How to write a South African CV

Employers decide who to interview from the CVs they receive, so your CV has one job: to show quickly that you fit the post. The Department of Employment and Labour suggests a clear order, and the government’s CV guide gives three rules: keep it short, make it fit the job, and proofread it.

What to put in, in this order

1. Your name and contact details: phone number, email address and the area where you live.
2. A career goal: two or three sentences, in your own words, about the work you want and what you bring. Don’t copy one from the internet.
3. Education and qualifications: your highest first. Include your matric subjects if you have little else, and any courses or certificates.
4. Languages: which languages you speak, read and write, and how well.
5. Skills: computer skills and other skills you really have. Employers can ask you for an example of each in the interview.
6. Work experience: each job with the employer, your role, the dates and what you did. Part-time jobs and volunteer work count.
7. Positions of responsibility and awards: such as prefect, team captain, club secretary or a school award.
8. References: two or three people who know your work or character, with their phone numbers and how they know you.

Official guides also list personal details such as your ID number, date of birth and marital status. Add these only when the employer asks for them: a CV passes through many hands, and scammers collect ID numbers. Government posts ask for your ID number on the Z83 form instead.

If you have no work experience

Just finished Grade 12 (matric)? You still have things an employer wants to see. Use:

• school and community activities: leadership roles, sport, clubs, church or youth groups,
• volunteer work and informal jobs: helping at a crèche, tutoring, a family business, selling at events,
• projects: a school project, something you built or organised,
• short courses: computer, first aid or free online courses, if they relate to the job.

For each one, write what you did and what it shows, such as being reliable, working with money or leading a team. Write about what you can do, not “no experience”.

Make it fit each job

Read the advert and list what it asks for. Then change your CV so the skills and experience that match come first. The government advises changing your CV for each job rather than sending the same one everywhere.

Keep it neat and short

• Type it if you can, or write neatly in block letters.
• Use one simple font and clear headings. Avoid colours and pictures that make it hard to read.
• Check spelling and grammar, then check again. Ask someone you trust to read it too.
• A photo is optional.
• Save it as a PDF when you send it by email, and keep a few printed copies for interviews.

References

Ask each person before you list them, so they know a call may come. Check their contact details are still correct before you apply.

A simple outline

Our free CV maker builds this outline for you as you type, and saves your CV as a PDF or Word file. Or copy the outline into a blank document:

Name Surname Phone · Email · Area

Career goal Two or three sentences.

Education Qualification, institution, year. Matric subjects if relevant.

Languages Language: speak, read, write (good, fair).

Skills Skills that match the advert.

Work experience Role, employer, from and to dates. Two or three lines on what you did.

Positions of responsibility and awards

References Name, relationship, phone number.

Send it with a cover letter

The government advises sending a short cover letter with your CV. See how to write a cover letter. For government posts, send your CV with the Z83: the DPSA asks for a detailed CV with every application. Our Z83 checklist covers both.

Stay safe

No person may charge you a fee for employment services, the Department of Employment and Labour says. Don’t pay anyone to “submit” your CV or to guarantee you a job. You can also register your CV for free on ESSA.