How to Write a CV in South Africa

A CV (curriculum vitae) is a short summary of who you are, what you can do, and what you have done. In South Africa, a CV is usually 2 pages. If you are applying for an entry-level or general worker role, one page is enough and often better, because hiring managers can read it in seconds.

Keep it tight. A recruiter spends six to ten seconds on a first scan. Every line must earn its place. Do not pad it out with clip art, photos of yourself, or long paragraphs.

Put these sections in this order:

• Personal details - full name, city, cell number and email. You do not need to include your ID number, race, religion or a photo. South African employers may not require them, and leaving them off protects you.
• Personal summary - two or three lines saying who you are and what you are looking for. Example: "Reliable general worker with 3 years' warehouse experience, valid Code 10 licence, available immediately in Johannesburg."
• Work experience - most recent job first. For each: job title, company, city, dates, and 2-4 bullet points of what you did and achieved.
• Education - your highest qualification first (matric, certificate, diploma or degree), the institution, and the year.
• Skills - languages spoken, computer skills, driver's licence and code, machinery or tickets (forklift, first aid).
• References - two people who can vouch for you, with their name, relationship and phone number. "Available on request" is also fine.

Do not just list your duties. Show what you achieved. Start each bullet with an action word and add a number wherever you can.

• Weak: "Responsible for the till."
• Strong: "Handled cash and card payments of up to R40,000 a day with zero shortages over 18 months."

More action words to use: managed, built, trained, sold, repaired, delivered, reduced, increased, served. Numbers make you believable: how many customers, how much stock, how many deliveries, how few mistakes.

Everyone starts somewhere. If you have never had a formal job, fill the experience gap with anything that shows you are reliable and capable:

• School leadership, sports teams or committees
• Volunteering, church or community work
• Informal work: helping in a family business, gardening, hair, repairs, selling
• Learnerships, internships or short courses
• Your matric subjects and results

Lead with your personal summary and skills instead of experience. See our full guide on getting a job with no experience.

• Spelling and grammar errors. Read it twice, then ask someone else to read it. Use a free spellchecker.
• Wrong contact number. If your number is wrong, you will never get the call. Double-check it.
• A long, generic CV sent to every job unchanged. Tailor your summary to each role.
• A silly email address. Make a free, professional one: firstname.lastname@gmail.com.
• Lying. Employers check. One false claim can cost you the job even after you start.
• No file name. Save it as "Name Surname CV.pdf", not "Document1.pdf".

Copy this structure into a free tool like Google Docs or Microsoft Word and fill in your details:

• [Your Full Name]
• City | Cell number | Email
• Summary: [2-3 lines: who you are, key skill, availability]
• Work experience: [Job title], [Company], [City], [dates] - 3 bullets each
• Education: [Qualification], [Institution], [Year]
• Skills: [Languages, computer skills, licence, tickets]
• References: [Name, relationship, phone] x2

Save as a PDF before you send it, so the layout never breaks on the employer's device. Then put it to work on our latest jobs across South Africa.