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TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL CV:

Remember to include the following when writing a CV:

Introduction / First Page:
  • Full Names and Surname
  • Contact Details
  • Physical Address
  • ID Number
  • Gender
  • Ethnic Group
  • A Short synopsis of what your skills and expertise
Qualifications & Education:
  • Most recent qualification, institutions and year of when the qualification was completed.
  • Make sure you list all your professional qualifications (including Matric) starting with the most recent ones.
IT Skills or Computer Packages:
  • Any computer packages/software that you have worked on should be included in your CV

**Career Summary **

Start with the most recent position:

List all the previous companies and positions that you have been in (remember to include the relevant detailed duties and responsibilities).

  • Company Name, Title and dates of employment.
  • Professional achievements / projects. Any key achievements or projects that you might have worked on need to be included under each role and company. This will make you stand out to the potential hiring manager. It can be anything that you feel you have done that has made an impact to the organisation or added value.
  • Detailed duties and responsibilities for each position.
  • Reasons for leaving each employer (a summary will do).
References:

The references you include on your CV should be people who you have reported directly to.

Make sure you have received their permission first before listing them on your CV.

  • Name and Surname of the referee
  • The name of the company you worked with them at
  • Contact details cell phone OR landline number & email address
Additional tips to keep in mind:
  • Stick to no more than 5 pages ideally (it’s better to have it short, sweet and to the point)
  • Keep your CV updated
  • Remember to not use slang or inappropriate language
  • Choose a clean, crisp and professional font.
  • An English written CV is key as this is the international business language
  • Should you choose to add a photo of yourself on your CV – keep it professional
  • Employers / Recruiters do not like seeing poor grammar, spelling errors or incorrect dates – double check these!
  • Should there be gaps on your CV – give reasons for these.

WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHANGING JOBS

Changing jobs is more complex than one tends to think it is. You NEED to consider and really think about why you are changing jobs! You would need to think about the reasons you are unhappy in your current job and whether changing jobs is going to solve these issues.

The reason that you are looking to change jobs normally falls into one of the following categories;

Once you have thoroughly considered why you want to change jobs and have analysed what meets your career aspirations, you should analyse whether your reason(s) can be resolved in your current employment or whether they will follow you to your next job. Here are a few examples.

  • If you feel that you might be underpaid, try and resolve this concern before you start looking for another job. It would be very career limiting and a complete waste of time going through an entire interview process to receive a counteroffer based on your salary if that is all you are looking to change.
  • If you want to improve your skills or be promoted, talk to your manager to find out whether they could perhaps have any training, courses, etc or whether there is a progression plan in place for you.
  • If your travel time or distance is lowering the level of your job satisfaction and quality of life, speak to your manager to negotiate alternative hours, etc.