Guides
Practical help for a clearer CV.
46 short guides for the questions people actually have. Each one ends where the builder begins.
How to Make a CV ATS-Friendly
A practical guide to keeping your CV readable for applicant tracking systems and the people behind them.
Read the guide →How Long Should a CV Be?
A practical guide to deciding what belongs on one page or two, with a quick test for every line.
Read the guide →How to Write a CV With No Experience
Show education, projects, volunteering, skills and evidence when your formal work history is short.
Read the guide →How to Write a Career-Change CV
Reposition your experience around the skills and results that transfer into a new field.
Read the guide →CV Action Verbs That Actually Work
A practical list of verbs for clearer, more specific CV bullets, grouped by what you did.
Read the guide →How to Write a CV Profile
Write the short summary at the top of your CV: what to include, how long it should be, and examples by situation.
Read the guide →Skills to Put on a CV
Which hard and soft skills to list, how many to include, and how to prove them so they count.
Read the guide →CV vs Resume: What Is the Difference?
What the words mean in South Africa, the UK, the US and elsewhere, and which length and format to use.
Read the guide →How to Write a Cover Letter
A simple structure for a cover letter that gets read: opening, evidence, fit and a clear close, with a short example.
Read the guide →CV References: Who to Use and How to List Them
Who makes a good reference, how many to include, whether to write “available on request”, and how to ask permission first.
Read the guide →How to Explain a Gap on Your CV
Gaps are common. Here is how to show time out of work honestly: caring, studying, job hunting or health, without over-explaining.
Read the guide →How to Write Achievements on a CV
Turn duties into achievements with a simple formula: action, result and a number. Examples for every kind of job.
Read the guide →The Best CV Format in South Africa
Reverse-chronological, functional or hybrid? Which CV format to use, what order the sections go in, and fonts, margins and file type.
Read the guide →What Personal Details to Put on a CV
Should you include your ID number, age, photo or marital status? What South African employers need, and what to leave off under POPIA.
Read the guide →Job Interview Tips: How to Prepare and Answer Well
How to prepare for a job interview in South Africa: research, common questions, the STAR method, what to bring and how to follow up.
Read the guide →How to Make a LinkedIn Profile That Matches Your CV
How to set up a LinkedIn profile recruiters find: photo, headline, about section, experience, skills and how it should match your CV.
Read the guide →How to Write a CV After Matric
A CV guide for school leavers and matriculants: what to include with no work experience, which subjects to list, and a simple layout.
Read the guide →How to Apply for a Learnership With Your CV
How to apply for learnerships and internships in South Africa: what learnerships are, what to include on your CV, documents and avoiding scams.
Read the guide →How to Email Your CV to an Employer
How to email a CV: the subject line, a short message, attaching a PDF, naming the file, and what to do when the advert gives instructions.
Read the guide →How to Fill In the Z83 Form for Government Jobs
How to complete the new Z83 application form for public service jobs in South Africa, what to attach, and the mistakes that get applications rejected.
Read the guide →How to Write a Graduate CV With Little Experience
A CV guide for graduates and students: putting your degree first, projects, vacation work and internships, and how to apply for graduate programmes.
Read the guide →Common CV Mistakes That Cost You Interviews
The most common CV mistakes recruiters see, from spelling errors and long CVs to missing dates and unprofessional email addresses, and how to fix each one.
Read the guide →How to Write a Resignation Letter (With Template)
How to resign professionally in South Africa: what to put in a resignation letter, notice periods under the BCEA, and a simple template you can copy.
Read the guide →How to Follow Up on a Job Application
When and how to follow up after applying for a job or after an interview, with short email examples and what to do if you hear nothing back.
Read the guide →How to Write a Motivation Letter for a Bursary or Learnership
What to put in a motivation letter for a bursary, learnership or university application, a simple structure and the mistakes that get letters skipped.
Read the guide →How to Answer “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”
Whether to put a salary on your CV, how to research a fair range in South Africa, and what to say when a form or interviewer asks.
Read the guide →How to Tailor Your CV to a Job Advert
A 15-minute routine to match your CV to each advert: keywords, profile, the order of your bullets and skills, without rewriting everything.
Read the guide →How to List Matric and Qualifications on Your CV
How to show matric, certificates, diplomas and degrees on a CV, with NQF levels, results, unfinished studies and foreign qualifications.
Read the guide →How to Spot a Fake Job Advert or Recruitment Scam
Warning signs of fake jobs and recruitment scams in South Africa: upfront fees, WhatsApp-only contact, ID requests, and how to check an employer.
Read the guide →How to Use the STAR Method in Interviews
Answer “Tell me about a time when…” questions with the STAR method: situation, task, action and result, with examples you can adapt.
Read the guide →How to Answer “Why Should We Hire You?”
A simple three-part answer to “Why should we hire you?”: match the job’s needs, give proof, and show you want this role, with sample answers.
Read the guide →How to Answer Strengths and Weaknesses Questions
How to answer “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” honestly: pick strengths the job needs, prove them, and show how you are working on a real weakness.
Read the guide →How to Explain Why You Left a Job
What to say when an application form or interviewer asks why you left a job: resignations, retrenchment, contracts ending and dismissals, said briefly and honestly.
Read the guide →How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience
A cover letter for your first job, learnership or internship: show motivation, transferable skills and evidence from school, studies and volunteering, with an example.
Read the guide →Driver’s Licence Codes on Your CV: South Africa
What the South African driver’s licence codes mean (A1, A, B, EB, C1, C, EC1, EC), how to list them on a CV, and when you also need a PrDP.
Read the guide →Qualification Checks: What Employers Verify and How to Prepare
How South African employers check matric and degree certificates, what SAQA does, what to do about lost certificates and foreign qualifications, and why honesty matters.
Read the guide →How to Write a CV for a Government Job
How to write the detailed CV public service departments ask for alongside the Z83: dates, duties, ranks, references and the documents to send.
Read the guide →South African CV Template: What to Include, Section by Section
A section-by-section South African CV template: contact details, profile, experience, education, skills, licences and references, with an example of each.
Read the guide →How to Put Volunteer Work on Your CV
How to list volunteering, community and church work on a CV so it counts as experience: where it goes, what to write and how to show results.
Read the guide →How to Write a CV for Remote Jobs
What remote employers look for on a CV: proof you work well on your own, communicate clearly in writing and use online tools, plus your home set-up.
Read the guide →CV Tips for Older Job Seekers
How to write a CV after 50: focus on recent experience, show current skills, keep it to two pages and avoid the details that invite age bias.
Read the guide →How to List Freelance and Contract Work on a CV
How to show freelance, contract and gig work on your CV so it reads as real experience: one entry, named clients or projects, dates and results.
Read the guide →How to Negotiate Your Salary Offer
How to negotiate a job offer politely and well: know your number, look at the whole package, make one clear counter-offer and get the final offer in writing.
Read the guide →Psychometric Tests: What to Expect and How to Prepare
What psychometric and aptitude tests are, the common types (numerical, verbal, abstract reasoning and personality), and how to prepare and do your best.
Read the guide →How to Apply for Graduate Programmes
How graduate programmes and graduate internships work, what to prepare, and how to get through the online application, tests and assessment centre.
Read the guide →How to Apply for an Internal Promotion
How to apply for a promotion or a new role at your current employer: talk to your manager, update your CV and write a cover letter built on your results.
Read the guide →