When people send me their resume before a move to New Zealand, the most common problem I see is the same one: it lists what they were responsible for, but not what they actually did. New Zealand employers tend to want short resumes that show the difference you made, not a job description copied from your old contract. So the work is mostly about reframing. Below are the questions I ask people to sit with, area by area, so they can pull the real achievements out of their own memory. If you want a second opinion from a New Zealand source, Seek has good plain advice too.

Things you achieved at work

Start with the work itself. Not your duties, but the moments you made a difference. Most people undersell this because it has become normal to them, so it helps to ask yourself plain questions:

  • What did a boss thank you for, or praise you for?
  • Did you do something in a way nobody else on the team did?
  • Did you beat a target you were set?
  • Were you hired or moved into a role to fix a specific problem?
  • What was the hardest thing you sorted out at work?
  • Which piece of work are you most proud of?
  • Did anything you did save the company money?
  • Did you make something run faster or smoother?
  • Did you bring in a new way of doing things that stuck?

Where you can, put a number on it. Numbers do a lot of work on a resume:

  • Delivered the project early, which lifted the team’s output by about 25 percent.
  • Helped raise customer satisfaction scores by 15 percent over six months.
  • Led a team across departments and brought running costs down by 10 percent.

Happy man celebrating success with a fist pump and smile while working at a laptop in a modern office.

What you learned along the way

Next, think about how you have grown. This is not only your degree or your formal study. It is every course, every bit of software you taught yourself, every workshop that left you better at the job. Questions to jog your memory:

  • Which qualification are you most proud of, and why?
  • Did a conference or seminar change how you work?
  • What courses or workshops have you finished?
  • Did you pick up a certification or a new skill that matters for the job?
  • Have you learned anything recently, like a software tool, a platform, or something with AI?
  • Was there a project that taught you a lot?
  • When did you take something you studied and actually use it at work?

The people skills

Now the softer skills, the ones a machine cannot copy. How you work with people, how you lead, how you handle a problem. These often matter more than people think, so it is worth writing them down. Sit with these:

  • When have you been good at planning, sorting out a disagreement, managing your time, or using digital tools?
  • Have you helped hold a team together or led one?
  • Where have you shown you can lead?
  • Do you speak other languages well?
  • Can you think of a time you calmed a hard situation by reading the room?
  • When have you kept going through something tough at work?

Writing these down shows an employer the whole person, not just the job title.

Young man jumping on the beach, enjoying the ocean view during sunset or sunrise.

The times you were recognised

This is about the thanks and the awards you have picked up, the moments someone said you did well. A note from a client, an award, a quiet thank you from a colleague: they all count, and they all build your reputation. Ask yourself:

  • Have you won an award, an honour, or a certification lately? Which one means the most?
  • Which piece of your work got noticed the most?
  • Did a client or a boss thank you in writing or out loud?
  • Did you hit a milestone your peers or your industry noticed?

Putting these on the page shows what you bring, and that you can bring it again somewhere new.

How you communicate

Now your communication. This is the bridge between a good idea and getting it done, and employers care about it a lot. Think about the times your words moved something forward:

  • Have you spoken in public, run a meeting that changed a project, or given a talk that landed well? Say who was in the room, what it was about, and how big it was.
  • Have you written articles or papers for your field?
  • What hard message have you had to deliver, and how did you handle it?
  • How do you keep things clear in a remote team, or one with people from different backgrounds?
  • Have you handled internal or external messages during a crisis?
  • How do you change your style for different people?

Writing this down shows you can lead a conversation and bring people along with you.

Four friends celebrating on rocky terrain outdoors

When you led

Leading a team or a project shows you can take charge, make the call, and get people moving with you. Think about the times you stepped up:

  • Have you run a project from start to finish, got a new idea off the ground, or helped your team grow?
  • Have you led at work, or while volunteering?
  • Can you think of a time you mentored or brought someone on?
  • How do you keep your team pointed at the bigger goal?

Telling these stories shows you are ready to carry responsibility and make good things happen.

More than a list of tasks

The thing to remember is this: a resume is not a list of duties. It is your chance to show what you achieved and the good you did. When you focus on that, an employer can picture what you would bring to them. That matters anywhere, but it lands especially well in New Zealand, where employers care about the difference you made, not just the box you filled.

So go through these areas, one at a time, and write down what you actually did. Done that way, your resume tells a real story, and it gives an employer a good reason to call.

If you would like me to look over your resume before you send it, that is exactly the kind of thing I am happy to help with.

Warmly, Suzanne