TVNZ Breakfast - July 2025 - How to Stand Out From the Crowd

With nearly 28,000 fewer jobs than this time last year and job ads continuing to decline, standing out in the job market has never been more important.

On TVNZ's Breakfast, our co-founder Tony Pownall shared practical advice on how to make your CV work harder for you.

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CV Tips to Stand Out

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• Focus on achievements, not just responsibilities – your CV is a sales document, not a task list

• Use short, punchy bullet points – most recruiters scan hundreds of CVs at a time

• Don’t just list job titles – show the impact you had and what you achieved

• Entering the workforce? Include sports, volunteering or community roles – they demonstrate behaviours like leadership, accountability, and work ethic

• Tailor your CV using the language of the job ad – some employers use keyword screening tools

• Havn't heard back? Follow up after you apply – a short email or phone call expressing genuine interest can make a difference

• Bring your CV or notes to interviews – not to hand over, but to help keep you on track and speak confidently about your achievements

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A Note on AI

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AI can be a helpful editing tool, but it doesn’t know you – your achievements, feedback you’ve received, or the projects you’re proud of.

Here’s how to get it right:

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• Start with a strong draft – include everything important first

• Use AI to tighten wording and remove filler

• Be careful: AI can strip out your personality and replace it with jargon-heavy, generic phrases

• Prompt it to keep your tone – you want your CV to sound like you, not a robot

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And finally – cover letters may be going out of style, but if you're asked to include one, use it to show your passion for the role and how it aligns with what you love doing.

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