EntryHire editorial · 10 October 2026
Write your first CV
Turn your education, projects and everyday responsibilities into a clear first CV.
Start with the role, not a blank page
Save the advert before you write. Highlight what the employer needs: handling customers, working with numbers, using a computer or following instructions. Your CV should help a reader find evidence of those abilities quickly. You do not need a long employment history to show them.
For a first CV, aim for one or two readable pages. Use a simple single-column layout, clear headings and ordinary text. Keep an editable copy so you can adapt it for each application. Follow the advert if it specifies a file format.
Use this section order
Contact details: your name, working phone number, professional email and town or province. A full street address, bank details and ID number are unnecessary on a general CV. Provide supporting documents through a verified application process when requested.
Short introduction: two or three sentences explaining your education, relevant strengths and the role you want. Education: school or institution, qualification and completion year. Then add relevant projects, volunteering, informal work, skills and any recent courses you actually completed.
Replace claims with examples
“Good communication” is difficult to assess. “Explained registration steps to visitors at a community event” tells a reader what you did. “Computer literate” can become “Created a spreadsheet to track weekly sales and check totals”, if that is true.
Label informal experience honestly. Helping a family business, organising a school event or completing a course project can be relevant, but it should not be presented as a formal job you never held. Include the task, your contribution and the result. Use numbers only when you can support them.
An example you can adapt
Example introduction: “Matric graduate seeking an administration learnership. Comfortable organising documents and using spreadsheets, with experience keeping a volunteer group’s attendance records. Keen to build practical office experience.” Replace every detail with your own evidence.
Example project entry: “Community event volunteer — June 2026. Checked attendees against a registration list, answered arrival questions and helped the organiser update attendance records.” A small responsibility described clearly is more useful than an inflated title.
Check it before sending
Read it aloud, check dates and phone numbers, and ask someone to spot spelling errors. Open the exported file on your phone to make sure text is readable. Use a filename such as Firstname_Surname_CV.pdf when PDF is accepted.
Ask references for permission before sharing their contact information. Keep your CV consistent with your application form. Never invent qualifications, employers or dates; you may be asked to explain them in an interview.