Revamp CV – Checklist for SA Employer Expectations

• Using the same CV for every job
• Including outdated jobs from 15+ years ago
• Listing duties instead of achievements
• Irrelevant personal details like hobbies or marital status
• Poor formatting or typos
• Doesn’t align with current job goals
• No mention of hybrid/remote skills
• Career summary reads like a biography, not a value pitch

1. Tailored Career Summary

• 3–5 lines max
• Speak to the job title you’re targeting
• Mention years of experience and industries
• Include a clear value proposition (e.g., “I help logistics firms cut costs through…”)

2. Modern CV Design That’s ATS-Friendly

• Avoid fancy designs with graphics and columns

• Use clean fonts like Calibri or Arial

• Keep file formats in PDF or Word (.docx)

• Include your name and target job title in the file name (e.g., John-Mokoena-ProjectManagerCV.pdf)

3. Strategic Role Descriptions

• Focus on the last 5–10 years
• Use bullet points
• Start with strong action verbs (e.g., Led, Built, Delivered)
• Include metrics: “Increased sales by 23% in 9 months”

4. Key Skills Section (Tailored Per Job Ad)

• Include hard and soft skills: e.g., SAP, Stakeholder Engagement, Agile

• Limit to 8–12 skills

• Avoid fluff like “Team player” unless it’s role-critical

5. Education and Certifications

• List your highest qualifications first

• Include recent/up-to-date certifications (e.g., POPIA, PMBOK, Sage, SEO, etc.)

• Add institution + year

6. South Africa-Specific Additions

• Languages spoken
• EE/AA status if relevant and applicable
• Location and willingness to relocate
• Citizenship or work permit status

7. Keywords for ATS and Recruiters

• Extract 5–10 keywords from the job advert

  Reuse naturally in your career summary, skills, and roles

  Tools like Jobscan or ChatGPT can help identify gaps

How Often Should I Revamp my CV?

Every 12–18 months (or when changing industries).

Should I include a photo?

Only if applying in-person (e.g., retail). Corporate roles: avoid.

Can I Revamp CV Myself?

Yes, use this checklist to revamp CV, but pros can add polish. A Cape Town director DIY’d his but hired us for the final touch.