are beyond the briefs and brainstorms. Whether it’s surf trips, side hustles, art or community activities, it adds colour and authenticity to your story.
Where you have freelanced or been on short term contracts, make it clear.
Four short stints could look flaky unless they’re clearly labelled contracts or freelance projects.
If you took a breather, were made redundant, raised a family or travelled for example, be transparent here also. This is all well-received when you are clear and honest.
Skip the fluff, drop the clichés (“team player”, “results-driven”), and just write like a human. Inject a bit of humour if that’s your style (within reason).
If you’re applying for different types of roles that align with your experience, it’s worth tailoring your CV to each one. It’s competitive out there – don’t risk being overlooked by sending a one-size-fits-all CV.
Cover letters are not always necessary – it often depends on how you’re applying. However, when given the opportunity, a well-written, well laid out cover letter allows you to show your enthusiasm and demonstrates that you’re applying thoughtfully, rather than copying and pasting your application for multiple roles.
Keep it snappy – why this job, why you, and what you bring. Don’t repeat what’s in your CV. A long wordy cover letter will be skipped over in favour of your CV.
• Name your CV document appropriately – FirstName LastName CV 2025. Do not send a resume called CV_v2 or Modern Resume.doc for example! It’s a small detail, but all contributes to how you present yourself.
• Save your CV as a PDF.
• If you’re going to list attention to detail as one of your strengths, only do so if you are very confident there are no errors in your CV! It’s never a good look to say this followed by errors.
• Check, check and triple check. Have someone else review it and check it for detail, flow and formatting. Make sure before you send it anywhere, it is error free and a true reflection of you and your experience.
• If you have referees who are happy to have their contact details on your CV you can include these. More standard is stating that references are “available on request”. Ensure you’ve checked with your referees that they are happy to be contacted.
• Including snippets from references received can make a real impact to your CV if you have any great ones to include.
• Photos are very much up for debate and be mindful your photo can be subject to bias. If you have an appropriate photo that you can integrate into your CV design, it can work well. In many cases we recommend leaving photos off your CV. LinkedIn is a good place for your photo.
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Your CV isn’t just a timeline—it’s your personal brand in doc form, your career in synopsis! Your opportunity to sell yourself. Whether you're a junior account manager or a creative director, use it to tell your story in a way that's clear, compelling and authentically you.
We hope these tips will help in building a CV that best represents you and your career. This is advice based on the work we do every day and is our opinion, not gospel!
All the best landing that dream role!
