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Orchard Worker CV example

Orchard managers want to know which crops you've worked, which jobs through the year you can do, and whether you'll be there for the whole season. This orchard worker CV example shows all three, and how seasonal work builds towards a team leader role.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

Free. Then compare it with a real Orchard Worker job ad.

The example

A Orchard Worker CV, start to finish.

Jomar Bautista is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Jomar Bautista

Orchard Team Leader, kiwifruit

Te Puke · 021 555 0238 · jomar.bautista@email.com

Profile

Orchard worker with five years in Te Puke kiwifruit orchards, through picking, thinning, winter pruning and pollination. Now leading a picking gang of 12 at harvest, keeping fruit quality and pace up together. Working towards an orchard supervisor role.

Skills

Kiwifruit harvesting · Winter and summer pruning · Fruit thinning · Leading a picking gang · Fruit quality checks · Tractor and bin trailer · Hazard reporting · Training new pickers

Experience

Orchard Team Leader, Kaimai Kiwifruit Orchards

Te Puke · 2024 to now

  • Lead a picking gang of 12 through harvest, filling up to 70 bins a day across three orchard blocks
  • Check picked fruit for damage and size before each bin leaves the row, bringing packhouse rejects down by about a third over one season
  • Train each new picker on bag handling, fruit care and orchard safety on their first day
  • Run the gang's morning safety briefing and report hazards such as damaged posts and wet ground
  • Plan the day's rows with the orchard manager to keep bins moving to the packhouse on time

Orchard Worker, Rangiuru Orchard Services

Te Puke · 2021 to 2024

  • Picked kiwifruit at harvest, regularly among the top five pickers on the crew for bins per day
  • Winter-pruned gold and green kiwifruit canopies to the manager's cane count on each block
  • Thinned fruit and tied down canes through spring and summer
  • Drove the tractor and bin trailer between rows and the loading area

Education

New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Fruit Production) (Level 3), Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

2023

Other details

Availability
Full season, including weekends at harvest
Driver's licence
Full

Referees

Available on request

Jomar wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the orchard worker cover letter

Skills and keywords

What orchard worker job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Kiwifruit or pipfruitName the crops you've worked. Picking kiwifruit and picking apples are different skills.
  • PruningWinter pruning is skilled work that keeps people employed all year. Say you can do it.
  • ThinningShows you've worked more than one part of the season.
  • Bins per dayA number for your picking rate, or your gang's, tells a manager your pace.
  • Fruit qualityPackhouses reject damaged fruit. Show you pick and check with care.
  • Team leaderLeading a gang, training pickers and planning rows is the step to supervisor. Say how many people.
  • Health and safetyOrchards have tractors, ladders and sprays. Show you follow the rules and report hazards.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Led a picking gang of 12 through harvest, filling up to 70 bins a day
  2. 2Checked picked fruit before each bin left the row, bringing packhouse rejects down by about a third
  3. 3Trained new pickers on bag handling, fruit care and orchard safety on their first day
  4. 4Ran morning safety briefings and reported hazards to the orchard manager
  5. 5Regularly finished among the top five pickers on the crew for bins per day
  6. 6Winter-pruned gold and green kiwifruit canopies to the manager's cane count
  7. 7Thinned fruit and tied down canes through spring and summer
  8. 8Drove the tractor and bin trailer between rows and the loading area
  9. 9Came back every season since 2021 and was asked to lead a gang in 2024

Common mistakes

What costs orchard worker CVs interviews.

  • Writing "seasonal work" and nothing more.

    Name the crop, the jobs through the year and the orchard. Picking, thinning and pruning are different skills.

  • Leaving out the seasons you came back.

    Being asked back every year is the best proof you're reliable. Say how many seasons.

  • Hiding a leadership step because it was only for harvest.

    Leading a gang, even for a few months, is real supervision. Put numbers on it.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

If you apply sprays or other agrichemicals, a GROWSAFE certificate shows you've been trained; which one you need depends on what you use, how you apply it and your role.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Australian orchards hire for harvest and pruning too, so list each crop and the months you worked it to show when you're available. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: GROWSAFE: certificates.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Should I list each season as a separate job?

No. If you worked for the same orchard or contractor every year, put it as one job with the full date range and say how many seasons.

How do I move from orchard worker to supervisor?

Ask to lead a gang, learn pruning well and do a horticulture certificate. Then put each of those on your CV with numbers.

Do I need a driver's licence?

It helps, because many orchards are outside town and early starts are common. Say if you can drive a tractor or forklift too.

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