Ready to step up?

Learn about GovTechTalent’s hiring process plus some tips and tricks to help you along the way.

Hiring Process

The Department of Internal Affairs has partnered with Student Job Search to help step you through the recruitment process, so you can be sure you will be well supported throughout this journey. We’re interested in you as a person and how you can apply your unique personality, skills, experiences and training to benefit New Zealand’s government. 

  • 1. Online Application

    To apply simply follow the steps to complete the online application. Include a copy of your CV and academic transcript (unofficial transcripts will be accepted).

    Applications close at 11:59pm, Sunday, 30 July 2023.

  • 2. Video Introduction

    You’ll receive an email invitation to complete a video introduction. You will answer some pre-recorded questions to camera. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you better.

  • 3. Online Assessment

    You’ll receive an email inviting you to complete an online cognitive assessment. This is a series of short assessments that will test your literacy, numeracy and abstract reasoning skills.

  • 4. Panel Interview

    Interviews will take place at an assessment centre with multiple participating agency representatives in attendance. These are expected to take place the week of 28 August 2023. We’ll confirm times and dates with as much notice as possible to shortlisted candidates.

  • 5. Personality Assessment

    You‘ll be invited to complete an online personality assessment. This assessment gives us insight into your personality style, preferences and strengths.

  • 6. Offers - by 29 September 2023

    Post reference checks, successful graduates will receive their official letter of offer by the end of September. Congratulations!

Keep reading below or see our FAQs for more info and tips on the these steps.

 
 

CV Tips

Kiwis are not known for shouting about their achievements – this is one time it is all about YOU. Don't be shy! Here’s our advice on how to nail your CV. You’ll also find a few resources for creating a relevant and attractive CV that’ll help get your foot in the door.

What to include

  • Clear contact information is essential. We need to know who you are and how to contact you. You should include:

    • Your first and last name

    • Email address

    • Mobile number

    • LinkedIn profile link (if you have one)

    Double check your details are correct and there are no typos!

    This is a good time to check if you have your voicemail set up and that it’s clear and professional. It’s also a good time to swap out that slightly embarrassing email address that you created when you were nine.

  • This section is an opportunity to show us what you’re looking for and what your key skills and attributes are. Think of it as your written ‘elevator pitch’. It should be a succinct summary of you and why you’d be a great fit for the programme.

  • List your work experience, starting with your most recent position. This section can include jobs, internships, and volunteer work.

    Start with:

    • The company name.

    • Your position title.

    • When you were employed there.

    For each role, include a summary of what tasks you undertook and any accomplishments or skills you developed while in the role. If you have any metrics to give us an even clearer idea of what you did in this role, that’s great.

    Example

    Checkout operator
    Countdown Supermarket, Pukekohe South
    June 2019 - August 2020

    Day-to-day tasks included operating the checkout, packing groceries, balancing the till and answering customer queries.

    I regularly served over 100 customers each day.
    I was responsible for organising the staff breaks rotation.

    Key skills required were friendly customer service, great time management and the ability to remain calm in a busy environment.

    What if I don't have any work experience?

    If you don’t have any previous work experience, don’t worry! You can include your involvement with clubs, sports teams, community groups or other extracurricular activities that may have given you skills that are transferrable to a paid work environment, like leadership experience, collaboration skills, planning skills etc. 

    Example: 

    Marist Rugby Club 

    As well as playing, I helped coach our youngest teams. 

    I was responsible for organising our annual fundraising initiatives. This included organising sessions to brainstorm ideas from the players and present these to seniors in the club. 

    I sold the most raffle tickets for the last two years. 

  • Include any special skills that relate to the job you're applying for, like software experience, language skills, or experience gained from non-work activities.

    Example

    Microsoft Office Suite
    Google Analytics
    Beginners level Mandarin
    Full Driver’s Licence
    Strong written and verbal communication

  • List your education and qualifications, starting with the most recent. You should include your current course of study too.

    Include:

    • Your qualification.

    • The name and location of the institution or school you studied at.

    • The years you attended, or your expected graduation date.

    • You can include your high school education if it's still recent and relevant.

    Example

    Bachelor of Design
    Massey University, Wellington
    Graduated: 2022

How to present your CV

  • It’s OK if your CV is only one page. For students and people with limited work experience this is common. As you get more experience, two or three pages is typical.

    Remember, the point of a CV is to get you an interview – so only include the stuff that’s relevant to the job at hand!

    Here are some tips on writing about relevant skills.

  • Make it easy for us to pick up on your key points. You will stand out from the crowd if your CV is snappy and to-the-point.

    Read more about using plain language here.

  • Another way to help us to easily digest your CV is to be smart with your layout. Use bold headings to clearly mark each section and consider where bullet points or tables are a better way to present your skills or work experience.

  • If there’s one time to make sure your spelling and grammar are on point, it’s when you’re writing your CV. Writing isn’t everyone’s strength; luckily there are loads of online writing assistants like Grammarly. You can install it on your computer to proofread as you write or upload the document when you’re done. It’s a good idea to make sure it’s set to New Zealand English (not US English) first.

  • Read up on the various pathways available in the programme and familiarise yourself with the type of skills we’re looking for. Use this as a starting point for your CV to make sure it’s as relevant to the programme as possible.

Other considerations

  • It’s a good idea to ask a good friend or family member to review your CV. They will want to see you succeed and may see you differently to how you see yourself, and spot some experience or skills that you could add in.

  • It’s common for employers to look at prospective future employee's social media accounts. What do your social media profiles say about you? If there’s anything that might negatively impact your chances of getting an interview, consider removing it.

  • It’s less common to include a photo these days. If you do choose to, make sure it’s recent and professional.

  • As part of you GovTechTalent application, instead of a cover letter you'll be asked to complete a ‘video introduction’, which involves videoing yourself answering a few questions. Get tips on nailing your video introduction here.

  • Careers New Zealand has some great resources and examples to get you started. Check out these for some more inspiration and guidance.

    CV builder helps you create your CV step-by-step.

    CV templates will give you ideas on structure, layout and wording.

Nailing your video introduction

If your online application in successful, we’ll send you a link to answer a couple of questions via a video introduction. Talking to a camera can be daunting. But don’t worry - that’s normal. Watch this video to find out how to give yourself the best chance of nailing your video introduction.

 

Interview Tips

What may be discussed during your interview and how to prepare.

  • Practice the STAR Technique

    The STAR technique is a great way to answer questions during an interview.

    Situation: What was the situation? Where were you working or where did this example take place?

    Task: What was your role / job? What were you responsible for doing? (If you were working as part of a team, be sure to be clear about what your specific responsibility was as part of that team.)

    Action: How did you get done what you needed to get done? What did you think about, who did you work with, what actions did you take? This is where we picture how you work and how you’ll operate in our team so don’t skimp here!

    Result: What was the end result? Did you complete what you set out to do? If not, why and what did you learn?

  • Prepare Examples

    Think of some real-life situations where you’ve exhibited some of the competencies we’re looking for (you can look at the job advertisement to determine what those competencies are). Feel free to use examples from any part of your life that you feel comfortable sharing at interview, such as formal work, sports teams, church, volunteering, student government, etc.

  • Do your research

    Great candidates do their research. Come prepared with some insightful questions about the programme, or the agencies that you may be working for.

  • Ask questions

    We want you to succeed. If at any point in the interview something doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification.

  • Dress for the role

    First impressions count, so make sure to wear clean, smart clothes to show the interviewers you mean business!

  • Be organised

    Make the most out of your interview by being organised and efficient with your time. Make sure you know where you're going, who you’re meeting and how you’re going to get there. Always aim to arrive a few minutes early.