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How to write a CV with no experience: free NZ template and examples
No paid job yet? That's normal at 15, 16 or 17 – and you can still write a strong CV. Here's a free CV template you can download for Word or copy, three made-up CV examples for students with no work experience, and how to turn school, sport, volunteering and family responsibilities into lines an employer will actually read.
Free CV template NZ (Word download or copy and paste)
This free CV template follows Tahatū's CV advice (Tahatū is the government's careers website). It's a skills-focused CV, the type Tahatū suggests for school leavers and people with no work experience: it leads with what you can do, not a long job history. It's one column in a plain black font (Calibri 11), with bold headings and no photo or images, so it's easy to read on a phone and easy for the software some employers use to sort CVs – an applicant tracking system, or ATS.
Download the CV template (Word .docx, 11 KB)
Free, no sign-up. Opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs (File → Open → Upload), Pages or LibreOffice. Replace everything in [square brackets], delete what you don't need, then save it as a PDF.
Prefer to start in Google Docs or your notes app? Copy this version:
What goes on a CV, in order
- Name and contact details at the top: your town or suburb, a mobile number and an email address with your name in it. You don't need your full street address.
- Personal statement – two or three sentences: who you are, what you're looking for, and one thing that shows you'd be good at it.
- Key skills – four to six, each backed by a real example.
- Experience – paid or unpaid, most recent first. Start each line with an action word: organised, served, looked after, trained, coached, fixed, built, sold.
- Education – your school, the NCEA level you've achieved or are working towards, any endorsements, and the subjects that relate to the job (like maths for a trade).
- Certificates and licences (optional) – a first aid certificate, your driver licence, a short course you've done.
- Interests (optional) – Tahatū suggests picking ones that show skills employers want, like leadership, and leaving out everyday things like watching TV or going out with friends.
- Referees – two adults who know you and aren't family: a coach, teacher, manager or youth leader. Ask them first. If the ad doesn't ask for referees, Tahatū says you can write “Referees available on request” instead.
Change it a little for every job. Tahatū's advice is to update your CV for each application using keywords from the job ad. If the ad asks for someone “friendly” with “customer service” skills, use those words – as long as they're true for you.
What to leave off a New Zealand CV
- Your date of birth or age. Your year level (“Year 12 student”) tells an employer enough. From 16, the Human Rights Act protects you from age discrimination, and the Human Rights Commission's pre-employment guide says employers shouldn't ask your age when you apply.
- Ethnicity or marital status. The same guide says employers should avoid asking about your race or ethnicity, and shouldn't ask about your marital status. They don't belong on a CV.
- A photo. Tahatū's advice is not to use images on a CV. Employers are allowed to ask for a photo, so only add one if the ad asks for it.
- Your IRD number. You'll need it once you've got the job: Inland Revenue says you need an IRD number and your tax code when you start, and you give them to your employer on a tax code declaration (IR330).
- Your full street address. Your town or suburb shows you live nearby without putting your address on every copy you send.
- Anything that isn't true. It usually comes out – at the interview, on the first day or when they call your referees.
Checked against Tahatū, the Human Rights Commission and Inland Revenue on 3 October 2026.
How to describe experience that wasn't a paid job
When someone hires a 15, 16 or 17-year-old, they're not expecting a work history. They want to know three things: will you turn up, can you get on with people, and will you learn? Every line on your CV should help answer one of those.
The trick is to write what you did + how often or how much. One plain sentence with a number in it beats a list of adjectives. Here's how that looks for the most common kinds of experience.
School projects and class work
- Instead of: “Did a group project in Business Studies.”
- Try: “Ran the till for our Year 12 market-day stall: set prices, tracked sales in a spreadsheet and made a $210 profit for the group.”
Shows: handling money, planning, teamwork. Science fairs, school productions, Digital Technologies projects and student council all work the same way.
Sport and clubs
- Instead of: “Play netball.”
- Try: “Senior school netball team: train twice a week and play every Saturday; helped coach the Year 9 team in Term 2.”
Shows: commitment, teamwork, turning up on time. If you've been captain, coached younger players or kept going for years, say so.
Volunteering
- Instead of: “Volunteered at a food bank.”
- Try: “Volunteer at our community food bank most Saturdays since March 2025: sort donations, pack about 40 food parcels a morning and help people to their cars.”
Shows: reliability, working with the public, doing a job properly when nobody's paying you. Tahatū points out that volunteer work adds to your experience and skills – so it belongs under Experience, not hidden at the bottom.
Looking after family
- Instead of: “Look after my siblings.”
- Try: “Look after my two younger brothers (7 and 10) three afternoons a week: school pick-up, homework and dinner until a parent gets home.”
Shows: responsibility, routine, staying calm. Lots of people leave this off because it doesn't feel like “experience” – but being trusted with your family every week is exactly what an employer wants to see.
Babysitting
- Instead of: “Babysitting.”
- Try: “Regular Friday-night babysitter for two families in my street (kids aged 4 to 9): in charge of dinner, bedtime and keeping in touch with parents.”
Shows: being trusted with people's kids – a big deal. Repeat bookings prove people were happy with you.
Side jobs and your own small business
- Instead of: “Mow lawns.”
- Try: “Run my own lawn-mowing round: six regular customers every two weeks; I book the jobs, send reminders and keep track of payments.”
Shows: initiative, customer service, handling money. Selling things online, tutoring younger kids, washing cars or walking dogs all count.
Helping in a family business or on the farm
- Instead of: “Help out at the family shop.”
- Try: “Work in my family's dairy on weekends: serve customers, restock the fridges and cash up the till at closing.”
This is real work experience, even if you weren't on the payroll. Put it under Experience with your role and what you did.
CV examples for students (all made up)
Three complete CV examples for students in NZ with no paid work experience, each aimed at a different kind of job. The people, schools, businesses and referees are invented. Use them to see what a finished CV looks like, then write your own with things that are true for you.
Example 1: Year 12 student, first part-time job (supermarket)
Ella has never had a paid job. Her experience comes from family, volunteering, school and sport.
Example 2: Year 13 student, building apprenticeship
Sione wants a carpentry apprenticeship. He leads with practical skills and his Gateway placement.
Example 3: Year 13 student, weekend café job
Tama has never had a regular job. His experience comes from his own lawn-mowing round, babysitting and a club fundraiser.
All three examples are made up. Use your own details, and only include things that are true.
Personal statement examples
The personal statement is the hardest bit for most people, so here are a few more made-up starting points. Swap in your own details.
- First part-time job: “Year 11 student looking for weekend work in retail. I'm friendly and organised, and I've looked after my younger cousins after school for two years.”
- Summer holiday work: “Year 12 student available full-time over the summer holidays. I'm fit, reliable and happy doing physical work – I've helped on my family's orchard for three summers.”
- Apprenticeship: “Year 13 student finishing school this year, looking for an automotive apprenticeship. I've done up two cars with my dad, I've got NCEA Level 2 Maths, and I'd rather be fixing something than sitting at a desk.”
- Working with children: “Year 13 student hoping to work in early childhood education. I coach a junior football team on Saturdays and babysit regularly for three families.”
Format, file name and sending it
- Length: one page is usually plenty for a first CV. Tahatū suggests keeping any CV to two pages if you can.
- Easy to read: Tahatū recommends a plain black font like Calibri 11, larger bold headings, bullet points, short sentences and lots of white space – that's how the template is set up.
- Keep the layout simple: Tahatū notes that applicant tracking systems need simple, consistent formatting to read your CV. That's why the template has one column, with no tables, text boxes or images.
- Send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word, named with your first and last name and CV – for example ella-martin-CV.pdf. In Word, use Save As and pick PDF. In Google Docs, use File → Download → PDF.
- Last check: Tahatū's job application checklist covers the things people forget, like checking your email address and your voicemail message.
Seven common mistakes
- Leaving a [bracket] or example text from the template in
- A silly email address – make a plain one with your name
- Spelling mistakes – read it out loud, then ask someone else to check
- Saying “hard-working” without an example to prove it
- Sending the same CV to every job – swap in words from each ad
- Fancy designs with photos, columns or graphics that are hard to read on a phone or by an ATS
- Making things up – it usually comes out at the interview or when they call your referees
A cover letter to go with it
Many online applications ask for a cover letter as well. Use our free cover letter template for NZ – it has a Word download, a checklist of what to change for each job, and examples for a first job and an apprenticeship.
Can I use AI to write my CV?
AI can help you find better words, fix spelling and match your CV to a job ad. But it doesn't know what you've actually done, and it can exaggerate or make things up. Tahatū's guide to using AI for your CV or cover letter says to check everything it suggests (including American spelling) and not to share sensitive details like passwords or financial information. Add your contact details yourself at the end.
More free help
- Tahatū's CV guide – free skills-focused and work-focused templates and examples, and a list of CV builders to try.
- Your school careers adviser – ask them to look over your CV before you send it.
- If an employer asks for a video CV, Tahatū explains how to make a short video CV.
- Week by Week, if your school uses it: the AI coach turns the wins you log into skills with proof and what an employer gets out of them, and helps you put your CV together from what you've told it. Like any AI it can get things wrong, so check every line before you send it.
Your next step
Don't try to finish the whole CV tonight. Take ten minutes and write down five things you've done in the last year: a team, a responsibility, something you organised, fixed, made or sold. Pick the two that fit the job you want, and write each one as “what I did + how often or how much”. That's the hardest part done.
Not sure what kind of work to aim for? Try the AI coach if you're 16 or older. No sign-up needed. Ready to apply? Read where to find jobs as a teen or how to find an apprenticeship employer.
Questions
Where can I get a free CV template in NZ?
Download the free Word template on this page, or copy the plain-text version – no sign-up needed. Tahatū, the government's careers website, also has free skills-focused CV templates and examples.
How do I write a CV with no work experience?
Use a skills-focused CV. List four to six skills, each backed by a real example from school, sport, volunteering, caring for family, babysitting or side jobs. For each one, say what you did, how often or how much, and what it shows.
Should I put my NCEA results on my CV?
Yes. List the NCEA level you've achieved or are working towards, any endorsements, and the subjects that relate to the job – like maths for a trade.
How long should a school leaver's CV be?
One page is usually enough for a first CV. Tahatū suggests keeping any CV to two pages if you can.
Do I need a photo or my date of birth on a CV in New Zealand?
No. You don't need your date of birth or age – your year level is enough. Tahatū advises against images on a CV, so only add a photo if the job ad asks for one.
Should I send my CV as a Word file or a PDF?
A PDF, unless the employer asks for Word. Name it with your first and last name and CV, for example ella-martin-CV.pdf.
Want a plan that's actually about you? Week by Week is an AI coach that helps you turn what you've done into career paths that fit, any current job ads near you and one small step each week. Join with a nickname – no real name needed. Your school can try it free with 5 students for a month.
Sources
- Tahatū, How to write a CV (sections, layout, skills-focused templates, ATS, checked 3 October 2026)
- Human Rights Commission, The A–Z Pre-Employment Guide (age, marital status, race, photos, checked 3 October 2026)
- Inland Revenue, I've got a new job (IRD number and tax code, checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Using AI to create a CV or cover letter (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Job application checklist (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, How to create a video CV (checked 3 October 2026)