In general, there are no strict rules for South African CV’s.

Nevertheless we can differenciate between two different types of CVs:

1. Brief Profile

Keep it as short as possible and include:

- Personal information

- Education

- Chronological list of previous positions emphasizing your most recent or relevant position

2. Comprehensive CV

- About 2 – 3 pages long and in reverse chronological order Don’t forget to include:

- Personal details (date and place of birth, nationality, telephone number, e-mail address, ID/Passport number, civil status as well as a passport picture)

Companies often keep CV’s on file for lengthy periods, so be sure that the contact details on the CV remain accurate in the long term. Therefore, a home telephone number with the international access code and an e-mail address are very important.

 When applying for a position it is the best to send a brief profile as well as a comprehensive CV.

How to set up your CV:

Education section:

- Dates

- Schools attended and their locations

- Majors, diplomas and degrees

- Relevant courses

- Education programs

- Extracurricular activities

- Leadership roles

- Awards, honors

- Any extra courses, training or relevant experience

Employment History section:

For each position, provide the name of your employer (website, name, telephone number, e-mail address), the location and specialization of the business. Furthermore do not forget your titles and dates of your employment. Shortly describe in bullet points your responsibilities, achievements and reason for leaving.

Words and Verbs are very important, for example:

- Contributed

- Organized

- Demonstrated

- Trained

- Managed

- Developed

- Coordinated

Final section:

- Professional affiliations

- Relevant volunteer experience

- Foreign languages, mother tongue

- Computer knowledge

- Hobbies

- References (names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses)