Application examples · New Zealand

Registered, but not getting interviews?

You’ve gathered the documents, passed the English test, maybe sat an exam, paid the fees and waited. When the registration email arrives, it feels like the hardest part is over. Then the applications go out and very little comes back.

Registration and a job offer are separate hurdles. How you present your experience matters, but so do things outside your control: how many vacancies there are, who else applies, whether a team can offer supervision, and whether it can support a visa. A better application can’t guarantee an interview. It does give the person shortlisting the best chance to see what you could bring.

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Example 1 of 5

Physiotherapy

Ananya Rao · Trained in India. Eight years in adult hospital physiotherapy, five of them leading respiratory care on acute medical wards. Fictional candidate

The vacancy (illustrative)

Senior Physiotherapist, Acute Respiratory and Medicine

Where: A regional public hospital, North Island
Setting: Acute medical and respiratory wards, with cover into the intensive care unit
Patients: Adults with acute respiratory illness, frailty and complex discharge needs

Essential

Registration with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand and an annual practising certificate (or eligibility)
At least five years’ post-registration experience, including acute respiratory care
Airway clearance and support for patients on non-invasive ventilation
Supervision of junior physiotherapists and students
Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equitable outcomes for Māori

What the job involves

Weekend roster and after-hours respiratory on-call
Close work with medical, nursing and discharge teams

How to apply

CV and cover letter through the online careers portal.

The same experience, presented two ways

Same candidate, same qualifications, same jobs. Only the clarity, order and evidence change.

Professional profile

Weaker

Dedicated and hardworking physiotherapist with excellent communication skills, seeking a challenging position in a reputed hospital.

Stronger

Senior physiotherapist with eight years in adult hospital care, five of them leading respiratory care across two acute medical wards. Experienced in airway clearance, supporting patients on non-invasive ventilation and weekend respiratory on-call. Supervises junior physiotherapists and students.

Why it helps. The stronger profile answers the vacancy’s first three requirements in three sentences. The weaker one could describe any physiotherapist, anywhere.

Duties and context

Weaker

Responsible for treating patients, attending ward rounds and maintaining documentation.

Stronger

Assess and treat a daily caseload of 10 to 14 adult inpatients with COPD exacerbations, pneumonia and post-operative chest complications, and agree airway clearance plans with the medical team on ward rounds.

Why it helps. Patient group, caseload and the clinical decisions she makes tell a reader what she could do on her first day.

Most relevant experience first

Weaker

Listed first: outpatient musculoskeletal clinic two afternoons a week. Listed last: weekend respiratory on-call.

Stronger

Listed first: weekend and overnight respiratory on-call for a 600-bed hospital, one weekend in five, including referrals from the intensive care unit and emergency department.

Why it helps. The vacancy asks for respiratory on-call, so the evidence for it comes first instead of at the bottom of the page.

Titles and abbreviations

Weaker

PT-II. MICU/RICU cover. CPAP/BiPAP pts.

Stronger

Senior Physiotherapist (Grade II), covering the medical and respiratory intensive care units, including patients on CPAP and BiPAP (non-invasive ventilation).

Why it helps. Local grades and ward abbreviations mean little to an overseas reader. Spelling them out once removes the guesswork.

Registration and availability

Weaker

Registered physiotherapist. Available immediately.

Stronger

Registered with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Eight-week notice period.

Why it helps. An employer needs to know where registration stands, whether you need a visa and when you could realistically start. “Immediately” is rarely true from overseas.

Read Ananya’s complete CV

Fictional example CV. Use these examples to understand the approach, not to copy the wording. Your application should reflect your own experience, skills and reasons for applying. Only include work you have actually done and statements you could comfortably explain at interview.

Ananya Rao

Bengaluru, India · ananya@example.com · +[country code] [number]

Professional profile

Senior physiotherapist with eight years in adult hospital care, the last five leading respiratory physiotherapy on two acute medical wards in a 600-bed teaching hospital. Most of my work is with acutely unwell respiratory patients: airway clearance, support for people on non-invasive ventilation, and weekend on-call that takes referrals from intensive care. The part of the job I value most is helping a breathless patient get back on their feet before discharge. I supervise two junior physiotherapists and teach students each term. I am looking for a senior respiratory role in a New Zealand public hospital, where I can keep a clinical caseload and contribute to on-call and student teaching.

Registration and availability

Registered with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Eight-week notice period.

Clinical expertise

Acute respiratory. Airway clearance (ACBT, positioning, manual techniques, suction), support for patients on CPAP and BiPAP, oxygen weaning with the medical team, sputum retention and post-operative chest care.
Medical wards and discharge. Early mobilisation, falls risk assessment, equipment and discharge planning with nursing, occupational therapy and social work.
Critical care. Respiratory physiotherapy for patients in the medical and respiratory intensive care units on the on-call rota, working with the senior ICU physiotherapist.
Supervision and teaching. Day-to-day supervision of two junior physiotherapists, clinical educator for undergraduate placements, weekly in-service teaching.

Employment history

Senior Physiotherapist (Grade II), Adult Medical and Respiratory Services

Teaching hospital, 600 beds, Bengaluru, India · September 2021 to present

Lead physiotherapy for two acute medical wards (56 beds), with a daily caseload of 10 to 14 adults with COPD exacerbations, pneumonia and post-operative chest complications.
Weekend and overnight respiratory on-call, one weekend in five, taking referrals from the intensive care units and emergency department.
Agree airway clearance and mobility plans with the medical team on daily ward rounds, and contribute to discharge planning meetings.
Supervise two junior physiotherapists and up to four students a term; run a weekly in-service session.
Updated the department’s weekend referral prioritisation checklist with the physiotherapy manager, now used on every weekend shift.
Present a respiratory case at the monthly physiotherapy department teaching meeting.

Physiotherapist, Inpatient Rehabilitation and General Medicine

General hospital, 250 beds, Bengaluru, India · July 2018 to August 2021

Assessed and treated adults on medical and rehabilitation wards, including early mobilisation after acute illness and stroke.
Agreed mobility goals and discharge needs with nursing and occupational therapy colleagues.
Covered the outpatient musculoskeletal clinic two afternoons a week.
Carried a caseload of 12 to 15 patients a day across a 30-bed rehabilitation ward and two general medical wards.
Ran a twice-weekly group exercise class for patients after stroke with the rehabilitation nursing team.
Completed the hospital’s respiratory on-call competency programme in 2020 and joined the weekend rota.

Qualifications

Master of Physiotherapy (Cardiorespiratory), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, 2018
Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, 2016

Recent professional development

Non-invasive ventilation for physiotherapists, two-day workshop, 2024
Clinical supervision skills, 2023
Basic Life Support, current to 2027
Reading the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand’s guidance on cultural competence and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, 2026

Equipment and systems

Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (cough assist), PEP devices, incentive spirometry, suction, CPAP and BiPAP interfaces, electronic patient records.

Referees

Two clinical referees, including my current manager, available on request.

The cover letter

The generic letter

Fictional example of what not to send.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to apply for the post of Senior Physiotherapist at your esteemed hospital. I am a hardworking and dedicated physiotherapist with 8 years of experience. I have excellent communication skills and I am a good team player.

I am passionate about patient care and keen to work in New Zealand to further my career. Please find my CV attached. I am available to join immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Ananya Rao

The stronger letter

Fictional example. Use these examples to understand the approach, not to copy the wording. Your application should reflect your own experience, skills and reasons for applying. Only include work you have actually done and statements you could comfortably explain at interview.

Dear Hiring Team,

I’d like to apply for the Senior Physiotherapist role in acute respiratory and medicine. It brings together the two parts of my work I value most: managing unwell respiratory patients on the wards and helping junior colleagues make sound decisions on a busy weekend.

For the past five years I’ve led respiratory physiotherapy on two acute medical wards in a 600-bed teaching hospital in Bengaluru, with a daily caseload of 10 to 14 adults. I cover weekend and overnight on-call, including referrals from intensive care, and I regularly support patients on non-invasive ventilation alongside the medical team.

On a recent weekend, a junior physiotherapist was unsure whether a patient with a COPD exacerbation needed senior review. We talked it through using the prioritisation checklist I helped update, saw the patient together and agreed a plan with the registrar. That kind of support is something I’d hope to bring to your team.

I know your service places weight on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equitable care for Māori. I’ve started reading the Physiotherapy Board’s guidance and would value learning how your team works with whānau and local Māori health providers.

I’m registered with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand and will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. I’d need employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa, and my notice period is eight weeks.

Kind regards,
Ananya Rao

Says why this role. It names the service and what drew the candidate to it, so it could only have been written for this vacancy.
Connects experience to the requirements. It picks the two or three things the advert asks for most and shows where the candidate has done them.
Adds context, not a second CV. It explains one example in a little more depth instead of repeating dates and duties.
Is clear about the practical details. Registration, work rights or sponsorship, notice period and realistic timing are stated plainly.
Sounds like a person. Plain, warm sentences in the first person, with no stock phrases an employer has read a hundred times.

Back to the professions

Example 2 of 5

Anaesthetic Technology

Hannah Ellis · Trained in the UK as an Operating Department Practitioner. Eight years in theatres, six of them in anaesthetics at a major trauma centre. Fictional candidate

The vacancy (illustrative)

Anaesthetic Technician

Where: A tertiary public hospital, South Island
Setting: Elective and acute theatres, the obstetric theatre and remote anaesthesia sites
Patients: Adults and children having elective, emergency and trauma surgery

Essential

Registration with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand as an Anaesthetic Technician, with an annual practising certificate (or eligibility)
Experience assisting with anaesthesia in elective and emergency theatres
Airway management assistance, including difficult and emergency airways
Willingness to work rostered after-hours and on-call shifts
A commitment to culturally safe care

What the job involves

Rotating roster including nights and weekends
Equipment checks and theatre readiness at the start of each list

How to apply

CV and cover letter through the online careers portal.

The same experience, presented two ways

Same candidate, same qualifications, same jobs. Only the clarity, order and evidence change.

Professional profile

Weaker

Highly motivated ODP with extensive NHS experience, seeking a new challenge in a forward-thinking team.

Stronger

Operating Department Practitioner (the UK role that includes anaesthetic technician work) with eight years in theatres, six of them in anaesthetics at a major trauma centre. Experienced across elective, emergency and trauma lists, including rapid sequence induction and difficult airway support. Takes part in the on-call rota.

Why it helps. The stronger profile explains what an ODP actually does and matches it to the advertised work. “Forward-thinking team” tells an employer nothing about her.

Duties and context

Weaker

Assisted anaesthetists during surgery and checked equipment.

Stronger

Prepare and check the anaesthetic machine, airway equipment and monitoring before each list, and assist the anaesthetist through induction, maintenance and emergence for general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics.

Why it helps. The detail shows the range of her practice and the stages of anaesthesia she’s responsible for.

Most relevant experience first

Weaker

Listed first: scrub duties in day surgery. Difficult airway experience mentioned in passing at the end.

Stronger

Listed first: emergency and trauma lists at a major trauma centre, including rapid sequence induction, the difficult airway trolley and massive transfusion support.

Why it helps. Emergency airway work is the hardest thing for the vacancy to train, so it leads.

Titles and abbreviations

Weaker

ODP, Band 6, anaes, CEPOD, RSI, MTC.

Stronger

Senior Operating Department Practitioner (Band 6, a senior clinical grade), anaesthetics, covering the emergency (CEPOD) theatre at a major trauma centre, including rapid sequence induction.

Why it helps. Each abbreviation is spelled out once, and the grade is explained instead of assumed.

Registration and availability

Weaker

HCPC registered. Available ASAP.

Stronger

Registered with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand as an Anaesthetic Technician; I understand an initial period of supervised practice may apply. Will apply for an annual practising certificate on arrival. HCPC registered in the UK. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Three-month notice period.

Why it helps. She states the registration that applies in the destination, not only her UK one, and is honest about what still needs checking.

Read Hannah’s complete CV

Hannah Ellis

Manchester, United Kingdom · hannah@example.com · +[country code] [number]

Professional profile

Operating Department Practitioner with eight years in theatres, six of them in anaesthetics at a major trauma centre in Manchester. I assist with anaesthesia across elective, emergency and trauma lists, and I am on the on-call team for the emergency theatre, including nights. The work I know best is the unplanned kind: rapid sequence induction, difficult airways and major haemorrhage. I help run quarterly airway simulation training and mentor student ODPs on placement. I am looking for an anaesthetic technician role in a busy New Zealand theatre department with an acute workload.

Registration and availability

Registered with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand as an Anaesthetic Technician; I understand an initial period of supervised practice may apply. Will apply for an annual practising certificate on arrival. HCPC registered in the UK. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Three-month notice period.

Clinical expertise

Anaesthetic assistance. Induction, maintenance and emergence for general, trauma, orthopaedic and obstetric anaesthesia; regional anaesthesia support.
Airway. Rapid sequence induction, difficult airway trolley, video laryngoscopy, front-of-neck access kit checks and emergency airway drills.
Emergency and trauma. Emergency (CEPOD) theatre on the on-call rota, major haemorrhage protocol, rapid infuser and cell salvage set-up.
Equipment. Daily anaesthetic machine checks, fault-finding and escalation to clinical engineering.

Employment history

Senior Operating Department Practitioner (Band 6), Anaesthetics

NHS acute hospital and major trauma centre, Manchester, United Kingdom · July 2020 to present

Assist with anaesthesia for elective and emergency general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics across 12 theatres.
Cover the emergency (CEPOD) theatre on the on-call rota, including night-time trauma and rapid sequence induction.
Check and prepare the anaesthetic machine, airway equipment and monitoring before every list, and escalate faults to clinical engineering.
Set up the rapid infuser and cell salvage during major haemorrhage, working to the hospital’s massive transfusion protocol.
Show new staff how the emergency and difficult airway trolleys are laid out, and help run quarterly airway simulation sessions.
Assist with obstetric anaesthesia, including emergency caesarean sections, when covering the on-call rota.
Support regional anaesthesia, including ultrasound-guided nerve blocks on trauma and orthopaedic lists.

Operating Department Practitioner (Band 5), Rotational

NHS district general hospital, North West England · September 2018 to June 2020

Rotated through anaesthetics, scrub and recovery for day surgery and general surgery lists.
Completed equipment checks and took part in safety briefings and team debriefs.
Assisted the anaesthetist on day surgery, general surgery and gynaecology lists across six theatres.
Scrubbed for minor general and orthopaedic procedures, and cared for patients in first-stage recovery.
Completed preceptorship and anaesthetic competencies within the first 12 months.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice, University of Salford, 2018

Recent professional development

Difficult airway simulation course, 2025
Advanced Life Support (Resuscitation Council UK), current to 2027
Human factors in theatre, 2023
Reading on cultural safety and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in New Zealand health care, 2026

Teaching

Co-run quarterly airway simulation sessions for theatre staff; mentor student ODPs on placement.

Referees

Available on request.

The cover letter

The generic letter

Fictional example of what not to send.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept my application for the role of Anaesthetic Technician. I have extensive NHS experience and I am a highly motivated and adaptable professional. I am confident I could adapt quickly to working in New Zealand.

I have attached my CV for your consideration. I am available ASAP.

Yours faithfully,
Hannah Ellis

The stronger letter

Dear Hiring Team,

I was pleased to see your Anaesthetic Technician vacancy, particularly the mix of acute, obstetric and remote sites. I’m an Operating Department Practitioner in Manchester, and the part of my work I enjoy most is the emergency theatre: getting a room ready quickly and supporting the anaesthetist when the airway isn’t straightforward.

For six years I’ve worked in anaesthetics at a major trauma centre, covering elective lists and the emergency theatre on call. I regularly assist with rapid sequence induction and use the difficult airway trolley, and I help run the department’s quarterly airway simulation sessions. I’d be interested to learn how your team runs its own simulation training.

I’m registered with the Medical Sciences Council as an Anaesthetic Technician, and I understand an initial period of supervised practice may apply. I’d need employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa and have a three-month notice period, so I’d expect to be able to start in the spring.

Kind regards,
Hannah Ellis

Says why this role. It names the service and what drew the candidate to it, so it could only have been written for this vacancy.
Connects experience to the requirements. It picks the two or three things the advert asks for most and shows where the candidate has done them.
Adds context, not a second CV. It explains one example in a little more depth instead of repeating dates and duties.
Is clear about the practical details. Registration, work rights or sponsorship, notice period and realistic timing are stated plainly.
Sounds like a person. Plain, warm sentences in the first person, with no stock phrases an employer has read a hundred times.

Back to the professions

Example 3 of 5

MRI

Sara Mehrabi · Trained in Iran, with a postgraduate MRI qualification. Eleven years in medical imaging, the last seven in hospital MRI. Fictional candidate

The vacancy (illustrative)

MRI Technologist

Where: A provincial public hospital, North Island
Setting: Hospital MRI department with a 1.5 T and a 3 T scanner
Patients: Inpatients, emergency referrals and planned outpatients, adults and children

Essential

Registration with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board in the MRI scope, with an annual practising certificate (or eligibility)
Experience across neuro, musculoskeletal and body MRI
MRI safety screening, including implants and devices
Intravenous cannulation and contrast administration
Participation in the after-hours on-call roster

What the job involves

On-call for urgent inpatient and emergency scans
Scanning patients under general anaesthetic with the anaesthetic team

How to apply

CV and cover letter through the online careers portal.

The same experience, presented two ways

Same candidate, same qualifications, same jobs. Only the clarity, order and evidence change.

Professional profile

Weaker

Experienced radiographer skilled in MRI, CT and X-ray. Proficient in all MRI protocols and able to handle all types of patients.

Stronger

MRI technologist with eleven years in medical imaging, the last seven in a busy hospital MRI department. Scans across neuro, musculoskeletal, body and cardiac protocols on 1.5 T and 3 T systems, leads safety screening for implants and devices, and cannulates and gives contrast. Holds a postgraduate MRI qualification.

Why it helps. “All protocols” is impossible to believe. Naming the body areas, field strengths and safety work is believable and checkable.

Duties and context

Weaker

Performed MRI scans and dealt with patients.

Stronger

Scan 16 to 20 patients a day, including inpatients and emergency referrals, and adjust protocols with the reporting radiologist when a finding needs further sequences.

Why it helps. Throughput, patient mix and working with radiologists show the level she works at.

Most relevant experience first

Weaker

Listed first: general radiography and CT, 2015 to 2019. MRI described in one line at the end.

Stronger

Listed first: hospital MRI, 2019 to present, with safety screening and on-call. General radiography and CT summarised below.

Why it helps. The vacancy is for MRI, so seven years of MRI lead the page.

Titles and abbreviations

Weaker

MRI Tech (Kardan-e Arshad). MRCP, MRA, DWI.

Stronger

MRI Technologist (senior grade), including MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), MR angiography and diffusion-weighted imaging.

Why it helps. A local Persian grade means nothing to the reader; the clinical terms are written out once.

Registration and availability

Weaker

Registered and ready to start immediately.

Stronger

Registered with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board in the MRI scope, with supervised practice required for an initial period. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Two-month notice period.

Why it helps. A supervision condition isn’t something to hide. Stating it lets the employer check straight away whether they can provide it.

Read Sara’s complete CV

Sara Mehrabi

Tehran, Iran · sara@example.com · +[country code] [number]

Professional profile

MRI technologist with eleven years in medical imaging, the last seven in a university hospital MRI department that scans 16 to 20 patients a day on 1.5 T and 3 T systems. I work across neuro, musculoskeletal, body and cardiac protocols, including inpatients and patients under general anaesthetic. I lead implant and device safety screening for the department, cannulate and give contrast, and induct new staff in MRI safety. I moved from general radiography and CT into MRI by completing a part-time postgraduate diploma while working full time. I am looking for a hospital MRI role in New Zealand with a mixed caseload.

Registration and availability

Registered with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board in the MRI scope, with supervised practice required for an initial period. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Two-month notice period.

Clinical expertise

Neuro. Brain, spine, internal auditory meatus, pituitary, stroke and epilepsy protocols, diffusion and perfusion.
Musculoskeletal. Knee, shoulder, hip, wrist and ankle, including arthrography with the radiologist.
Body and cardiac. Liver, MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), pelvis, prostate and MR angiography; cardiac function and late enhancement under supervision of the cardiac radiologist.
Safety. Screening for implants and devices, conditional device protocols with the radiologist, and safety briefings for new staff.

Employment history

MRI Technologist (senior grade)

University teaching hospital, Tehran, Iran · October 2019 to present

Scan 16 to 20 patients a day on 1.5 T and 3 T systems, including inpatients, emergency referrals and patients under general anaesthetic.
Lead safety screening for implants and devices, and stop and escalate to the radiologist when a record leaves a question open.
Cannulate and give gadolinium contrast under the department’s protocol.
Take part in the after-hours on-call rota for urgent inpatient and emergency scans.
Induct new MRI staff on safety zones and screening.
Scan children and adults under general anaesthetic on a weekly list with the anaesthetic team.
Carry out daily quality assurance checks and report image-quality faults to the service engineer.

Radiographer, General Imaging and CT

General hospital, Tehran, Iran · October 2015 to September 2019

General, mobile and theatre radiography, and CT after departmental training.
Worked with emergency and ward teams to prioritise urgent imaging.
CT head, chest, abdomen and pelvis, including contrast studies, on a 64-slice scanner.
Covered days, evenings and weekends on the general imaging rota.
Assisted in MRI one day a week from 2018 while completing the postgraduate diploma.

Qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma in MRI Technology (part-time), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2019
BSc Radiology Technology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2015
IELTS Academic, overall 7.5, 2025

Recent professional development

MRI safety for conditional implants, online course, 2025
Cardiac MRI workshop, 2023
Basic Life Support, current to 2027

Equipment

Siemens 3 T and GE 1.5 T systems, power injectors, MR-conditional monitoring and anaesthetic equipment.

Referees

Available on request.

The cover letter

The generic letter

Fictional example of what not to send.

To whom it may concern,

I am applying for the MRI vacancy at your hospital. I have worked on advanced MRI scanners and I can handle all types of patients and scans. I am a quick learner and a hard worker.

I have attached my CV and certificates. I am registered and ready to start immediately.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sara Mehrabi

The stronger letter

Dear Hiring Team,

I’m proud to have gained registration in the MRI scope, and I’d like to apply for your MRI Technologist role. Your mix of inpatient, emergency and planned work, and scanning patients under general anaesthetic, is very close to my current role in a university hospital in Tehran.

For the past seven years I’ve scanned across neuro, musculoskeletal, body and cardiac protocols on 1.5 T and 3 T systems. I lead safety screening in our department, and when a record leaves a question open about an implant, I stop and take it to the radiologist before we scan. I also cannulate and give contrast, and I’m on our after-hours rota.

My registration includes supervised practice for an initial period. Could you let me know whether your department can provide it for this vacancy? I’d need employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa and have a two-month notice period.

Kind regards,
Sara Mehrabi

Says why this role. It names the service and what drew the candidate to it, so it could only have been written for this vacancy.
Connects experience to the requirements. It picks the two or three things the advert asks for most and shows where the candidate has done them.
Adds context, not a second CV. It explains one example in a little more depth instead of repeating dates and duties.
Is clear about the practical details. Registration, work rights or sponsorship, notice period and realistic timing are stated plainly.
Sounds like a person. Plain, warm sentences in the first person, with no stock phrases an employer has read a hundred times.

Back to the professions

Example 4 of 5

Mental Health Nursing

Amaka Okafor · Trained in Nigeria as a nurse and psychiatric nurse. Eleven years in nursing, the last eight on an adult acute inpatient mental health unit. Fictional candidate

The vacancy (illustrative)

Registered Nurse, Adult Acute Inpatient Mental Health

Where: A public hospital, North Island city
Setting: A 30-bed acute adult inpatient unit
Patients: Adults in acute mental distress, many under compulsory assessment and treatment

Essential

Registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a registered nurse, with an annual practising certificate (or eligibility)
Experience in acute adult mental health nursing
Risk assessment, de-escalation and safety planning
Working with whānau and community teams on discharge
Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to reducing inequity for Māori

What the job involves

Rotating roster including nights
Working within mental health legislation and least-restrictive practice

How to apply

CV and cover letter through the online careers portal.

The same experience, presented two ways

Same candidate, same qualifications, same jobs. Only the clarity, order and evidence change.

Professional profile

Weaker

Compassionate and passionate nurse who loves helping people. Can work with challenging patients in any unit.

Stronger

Registered nurse with a post-basic qualification in psychiatric nursing and eight years on an adult acute inpatient unit. Experienced in admission assessment, risk and safety planning, verbal de-escalation and discharge planning with families and community teams.

Why it helps. “Challenging patients” can read as dismissive in mental health. The stronger profile describes the work in the language the service uses.

Duties and context

Weaker

Provided holistic care, administered medication and handled crises.

Stronger

Complete nursing admission assessments, contribute to risk and safety plans with the multidisciplinary team, and use verbal de-escalation as the first response to escalating distress.

Why it helps. “Handled crises” leaves the reader guessing. The detail shows a least-restrictive approach, which the vacancy asks for.

Most relevant experience first

Weaker

Listed first: three years on an adult medical ward. Mental health experience follows.

Stronger

Listed first: eight years in acute inpatient mental health, including shift coordination. The medical ward role is summarised below.

Why it helps. The vacancy is for acute mental health, so that experience leads.

Titles and abbreviations

Weaker

Nursing Officer I, FNPH. RN/RPN.

Stronger

Senior Nursing Officer (a senior staff nurse grade) in a specialist psychiatric hospital. Registered nurse and registered psychiatric nurse in Nigeria.

Why it helps. The grade is explained, and the hospital is described instead of abbreviated.

Registration and availability

Weaker

Registered nurse. Available now.

Stronger

Registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a registered nurse. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Six-week notice period.

Why it helps. Naming the registering body and the visa route answers two of the employer’s first questions.

Read Amaka’s complete CV

Amaka Okafor

Lagos, Nigeria · amaka@example.com · +[country code] [number]

Professional profile

Registered nurse with a post-basic qualification in psychiatric nursing and eight years on a 28-bed adult acute inpatient mental health unit, where I coordinate the shift two to three times a week. My practice centres on admission assessment, risk and safety planning, and verbal de-escalation before any restrictive approach. I involve families and support people with the patient’s agreement, and plan discharge with community teams. I precept newly qualified nurses through their first six months. I am looking for a registered nurse role in acute adult mental health in New Zealand, in a service that works in a least-restrictive way.

Registration and availability

Registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a registered nurse. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Six-week notice period.

Clinical expertise

Assessment and risk. Nursing admission assessment, mental state examination, risk assessment and safety planning with the team.
Least-restrictive care. Verbal de-escalation, sensory and environmental approaches, and post-incident debriefs with the patient and staff.
Medicines. Administering oral and depot medication, monitoring side effects, and supporting people to understand their treatment.
Families and discharge. Involving families and support people with the patient’s agreement, and handing over to community teams.

Employment history

Senior Nursing Officer, Adult Acute Inpatient Unit

Specialist psychiatric hospital, Lagos, Nigeria · September 2018 to present

Nurse on a 28-bed adult acute unit, caring for a group of five to eight patients a shift, many receiving compulsory treatment.
Coordinate the shift two to three times a week: allocating staff, leading handover and liaising with the duty doctor.
Complete admission assessments and contribute to risk and safety plans at the weekly multidisciplinary review.
Use verbal de-escalation first, and take part in post-incident debriefs with patients and staff.
Plan discharge with families and community nurses, including medication education and follow-up appointments.
Give oral and depot medication, monitor for side effects, and explain treatment to patients and families.
Precept newly qualified nurses through their first six months on the unit.

Nursing Officer, Adult Medical Ward

General hospital, Lagos, Nigeria · August 2015 to August 2018

Nursed adults with acute and long-term medical conditions, including observations, escalation of deterioration and medication.
Cared for six to eight adults a shift on a 30-bed medical ward, including people with diabetes, stroke and infections.
Recognised and escalated deteriorating patients using the ward’s early warning chart.
Supervised student nurses on placement.

Qualifications

Post-basic Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing, Nigeria, 2018
Bachelor of Nursing Science, Nigeria, 2015

Recent professional development

Trauma-informed care, 2025
Prevention and management of aggression, annual update, 2026
Basic Life Support, current to 2027
Reading on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori models of health, including Te Whare Tapa Whā, 2026

Leadership

Regular shift coordinator; preceptor for newly qualified nurses on the unit.

Referees

Available on request.

The cover letter

The generic letter

Fictional example of what not to send.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to apply for the position of Registered Nurse. I am a compassionate nurse who is passionate about helping everyone. I can work with challenging patients and I can work in any unit.

I have many years of experience and I am ready to relocate to New Zealand. Please find my CV attached.

Yours faithfully,
Amaka Okafor

The stronger letter

Dear Hiring Team,

The first conversation on an acute mental health ward can shape how the rest of an admission goes. It’s the part of nursing I care most about, and it’s what drew me to your registered nurse role on the adult inpatient unit.

For eight years I’ve worked on a 28-bed acute unit in Lagos. When someone arrives distressed, I explain what will happen next, ask what usually helps them feel safer, and make sure that’s in the handover so the next nurse can build on it. I coordinate the shift two or three times a week, and I use verbal de-escalation as my first response.

I was glad to see that your unit plans discharge with whānau and community teams. I’d like to learn how your service puts Te Tiriti o Waitangi into practice, and I’ve been reading about Te Whare Tapa Whā to start.

I’m registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. I’d need employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa and have a six-week notice period.

Kind regards,
Amaka Okafor

Says why this role. It names the service and what drew the candidate to it, so it could only have been written for this vacancy.
Connects experience to the requirements. It picks the two or three things the advert asks for most and shows where the candidate has done them.
Adds context, not a second CV. It explains one example in a little more depth instead of repeating dates and duties.
Is clear about the practical details. Registration, work rights or sponsorship, notice period and realistic timing are stated plainly.
Sounds like a person. Plain, warm sentences in the first person, with no stock phrases an employer has read a hundred times.

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Example 5 of 5

Occupational Therapy

Niamh O’Sullivan · Trained in Ireland. Nine years in occupational therapy, the last five as a senior occupational therapist in a community rehabilitation team. Fictional candidate

The vacancy (illustrative)

Occupational Therapist, Community Rehabilitation

Where: A district health service, rural and town caseload
Setting: Community rehabilitation team, working mostly in people’s homes
Patients: Adults after a hospital stay, older people and people with neurological conditions

Essential

Registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand and an annual practising certificate (or eligibility)
Experience of home assessments, equipment and minor housing modifications
A full driver licence and willingness to travel across the district
Experience working with hospital teams on discharge
Ability to work in partnership with Māori health providers and whānau

What the job involves

Rural travel, sometimes over an hour each way
Shared caseload with physiotherapy and nursing

How to apply

CV and cover letter through the online careers portal.

The same experience, presented two ways

Same candidate, same qualifications, same jobs. Only the clarity, order and evidence change.

Professional profile

Weaker

Enthusiastic OT looking for a new challenge abroad. Excellent transferable skills and open to any occupational therapy role.

Stronger

Senior occupational therapist with nine years’ experience, the last five in a community rehabilitation team covering a mixed town and rural area. Experienced in home assessments, equipment and minor adaptations, and follow-up after hospital discharge. Supervises staff-grade therapists and students.

Why it helps. “Open to any role” suggests she hasn’t read this one. The stronger profile matches the community and rural focus of the vacancy.

Duties and context

Weaker

Conducted assessments, prescribed equipment and supported discharge.

Stronger

Assess transfers, daily routines and access in people’s homes within days of discharge, agree goals based on what matters to the person, and trial equipment and adaptations before recommending them.

Why it helps. Setting, timing and the way she works are all visible.

Most relevant experience first

Weaker

Listed first: hand therapy clinic placement as a student. Community work described last.

Stronger

Listed first: five years in community rehabilitation, with home visits across a rural catchment. Inpatient rehabilitation follows.

Why it helps. The most recent and most relevant work leads; student placements can usually go.

Titles and abbreviations

Weaker

Senior OT (HSE), PCCC, CIT, ADLs.

Stronger

Senior Occupational Therapist with the Health Service Executive (Ireland’s public health service), community rehabilitation and the community intervention team, focusing on activities of daily living.

Why it helps. Irish service abbreviations are written out once so a reader in another country can follow them.

Registration and availability

Weaker

CORU registered. Can start any time.

Stronger

Registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Full clean driver licence. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. One-month notice period.

Why it helps. Her Irish registration (CORU) still belongs on the CV, but the employer needs the destination registration first, and the driver licence is essential for this role.

Read Niamh’s complete CV

Niamh O’Sullivan

Cork, Ireland · niamh@example.com · +[country code] [number]

Professional profile

Senior occupational therapist with nine years’ experience, the last five in a community rehabilitation team covering a town and rural area of County Cork. I see people at home, usually within a week of discharge, and build rehabilitation around their own routines: transfers, washing, cooking and getting out of the house. I prescribe and review equipment and minor adaptations, and I am used to working alone across a wide rural area. I supervise two staff-grade occupational therapists and act as practice educator for students. I am looking for a community occupational therapy role in New Zealand, and I am open to regional areas.

Registration and availability

Registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand. Will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. Full clean driver licence. Needs employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. One-month notice period.

Clinical expertise

Home and environment. Home assessments, access and transfers, minor adaptations, and recommendations for larger housing changes.
Equipment. Trial, prescription and review of daily living and mobility equipment, including bathing and seating.
Rehabilitation. Goal-based rehabilitation for older people and adults with stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and falls prevention.
Supervision. Professional supervision for two staff-grade occupational therapists, and practice educator for students.

Employment history

Senior Occupational Therapist, Community Rehabilitation

Health Service Executive (Ireland’s public health service), County Cork, Ireland · September 2021 to present

Manage a caseload of around 25 adults across a town and rural catchment, mostly seen at home within a week of discharge.
Assess transfers, daily routines and access, and agree goals based on what matters to the person and their family.
Trial equipment and minor adaptations, and review at follow-up whether they work in the person’s routine.
Work with the hospital discharge team, the public health nurse and GPs to plan support at home.
Supervise two staff-grade occupational therapists and act as practice educator for students.
Run a monthly falls-prevention session with the team physiotherapist at a community centre.

Occupational Therapist, Inpatient Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation hospital, Dublin, Ireland · September 2017 to August 2021

Assessed daily living skills and planned rehabilitation with adults recovering from stroke, brain injury and orthopaedic surgery.
Contributed to discharge meetings and made equipment and home-visit recommendations.
Carried a caseload of 10 to 12 inpatients on a 40-bed rehabilitation unit.
Assessed cognition and perception using standardised assessments, and reported findings at the weekly team meeting.
Ran a weekly upper-limb group and a kitchen assessment session.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, University College Cork, 2017

Recent professional development

Falls prevention in the community, 2025
Seating and positioning, 2024
Practice educator training, 2022
Reading on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working with Māori health providers, 2026

Registration in Ireland

CORU (Ireland’s health and social care regulator), registered occupational therapist.

Referees

Available on request.

The cover letter

The generic letter

Fictional example of what not to send.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my interest in the Occupational Therapist position. I am looking for a new challenge abroad and I have excellent transferable skills. I am open to any OT role in New Zealand.

I have attached my CV. I can start any time.

Kind regards,
Niamh O’Sullivan

The stronger letter

Dear Hiring Team,

I’ve wanted to live and work in New Zealand for years, and now that I’m registered I’m ready to make the move. Your community rehabilitation role stood out because it combines home visits with follow-up after discharge across a rural district, which is exactly the work I do now in County Cork.

On a recent visit, a client told me the first thing they wanted to do for themselves again was make breakfast. We went through their routine in the kitchen, tried a few changes, and they chose what to practise before I came back. That’s the kind of work I enjoy most.

I’d like to learn how your team works with local Māori health providers, and how you make follow-up practical for people living a long way from town.

I’m registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand and will apply for an annual practising certificate once an offer is confirmed. I have a full clean driver licence, would need employer support for an Accredited Employer Work Visa, and have a one-month notice period.

Kind regards,
Niamh O’Sullivan

Says why this role. It names the service and what drew the candidate to it, so it could only have been written for this vacancy.
Connects experience to the requirements. It picks the two or three things the advert asks for most and shows where the candidate has done them.
Adds context, not a second CV. It explains one example in a little more depth instead of repeating dates and duties.
Is clear about the practical details. Registration, work rights or sponsorship, notice period and realistic timing are stated plainly.
Sounds like a person. Plain, warm sentences in the first person, with no stock phrases an employer has read a hundred times.

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Tailoring

One candidate, two vacancies

Sara applies for two MRI roles in the same month. Her facts don’t change: the same seven years of MRI, the same qualifications, the same dates. What changes is what she puts first.

Vacancy A

A hospital MRI department

Inpatients, emergency referrals, scanning under general anaesthetic, after-hours on-call.

Vacancy B

A community imaging clinic

Planned outpatients, mostly musculoskeletal and sports injuries, a high daily list and a strong focus on patient experience.

Profile, first sentence

For vacancy A

MRI technologist with seven years in a busy hospital department, scanning inpatients, emergency referrals and patients under general anaesthetic.

For vacancy B

MRI technologist with seven years’ experience, including high-volume musculoskeletal lists and a focus on helping anxious patients through their scan.

Expertise, in this order

For vacancy A

Neuro and stroke · Body and MRCP · Safety screening for implants and devices · Cardiac

For vacancy B

Musculoskeletal and sports · Neuro and spine · Patient experience and anxious patients · Safety screening

First role bullet

For vacancy A

Take part in the after-hours on-call rota for urgent inpatient and emergency scans, including patients under general anaesthetic.

For vacancy B

Scan 16 to 20 patients a day, keeping lists on time while explaining each scan and agreeing how patients will let me know if they need to stop.

Cover letter, opening line

For vacancy A

Your mix of inpatient, emergency and planned work, and scanning patients under general anaesthetic, is very close to my current role.

For vacancy B

I’d like more outpatient musculoskeletal work, and your clinic’s focus on patients’ experience of their scan is something I care about too.

The facts stay the same. Everything in both versions is true and appears in her full CV. Only the order and emphasis change to match each vacancy.

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Before you send it

Check your application against the vacancy

Open the advert you’re applying for and answer these honestly.

What are its three main requirements?
Where does my CV give evidence of each, on the first page?
Does my cover letter explain why I want this particular job?
Are my registration, any conditions, my work rights and my availability clear?
Have I followed the employer’s instructions, including any selection criteria or page limits?

Build my CV Check the CV I have See roles in New Zealand

More about applying

What employers in New Zealand expect

A CV of two to four pages and a cover letter of up to a page, unless the advert says otherwise. Public hospitals usually take applications through an online careers portal.
Leave out your photo, date of birth, marital status and passport number. Include your current city and country, an email address and a phone number with the country code.
Put your New Zealand registration and practising certificate status near the top, and say plainly whether you’ll need employer support for a work visa.
Many roles ask how you’d support Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equitable care for Māori. Say what you’ve learned and how it connects to your practice, in your own words.

Sources: Careers New Zealand: writing a CV · Immigration New Zealand: what working in New Zealand is like

Tone: professional, warm and direct

Use the name in the advert, or “Dear Hiring Team”. If a recruiter signs their reply with a first name, it’s fine to use it.
“Respected Sir” and “I humbly request” can read as more formal than you mean.
Write in the first person. Use “I” for what you did and “we” where the work was shared.
Show how you raise concerns and escalate: “I paused the scan and raised it with the radiologist” says more than “I always follow instructions”.

Common mistakes

Sending the same letter to every employer.
Using the cover letter as a second CV.
Leaving the reader to decode local job titles, grades and abbreviations.
Writing “registered” or “available immediately” without the details.
A culture paragraph that could have come from any template.
Missing a required document, criterion or deadline.

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