CVs, LinkedIn, job search and career transition
Hiring has changed. Most CVs haven't.
The hiring landscape is moving fast. What gets someone hired hasn't - relevance, evidence of achievement and impact, and a clear reason to believe you can do the job. Most CVs still don't deliver that.
Services
All servicesCVs & Cover Letters
It's time to move on from generic profiles, personal statements and responsibility lists.
Evidence-led CVs and cover letters that show capability, impact and fit, built on what recruiters and hiring managers actually look for.
Learn moreLinkedIn Profiles
Your LinkedIn profile isn't an online CV. It's a shop window.
A clear, consistent professional story that builds visibility and credibility in a skills-based hiring market.
Learn moreJob Search Review
Know what you want but not sure how to get there?
Practical strategies to find and pursue opportunities that match your strengths, and to engage the people who decide.
Learn more with StellarCareersCareer Transition
Sunday night blues? Not sure what's next? Lacking confidence?
A structured career transition programme for senior professionals and executives, delivered with Peter de Boer through StellarCareers.
Learn moreHow it works
Five steps, starting with a conversation.
- 01
Are you on the right track?
Every project starts with a conversation - phone, online or over coffee. We talk about what's happening, where you're trying to go and what you need help with. If I'm the right person to help, we confirm scope, timing and cost before we start.
- 02
A deep-dive conversation about your work
For many people this is a first. An opportunity to tell all, to start mapping out what you've done, why it matters, and what it means for your target audience.
- 03
Clarifying your proposition
Unclutter the mind. Create an objective sense of your own value through the emotion, bias and confusion that often gets in the way.
- 04
Turning it into documents
A CV built from a job ad sounds like everyone else's. Yours is built with the audience in mind - what recruiters really look for, and how to make their job easier.
- 05
Engaging your audience
Sending a CV is only one part of the job search. Who to call, what to ask, how to engage. I know how recruiters and hiring managers operate, and I share that with you.

About
Ben Shaw
I’ve spent 20 years in and around recruitment - UK manufacturing first, then New Zealand government - and since 2011 I’ve worked with clients from every industry to help them get ahead in the job market.
What I bring is a recruiter’s eye: what gets read, what gets skipped, and what makes a hiring manager pick up the phone.
Related ventures
What clients say
All client feedbackOutstanding and highly recommended! Ben has an incredible gift for asking the right questions and distilling the essence of your professional experience into a compelling CV. What amazed me most was how clearly I saw myself in the final version. Ben is really well networked in the NZ recruitment industry and was able to personally introduce me to multiple recruiters. With only a couple of years of NZ experience and where network is everything, this package is exactly what I needed. Ben’s a blast!
Ben was brilliant to deal with, from the initial meeting and discussion through to the final product. His knowledge of hiring and shortlisting was a real asset. The CV Ben produced sold me better than I could have dreamed, it was tailored perfectly to the role I was after. I thoroughly recommend Ben and his work.
Hi Ben, I wanted to share some good news - thanks to your help, I’ve received an offer! - a 9 month contract with AIA New Zealand as the Marketing Specialist working on marketing automation… Also I met Rhys today, and he’s absolutely brilliant! One of the most professional recruiters I’ve encountered over the years - across the UK, China, and Hong Kong… I wouldn’t have received the offer or met Rhys without your help - thank you again!
I was introduced to Ben by a colleague who said “Since Ben re-wrote my CV I’ve had an interview for every job I’ve applied for.” Trying to articulate my experience given my brain logic was pretty painful (I think) for Ben to get to grips with. He did amazingly. I was looking for a significant step up and a new sector to move into. My investment in Ben’s skills paid out. It was the best investment I could have made. I asked the interviewers why they selected me and one DCE said “I liked the short succinct CV.” Top job Ben. I’m loving the new role and value all your energy trying to fathom out what my skill sets were.
Recruiters I work with
Ready to make your next move?
Whether you're preparing for change or responding to it, let's make sure your next application lands for all the right reasons.





