CV and cover letter templates

Cover letter GettyImages 1324194561

Templates and examples to help you create your own CV's (resumes) and cover letters.

Create a CV online with CV Builder and it saves automatically

You can use our CV Builder to create your CV.  It'll automatically save to your careers.govt.nz account.

Don't want to use CV Builder? Use our CV and cover letter templates by saving them to your computer

If you don't want to use CV Builder, you can use the templates on this page to create your CV and cover letter. 

Save and name your templated CV and cover letter

  • When you download the templates, remember to save them on your computer as a Word document and a PDF.  Employers may need either format.
  • Name your documents with your name, the application date, and the job you're applying for. For instance, "Mere Smith 1 Oct 2023 Water Engineer CV". This helps employers keep track of your documents.

Cover letter template and example

Read our examples and use our templates to create your cover letter. Remember to save it on your computer.

Cover letter examples:

Cover letter templates:

Skills-focused CV for changing career or gaps in your work history

Use a skills-focused CV template if you haven't had many jobs, have gaps between jobs or are changing career.

Skills-focused CV examples:

Skills-focused CV templates:

Read about describing skills in your CV:

Work-focused CV for career progression

Use a work-focused CV template if you're changing to a similar job or a higher-level role in the same area, or want to highlight your work experience and career progression.

Work-focused CV examples:

Work-focused CV templates:

Skills-focused CV for school leavers

Use a skills-focussed school leaver CV template if you're about to leave or have recently left school.

School-leaver CV examples:

School-leaver CV templates:

Specialist CV's

Updated 22 Sep 2023