Use a professional structure
Start with your name, contact details, location, target role, and a short profile. Then add skills, experience, education, certifications, and optional links such as LinkedIn or a portfolio.
Keep the layout clean so job portals and applicant tracking systems can read the document.
Tailor for the job advert
South African recruiters often receive many CVs for the same role. Use the job advert to identify important skills, tools, industries, and responsibilities.
Only include keywords that truthfully match your experience.
Make achievements easier to see
For each role, write what you delivered, improved, supported, managed, sold, built, processed, or resolved.
Numbers help when you have them, but clear outcomes are still useful when numbers are not available.
Quick checklist
- Keep contact details clear and current.
- Use a role-focused profile.
- Add measurable achievements where possible.
- Save different CV versions for different roles.
- Export a clean PDF for recruiters and portals.