Many NZ employers now run CVs through screening software before anyone reads them. It searches for plain text, specific skills and keywords from the job ad, not design or layout. A simple, well-structured CV with the exact words from the listing is read more accurately than a graphic-heavy one.
How does AI screen job applications in NZ?
Screening software reads your CV as text, pulls out skills, job titles and phrases, then compares them against the words in the job ad. It is not judging your personality or your potential, it is pattern matching. If the ad says "customer service" and your CV says "client interactions," the software may not connect the two, even though a human would.
Why does a plain CV beat a designed one?
Columns, text boxes, icons and tables confuse most screening tools. The software reads left to right, top to bottom, in a straight line, so content inside a sidebar or a graphic can get scrambled or dropped entirely. A single column layout with clear headings in plain text is read in full, every time.
This matters even more if you do not have a job title to match on. Someone with ten years in the same role can rely on that title doing some of the work. Someone starting out needs every other word on the page to count, so plain formatting is not optional, it is the only way the content actually gets seen.
What should you actually do about it?
Start by reading the job ad slowly and lifting the specific words it uses for skills and tasks. Then build those words into your CV in your own sentences, not as a copied list. A few practical habits make the biggest difference:
- Use a single column layout with no text boxes or tables
- Save and send your CV as a Word document or a text-based PDF, not an image
- Repeat the exact skill words from the ad somewhere in your CV
- Spell out acronyms at least once, screening tools don't always know they match
- Use standard section headings like Work Experience and Education
- Avoid headers, footers and graphics for anything you need the system to read
- Keep job titles and dates in plain text, not inside a graphic timeline
Key takeaways
- Screening software matches keywords and plain text, it does not read design
- Pull the exact wording from the job ad into your own CV
- Single column, text-based files beat graphic templates every time
- This matters most when you don't have a matching job title to lean on
- A human still reads the CV eventually, so it needs to make sense to both
Frequently asked questions
Does a photo on my CV cause problems with screening software?
It can. Photos inside a header or graphic box are sometimes skipped entirely by the software, along with any text placed near them. It is simplest to leave photos off NZ CVs altogether, which also matches general NZ hiring practice.
Should I copy the job ad word for word into my CV?
No, but you should use the same terms the ad uses for your skills and experience. If the ad says "stocktake" and you did stock counts, say stocktake. Keep it honest and in your own sentences.
Can I still get noticed if I have no matching job title?
Yes. Focus on the tasks and skills underneath any title you've held, paid or unpaid, and match those to the ad's language. The system is looking for overlap in skills and wording, not an identical past job title.
Will a one page CV score better with screening software?
Length matters less than structure. A two page CV with clear plain text headings will be read fine. What hurts you is clutter, graphics and inconsistent formatting, not an extra page.
If you want to see how a screener might read your current CV, run it through Decode Job Ad and match the wording before you hit send.