How to Write a CV With No Work Experience in South Africa


Not having formal work experience can make applying for your first job feel difficult. You may look at a vacancy asking for experience and wonder what you are supposed to put on your CV when you have never had a permanent job.
The good news is that work experience is only one part of a CV.
If you are a school leaver, graduate, student, first-time job seeker or someone changing careers, you can use your education, skills, projects, volunteer activities, leadership experience, training and other achievements to demonstrate what you can offer an employer.
The South African Department of Employment and Labour recommends that a CV should present information such as education, qualifications, skills, languages, work history and relevant activities. It also advises job seekers to update their CV for the particular position they are applying for.
Put your basic contact information at the top of your CV.
Include:

  • Full name
  • Mobile number
  • Professional email address
  • City or town
  • Province
For example:
Thabo Mokoena
 Johannesburg, Gauteng
071 000 0000
thabo.mokoena@email.com
Your email address should look professional. If your current email address is something like coolboy123@email.com, consider creating a new address using your name.
Do you need to include your full physical address?
Usually, you don't need to put your full street address on a CV.
Your city and province are generally enough unless the employer specifically requests more information.When you don't have employment history, your professional profile becomes particularly important.
This is a short paragraph — usually three to five lines — explaining:
  • Who you are
  • What you have studied
  • Your key strengths
  • What type of opportunity you are looking for
Example for a school leaver
Motivated and reliable school leaver with a strong interest in administration and customer service. Developed communication, teamwork and organisational skills through school activities and community involvement. Eager to gain practical workplace experience and contribute positively to a professional team.
Example for a graduate
Recent Bachelor of Commerce graduate with an interest in financial administration and business operations. Strong analytical, communication and computer skills developed through academic projects and coursework. Seeking an entry-level opportunity where I can apply my knowledge while developing practical workplace experience.
The important thing is to make the profile truthful.
Don't claim that you are an expert in something simply because you think employers want to hear it.If you have little or no employment history, your education can become one of the strongest sections of your CV.
List your most recent qualification first.
For example:
Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting
University of South Africa (UNISA)
 2023 – 2026
Relevant subjects:
  • Financial Accounting
  • Management Accounting
  • Business Management
  • Economics
For a school leaver:
National Senior Certificate
Thohoyandou Secondary School
 Completed: 2025
Relevant subjects:
  • Mathematics
  • Physical Sciences
  • English
  • Life Sciences
You don't necessarily need to list every school subject. Prioritise subjects that are relevant to the position.A common mistake made by first-time job seekers is writing:
Work Experience: None
and leaving it at that.
Instead, think about the skills you've developed through school, university, community activities, projects and everyday responsibilities.
Examples include:
Digital skills
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Email
  • Internet research
  • Basic computer literacy
  • Social media management
Workplace skills
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Time management
  • Problem solving
  • Organisation
  • Customer service
  • Attention to detail
  • Adaptability
But don't simply create a huge list of skills.
Only include skills you can genuinely demonstrate.
The Department of Employment and Labour specifically advises job seekers to include skills and abilities relevant to the position and to align their CV with the job they are applying for. You don't need to have worked for a company to have completed useful projects.
For example, a student applying for an entry-level IT position could write:
Academic Project — Student Management System
University Project | 2026
  • Developed a basic student management application as part of a group project.
  • Worked with three other students to plan and complete the project.
  • Tested the application and corrected identified errors.
  • Presented the completed project to the class.
This gives an employer something concrete to evaluate.
Instead of saying:
"I have good teamwork skills."
you have demonstrated where you used teamwork.
That's much stronger.Volunteer work can be valuable when you don't have formal employment experience.
It can demonstrate:
  • Reliability
  • Responsibility
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Customer interaction
  • Organisation
The Department of Employment and Labour also recommends including volunteer work because it can demonstrate responsibility and help a job seeker develop experience and references.
For example:
Volunteer — Community Food Programme
Local Community Organisation | 2025
  • Assisted with organising weekly food distributions.
  • Helped maintain basic records of beneficiaries.
  • Worked with volunteers to prepare and distribute food parcels.
  • Assisted community members with enquiries.
That's experience worth putting on a CV.You may have more experience than you realise.
Think about:
  • Student representative positions
  • Sports teams
  • School committees
  • Church or community activities
  • Youth organisations
  • Student societies
  • Events you helped organise
  • Peer mentoring
  • Tutoring
  • Fundraising activities
For example:
Class Representative
2024 – 2025
  • Communicated student concerns to teachers.
  • Helped coordinate class activities.
  • Assisted with organising school events.
This can demonstrate communication, organisation and leadership.If you have completed relevant training, include it.
Examples:
  • Microsoft Office training
  • Computer literacy
  • First aid
  • Customer service
  • Occupational health and safety
  • Coding courses
  • Digital marketing
  • Project management
  • Data analysis
  • Online professional courses
Example:
Additional Training
Microsoft Excel Fundamentals
 Online Course — 2026
Basic Computer Literacy
 Training Provider — 2025
Don't fill this section with unrelated certificates simply to make your CV longer.
Focus on training that supports the type of job you're applying for.If you can speak more than one language, consider adding a language section.
For example:
LanguagesLanguageSpeakingReadingWritingEnglishExcellentExcellentExcellentTshivendaNativeExcellentExcellentSepediGoodGoodGoodBe honest about your ability.
Don't describe yourself as fluent in a language if you can only hold a basic conversation.A lack of employment history doesn't mean you need to create a five-page CV.
Your CV should be clear, relevant and easy to scan.
The Department of Employment and Labour advises that a well-organised CV should allow an employer to quickly see whether the applicant has the necessary skills for the position.
For many entry-level applicants, a concise CV containing the strongest relevant information is better than several pages filled with unnecessary details.This is one of the most important things you can do.
Don't create one CV and send exactly the same document to every employer.
Read the vacancy carefully.
Suppose a company advertises an entry-level administrative position and asks for:
  • Computer literacy
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Communication skills
  • Organisation
  • Attention to detail
Your CV should make those relevant abilities easy to find.
For example:
Relevant Skills
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Data capturing
  • Written and verbal communication
  • Document organisation
  • Attention to detail
  • Basic administrative support
The Department of Employment and Labour similarly recommends updating your CV for each position and aligning the skills and abilities in it with the job you're applying for. Compare these two statements:
Weak:
Hard-working person with good communication skills.
Stronger:
Served as a class representative and communicated student concerns to teachers and school management.
The second statement gives the employer evidence.
Whenever possible, show how you used a skill rather than simply claiming that you have it.Your CV doesn't need everything about your personal life.
Avoid unnecessary information such as:
  • Your ID number unless specifically required
  • Your banking details
  • Your passwords
  • Irrelevant personal information
  • Long paragraphs about your childhood
  • Unrelated hobbies taking up large amounts of space
  • False qualifications
  • Skills you don't actually possess
Be particularly careful about sending sensitive personal information to people or websites you don't trust.A photograph isn't necessary for most applications unless the employer specifically requests one or the role makes it relevant.
Your qualifications, skills and suitability for the position should be the focus of your CV.If you have no formal employment history, you may still have people who can speak about your reliability, character or abilities.
Depending on the application, these could include:
  • A lecturer
  • Teacher
  • Coach
  • Community leader
  • Volunteer coordinator
  • Previous supervisor from informal work
Always ask someone's permission before listing them as a reference.
You can also simply write:
References available on request
unless the vacancy specifically asks you to provide contactable references.Example CV Structure for Someone With No Experience
A simple first-job CV could look like this:
1. Name and contact details
Your Full Name
 City, Province
Phone number | Professional email
2. Professional Profile
A short introduction explaining who you are and what opportunity you're seeking.
3. Education
Your latest qualification first.
4. Key Skills
Only skills relevant to the type of work you're applying for.
5. Projects
Academic, personal or community projects that demonstrate useful abilities.
6. Volunteer Experience
Any relevant voluntary activities.
7. Additional Training
Relevant certificates and short courses.
8. Languages
Languages and your level of ability.
9. References
Contactable references where appropriate.First-Time Job Seeker CV Checklist
Before submitting your CV, ask yourself:
Personal details
  • Is my phone number correct?
  • Is my email address professional?
  • Have I included my city and province?
Content
  • Is my professional profile relevant?
  • Is my education clearly presented?
  • Have I included relevant skills?
  • Have I included projects or volunteer work?
  • Have I included relevant training?
  • Have I listed my languages?
Quality
  • Have I checked my spelling?
  • Is the formatting consistent?
  • Is the CV easy to read?
  • Have I removed unnecessary information?
  • Have I tailored it to the vacancy?
Before applying
  • Did I read the entire job advertisement?
  • Does my CV address the requirements?
  • Am I following the employer's application instructions?
  • Am I sending the correct document and file format?
Having no formal work experience doesn't mean you have nothing to put on your CV.
Your education, skills, projects, volunteer activities, leadership responsibilities and training can all help demonstrate your potential.
The goal isn't to make your CV look as though you have experience that you don't have. The goal is to show an employer what you have learned, what you can do and why you could be a good fit for the opportunity.
And remember: don't send the same generic CV to every employer. Take a few minutes to understand the vacancy and make the most relevant parts of your CV easy to find. 
1. Start with your contact details
2. Add a short professional profile
3. Put your education where employers can see it
4. Don't overlook your skills
5. Your school or university projects can count
6. Include volunteer work
7. Include leadership and extracurricular activities
8. Add short courses and training
9. Languages can be useful
10. Don't make your CV longer just because you have no experience
11. Tailor your CV for every job
12. Use achievements instead of empty statements
13. What should you leave out?
14. Should you include a photograph?
15. What about references?
Final advice