There is a general belief that you need experience to get a job - but you need a job to get experience.
The truth is that a well-crafted CV can open doors even when you do not yet have a history of formal employment. It all comes down to how you think about work and how you position yourself to prospective employers.
Here are some tips on how to make your CV stand out, even if you have no experience:
Start with a strong personal summary
Your personal statement at the top of your CV is the first thing a recruiter reads, so make it count. In no more than three to five sentences or bullet points, summarise who you are, what you can offer and where your ambitions are. Focus on your enthusiasm for the role, relevant skills you've developed through education or hobbies, and what makes you stand out from other applicants.
Focus on what you have rather than what you are missing
Order your CV to lead with your strengths. Put your qualifications and education before the work experience section. List your education in reverse chronological order (most recent) first and include your qualification, institution and dates attended. Do not forget about certificates and training, like that Adobe Photoshop course you did or your first aid certificate for example.
Reframe “experience"
Not having a paid job in the formal sector before does not mean you have no experience. Your volunteer work at a soup kitchen for the homeless or the local dog shelter may show that you have interpersonal or admin skills. Your university or school projects can demonstrate skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and meeting deadlines. And extracurricular activities like writing for a student newspaper or playing a team sport all show qualities employers value.
One way to get around the lack of direct relevant experience is to highlight your achievements and experiences in areas such as these in a skills-based CV, grouping your CV around competencies rather than job titles. For example, under "Leadership Skills," you might describe leading a group project at university, explaining the challenge, your approach and the outcome.
Match your skills to the job description
Cross-reference the skills asked for in the job ad with your own. Highlight a mix of hard skills (specific technical abilities like coding or data analysis) and soft skills (communication, organisation, adaptability). Use the language from the job description where it applies. This will help your CV get past automated screening tools and show the recruiter you understand what they are looking for.
Include achievements, not just activities
Highlight your achievements to show that you are ambitious and results-focused. For each one, ask yourself: What was the challenge? What did I do? What was the result? Academic, volunteering or extracurricular achievements work well here. "Raised R1,500 for a local charity through an event I organised" tells a far compelling story, as does “graduated top of my class” or “participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad”.
Round it off with hobbies and interests
Use your hobbies section to highlight relevant skills to your employer. Interests like photography, blogging, coding, web development or podcasting can all signal creative or technical aptitude, depending on the role you are applying for.
Craft an ATS-friendly CV
Many recruiters use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage the hundreds of applications a typical job advert receives. To improve your chances of being shortlisted, you should tailor your CV and cover letter to each role you apply for by carefully using relevant words and phrases from the job description. Avoid ‘keyword stuffing‘ – rather weave relevant keywords into context in your CV bullet points and work history. Stick to widely recognised job titles and section headings, such as “Work Experience” and “Skills” in your CV to make it easier for the ATS to read.
Presentation matters
Keep your CV to one or two pages (roughly 475–600 words), left-aligned, in an 11–12pt font with clean spacing. Use short bullet points starting with action verbs. Avoid tables because they can cause formatting issues. Always proofread before sending, ideally asking someone else to check it too. A simple, single-column format with standard fonts, no graphics or tables, and a Word document or PDF file format is generally easiest for ATS software to read.
Use a template to get started
If you don’t know where to begin, use a template for guidance. A good template gives you the right structure so you can focus on the content. We have created an example graduate CV that follows the conventions that will be familiar to most South African recruiters to help you get started.
