How to Write a Professional CV in South Africa

What Is a CV?

A curriculum vitae, commonly called a CV, is a document that summarises your qualifications, experience, skills and professional background.

A CV normally includes:

• Full name and contact information.
• Professional profile.
• Key skills and competencies.
• Employment history.
• Education and qualifications.
• Training and certificates.
• Professional registration.
• Languages.
• References.

Your CV should focus on information that supports your application for the position you are targeting.

How Long Should a South African CV Be?

• Approximately two pages for an entry-level applicant.
• Three to four pages for an experienced professional.
• Longer only where detailed academic, clinical, research or technical information is required.

Do not add unnecessary information simply to make the document longer. Focus on relevant qualifications, experience, skills and achievements.

Choose a Clean CV Design

A professional CV should use:

• Arial, Calibri, Aptos or another readable font.
• Consistent heading sizes.
• Clear section headings.
• Simple bullet points.
• Balanced spacing and margins.
• Limited and professional use of colour.

Avoid:

• Decorative fonts.
• Excessive colours.
• Large graphics.
• Complicated tables.
• Text that is embedded inside images.
• Too many side-by-side columns.

Example of a Professional CV Layout

The CV below demonstrates a structured layout with a professional profile, work history, skills, education and references.

1. Full Name and Contact Details

Place your name and contact details at the top of the first page.

Include:

• Full name and surname.
• Active mobile number.
• Professional email address.
• Town or city.
• Province.
• LinkedIn profile, where relevant.
• Portfolio link, where relevant.

You normally do not need to include your full residential address unless the employer specifically requests it.

2. Professional Profile

The professional profile is a short paragraph summarising your experience, qualifications and strongest skills.

Keep it between approximately three and five lines and tailor it to the vacancy.

3. Key Skills

List skills that are relevant to the advertised position.

Examples include:

• Customer service.
• Data capturing.
• Report writing.
• Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Records management.
• Communication.
• Time management.
• Problem-solving.
• Claims assessment.
• Project coordination.
• Stock control.
• Patient care.

Avoid listing only vague qualities such as “hardworking.” Include practical abilities that show what you can do.

4. Employment History

List employment from the most recent position to the oldest.

For every position, include:

• Employer name.
• Job title.
• Location.
• Starting and ending dates.
• Main responsibilities.
• Relevant achievements.

Responsibilities Versus Achievements

Responsibilities explain what you were expected to do. Achievements show the results of your work.

Do not invent figures. Use information that you can explain and support during an interview.

5. Education and Qualifications

List qualifications from the highest to the lowest.

Include:

• Official qualification name.
• Institution name.
• Year completed.
• Major subjects, where relevant.
• Current studies, where applicable.

6. Professional Registration

Add this section when the occupation requires registration with a professional or statutory body.

Examples include:

• Health Professions Council of South Africa.
• South African Nursing Council.
• South African Pharmacy Council.
• Engineering Council of South Africa.
• South African Council for Social Service Professions.

Include the council name, registration category and current status where appropriate.

7. Training and Certificates

Add relevant short courses and certificates, including the provider and completion year.

Examples include:

• Basic Life Support.
• First Aid.
• Occupational Health and Safety.
• Microsoft Office.
• Project Management.
• Customer Service.
• Cybersecurity Fundamentals.
• Data Protection and POPIA.

8. Technical and Computer Skills

List software and technical systems that you can use confidently.

• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft Excel.
• Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Microsoft Outlook.
• Google Workspace.
• Pastel or SAP.
• Customer relationship systems.
• Electronic medical records.
• Claims-management platforms.

Be honest about your ability. Employers may test computer skills during the recruitment process.

9. Languages

List languages you can speak, read and write.

10. References

Include two or three professional references who can confirm your experience, work quality or conduct.

Suitable references include:

• Current or previous supervisor.
• Department manager.
• Team leader.
• Internship supervisor.
• Lecturer or academic supervisor.

Ask permission before adding someone’s details to your CV.

Personal Information to Leave Out

You normally do not need to include:

• Your full identity number.
• Marital status.
• Number of children.
• Religion.
• Political affiliation.
• Bank-account details.
• Full residential address.
• Private health information.

How to Write a CV With No Work Experience

Applicants without formal employment can focus on:

• Education.
• Academic projects.
• Volunteer work.
• Leadership roles.
• Internships and learnerships.
• Community involvement.
• Practical training.
• Short courses.

How to Tailor Your CV to a Vacancy

1. Read the job advertisement carefully.
2. Identify the required qualifications.
3. Identify the required experience.
4. Note important skills and keywords.
5. Update your professional profile.
6. Place relevant skills first.
7. Highlight related responsibilities and achievements.
8. Remove unrelated information where necessary.

Only include keywords that accurately describe your real qualifications and experience.

What Is an ATS-Friendly CV?

ATS means applicant tracking system. Employers use these systems to receive applications, organise candidates and search CVs for relevant information.

An ATS-friendly CV should use:

• Standard section headings.
• Simple formatting.
• Clear job titles.
• Relevant keywords.
• Readable fonts.
• Selectable text.

Avoid:

• Important information inside images.
• Decorative charts.
• Complicated text boxes.
• Unusual section headings.
• Scanned image-only CV files.

Best File Format and Filename

PDF is normally the best format because it preserves the document layout.

Open the final PDF before submitting it and check that no text is missing, cut off or difficult to read.

Common CV Mistakes

Spelling and grammar errors

Proofread your CV carefully before submitting it.

Incorrect contact information

Double-check your telephone number and email address.

Using the same CV for every application

Tailor your profile, skills and experience to the vacancy.

Using long paragraphs

Use concise paragraphs and bullet points.

Listing only responsibilities

Add relevant achievements and results where possible.

Including false information

Employers may verify qualifications, professional registration, employment history and references.

Professional CV Checklist

Use the visual checklist below before submitting your CV.

Final CV Checklist

• Your full name is clearly visible.
• Your telephone number is correct.
• Your email address is professional.
• Your town, city or province is included.
• Your professional profile matches the vacancy.
• Relevant skills are easy to find.
• Employment is listed from newest to oldest.
• Responsibilities begin with action words.
• Relevant achievements are included.
• Qualification names are accurate.
• Professional registration is current.
• References have agreed to be contacted.
• Spelling and grammar have been checked.
• The layout is clean and consistent.
• The CV has been tailored to the vacancy.
• The file has a professional filename.
• The PDF opens and displays correctly.