CV Headers
Your header is one of the most important parts of your CV. Effective headers grab your employer’s attention and persuade them to read more of your professional profile. Poorly formatted headers can turn employers off and dissuade them from learning more about you. For this reason, all of our CV designs come with clean, professionally-designed formatting to convince employers that you’re the ideal candidate for the job role.
Your CV header should display your contact details, including your name, address, phone number and email address. You can also include your mailing address and any links to professional portfolios with examples of your work. If you’re not comfortable sharing your full mailing address with potential employers, you can always opt to just include your city and region.
From an aesthetic point of view, your header should be optimally designed and attractive to the eye. If you don’t have much experience with design or would rather save time by using a pre-designed template, you’re in luck! Whether you’re looking for a modern, creative, professional or simple template, we have something for everyone.
Nathan Murray
Academic Coordinator
Academic CV Personal Statement
Consider your CV's Personal Statement as a brief summary of why you are interested in the position as well as any relevant goals, achievements and qualifications that make you suitable for the job. Your CV shouldn’t be too lengthy – you can go into further detail about any of these elements in your cover letter. We have plenty of advice and tips in our cover letter guides! Check out the cvapp.nz website for more on our epic cover letters.
In your Personal Statement, you’ll want to include concise, well-crafted sentences that help promote your professional strengths. Think about the features that made you stand out and would encourage employers to hire you, then summarize them into a fun, brief summary that outlines your achievements and skill sets.
Committed and consistent academic coordinator passionate about making education accessible and equitable. Over 10+ years of experience working with government agencies, universities and schools around New Zealand, Strong belief that quality education has the power to change lives, allowing New Zealand students to become the architects of their own future.
Work History
The work history section of your CV should provide an overview of your previous work experience. You should include a chronological listing of your past employers along with the job positions you held and the duration of time you held each position. It’s also a great idea to include a brief description of the duties and responsibilities you performed in each job and any relevant accomplishments. It’s always best to be as specific as possible when you write about your work history.
You can find plenty of CV advice on the cvapp.nz website, including links to our CV guides for certain jobs. We’ll walk you through different CV formats, including Reverse Chronological, Functional and Combination CVs. Curious as to which CV suits you? Go check it out now!
Academic Coordinator at The University of Canterbury, Christchurch
09/2017 — 06/2021
- Processed admission applications to the University of Canterbury and made academic recommendations to senior management and trustees
- Advised the University of Canterbury Board on scholarship and PhD candidate selections
- Researched and developed policies for discretionary entrance to the University
- Evaluated University curriculum resources and materials and developed strategies to improve student performance in the engineering and mathematics departments
- Created the 'UNIWIDE' system, allowing students to anonymously report incidences of academic misconduct
Teacher at Stillwater High School Christchurch
01/2015 — 01/2017
- Coordinated, organised and supervised NCEA exams for Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students
- Directly advised the Ministry of Education on cultural competencies in the classroom
- Developed academic initiatives and lesson plans for senior students studying History and Biology
- Created academic reports to measure student success and arranged parent-teacher interviews
- Organised one-on-one student support time to help meet student's individual goals
- Developed mental health student guidelines to support health and well-being of students
Teacher's Aide at Stanton Primary School Ashburton
02/2013 — 12/2014
- Met with parents of students to carefully develop strategies to meet student's academic goals outside the classroom
- Advocated for special needs students and required resources to support their learning
- Advised on student curriculum for science and history subjects
- Helped science and history staff develop lesson plans for class
- Completed student achievement reports weekly
- Helped foreign students learn English in the classroom
Education Section
As an academic, you’ll be very familiar with the importance of education. Your potential employers are also interested in your educational background! You should list the institutions you earned your qualifications from in a reverse chronological format. For example, if you graduated from The University of Auckland in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in 2016, list your Master of Arts degree first.
If you achieved any outstanding accomplishments related to your education, include them on your CV. This means that if you received any scholarships, prizes or awards that are outstanding or relevant to the job position, don’t forget to mention them! For example, if you’re applying to become a Research Assistant at Victoria University of Wellington and you received an award for your research skills, including this is a must. Honour societies you’re affiliated with or leadership positions may also be worth including, depending on the job description.
University of Canterbury Christchurch
Feb 2011 — Feb 2013
- Master of Education
University of Otago Dunedin
Feb 2008 — Feb 2011
- Bachelor of Teaching
St Bede's College Christchurch
Feb 2002 — Dec 2007
- NCEA Level 3 Graduated with NCEA Level 1, 2 & 3 with Excellence.
CV Skills
Every employer is looking for skilled applicants to fill the job position. What are your skills? Which of them are relevant to the job posting? Including your skills on your CV will help you get noticed by employers and hired faster! Skills can also indicate your expertise and how you’ll be able to contribute value in the workplace.
Be sure that the skills you include are relevant to the position. For example, if you can knit and make some mean banana muffins, ka pai! However, employers will be looking for skills that will be helpful and beneficial to the role description and the company. Don’t be afraid to highlight your skills and strengths!
- Leadership
- Microsoft Office
- Critical Thinking
- Effective Teaching
- Counseling
