How to Write a Winning CV for South African Employers
Your CV is your first impression with potential employers. In South Africa's competitive job market, having a well-structured, professional CV can make the difference between getting an interview or being overlooked. Here's everything you need to know.
Essential CV Components
1. Personal Details
Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, and location (city/province). Avoid including your ID number, full address, or marital status unless specifically requested.
✓ Good Example:
John Doe
+27 82 123 4567
john.doe@email.com
Johannesburg, Gauteng
2. Professional Summary
Write a compelling 3-4 sentence summary highlighting your experience, key skills, and career goals. Tailor this section for each application to match the job requirements.
Example:
"Results-driven marketing professional with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing and brand management. Proven track record of increasing online engagement by 150% and managing campaigns with R500k+ budgets. Seeking to leverage expertise in social media strategy and content creation to drive growth at a forward-thinking organization."
3. Work Experience
List your work experience in reverse chronological order (most recent first). For each position include:
- Job title and company name
- Employment dates (Month Year format)
- 3-5 bullet points describing achievements (not just duties)
- Use action verbs and quantify results where possible
Pro Tip:
Start bullet points with strong action verbs: Managed, Developed, Increased, Led, Implemented, Achieved, Delivered, Coordinated, Reduced, Improved
4. Education
List your highest qualification first. Include degree/diploma name, institution, graduation year, and any honors or distinctions. For recent graduates, you can include relevant coursework and projects.
5. Skills
Create a dedicated skills section with both hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal qualities). Be honest – you may be tested on these during interviews.
CV Formatting Best Practices
Do's:
- Keep it to 2 pages maximum (1 page for entry-level)
- Use a clean, professional font (Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, 11-12pt)
- Maintain consistent formatting throughout
- Use bullet points for easy scanning
- Save as PDF to preserve formatting
- Name your file professionally: "John_Doe_CV_2025.pdf"
- Proofread multiple times for typos and grammar errors
Don'ts:
- Don't use fancy fonts, colors, or graphics (unless in creative field)
- Don't include a photo (unless specifically requested)
- Don't list references on your CV (say "Available on request")
- Don't use first person ("I", "me", "my")
- Don't include salary expectations unless asked
- Don't lie or exaggerate – it will be discovered
ATS-Friendly CV Tips
Many South African companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs. Make sure yours passes:
- Use keywords from the job description naturally throughout your CV
- Avoid tables, text boxes, and columns – ATS can't read them properly
- Use standard section headings like "Work Experience" not "My Journey"
- Save as .docx or .pdf – both are ATS-compatible
- Don't use headers/footers for important information
Tailoring Your CV
The biggest mistake job seekers make is sending the same generic CV to every employer. Spend 15-20 minutes customizing your CV for each application:
- Read the job description carefully and highlight key requirements
- Adjust your professional summary to match the role
- Reorder or emphasize relevant experience and skills
- Use similar language and keywords from the job posting
- Remove irrelevant experience if it makes your CV too long
Quick Checklist Before Sending
- ☐ Contact details are current and professional
- ☐ No spelling or grammar errors
- ☐ CV is tailored to the specific job
- ☐ Achievements are quantified with numbers/results
- ☐ File is saved as PDF with professional name
- ☐ CV is 1-2 pages maximum
- ☐ References have been contacted and agreed
Ready to Apply?
Now that you have a winning CV, start searching for opportunities on FutureLinked ZA. We aggregate fresh job listings from across South Africa, updated daily.
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