Find the job.
Build the CV.
Apply in time.

Start with your contact details, a two-line personal summary, then your matric or highest qualification. Fill the experience gap with volunteer work, school activities, informal jobs and practical skills such as reliability, customer service and the languages you speak. Our free school leaver and general worker CV templates are laid out in exactly this order, so you only fill in the blanks.

You normally need a certified copy of your ID, your matric certificate or highest qualification, and any certificate the advert asks for, such as a PDP, forklift licence, PSIRA grade or first aid certificate. Certified copies are generally accepted for three months, so check the stamp date before you send them. Listing these on your CV makes employers more likely to call you.

One to two pages. Most South African employers spend under ten seconds on the first read, so your contact details, a short summary and your most relevant experience must all be on page one. Leave out your ID number, a photograph and your marital status unless the employer specifically asks for them.

Keep it to one page and three short paragraphs: which job you are applying for and where you saw it, why you can do the work with one or two concrete examples, and how to reach you. Name the company in the first line. Our free cover letter builder writes this for you in a few minutes.

Say plainly that this would be your first formal job, then move straight to what you do offer: reliability, willingness to learn, physical fitness where the job needs it, and any informal, school or volunteer work you have done. Prepare two short stories that show you finishing something you started. Our interview prep tool lets you practise the questions South African employers ask most.

Government posts and learnerships run on a closing date system, so applying early matters more than it does for private vacancies. Check the closing date first, follow the advert instructions exactly, and complete a Z83 form where one is requested. EmploymentHub lists government posts and learnerships alongside private vacancies across all nine provinces.

Neat, clean and slightly smarter than the job itself requires. For retail, security, warehouse or general worker roles, plain dark trousers and a collared shirt are enough. For office and government interviews, wear formal clothing. Arrive fifteen minutes early with your certified documents in a folder rather than a plastic bag.

Join the free EmploymentHub WhatsApp channel and new vacancies are posted to it every day. You are not added to a group, your number stays private from other members, and you can leave at any time.

Yes. The CV builder, cover letter builder, CV and cover letter templates and interview preparation are all free. There is no sign-up, no payment details and no trial that expires. You download your CV as a PDF and it is yours to keep and reuse for every application.