Your first CV: a checklist to work through before you send it

A first CV is ready to send when it fits on one page, shows your contact details clearly, lists your education and any real experience in plain bullets, has no errors, and opens properly on a phone. Work through the checklist below, one block at a time, and fix anything that is not a clear yes.

Key points

• A first CV is short, honest and easy to read, and one page is enough.
• Check facts first: your name, phone number, email and dates.
• Show responsibility through school, home, community and any part-time work.
• Keep the layout plain, and read the file on a phone before sending.
• Ask one other person to read it before it goes out.

Block one: are my details right?

Wrong contact details are the quickest way to lose an opportunity, so check these first.

• My full name is at the top, spelled correctly.
• I have written my town or suburb.
• My phone number is correct, and I will answer it.
• My email address is simple and based on my name.
• My voicemail greeting sounds polite and clear.
• I checked my email and spam folder this week.

Send a test email to yourself from the address on the CV. If you get it, the address works.

Block two: is my education clear?

• My highest qualification or my school is listed first.
• Matric is written as National Senior Certificate, with the school and the year.
• I listed only the subjects that matter for the job, with results if they are good.
• Courses I completed are listed with the provider.
• Anything unfinished is described honestly as "in progress".

Block three: have I shown what I have done?

A first CV rarely has job titles, so evidence comes from other places.

• I listed school roles, such as prefect, team member or committee.
• I included helping at a family business, at home or in the community, if it shows responsibility.
• I included any part-time, holiday or volunteer work with real tasks.
• Each item has a short action and a detail, not just a title.
• I did not invent a job, a title or a result.

Here is an example of a bullet that passes: "Helped at the school fundraising stall: sold tickets, gave change and counted the money with a teacher." It tells the reader what you did and who could confirm it.

Block four: is the wording clear?

• I wrote a profile of two or three lines that names the kind of job I want.
• My bullets start with an action word such as "helped", "packed", "served" or "organised".
• I avoided long lists of traits such as "hard-working, motivated and punctual" with no examples.
• Each bullet is one or two lines.
• I used the same tense and style throughout.

A quick test: cover everything except the profile. Would a stranger know what you want and what you can do?

Block five: is the layout simple?

• The CV fits on one page.
• I used one font, with a body size that is easy to read.
• Headings are clear and in a consistent style.
• I used a single column, with no boxes, icons or skill bars.
• There is white space between sections.
• I did not add a photo unless the advert asked for one.

Block six: is it free of mistakes?

• I ran a spell check.
• I read the whole CV aloud, slowly.
• I checked the spelling of every school, company and course name.
• I checked every date.
• Someone else has read it and told me what is unclear.

Block seven: is the file ready?

• I saved it as a PDF, unless the advert asked for Word.
• The file name includes my name, such as "Sipho-Dlamini-CV".
• I opened the file on a phone and could read it without zooming.
• I have a copy in a safe place, such as my email drafts or cloud storage.
• I know who I am sending it to and what the advert asked me to include.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a first CV be?

One page is enough. A first CV usually has limited history, so a short, clean page is better than a long one with filler. Choose the items that match the job you want.

What should I put on a first CV if I have no job history?

Put your contact details, a short profile, education, school roles, volunteering or family work, skills and languages. Describe what you did in plain bullets and keep every statement true.

Should I put my ID number on a first CV?

Usually not. Most employers do not need it to decide on an interview, and they can ask for it later on a form. Leave out personal details such as ID number, religion and marital status unless the advert asks for them.

Next steps

Print this checklist or copy it into your notes, and tick the boxes one block at a time. When all are ticked, send the CV and keep a record of where you sent it. If you want a guided way to put this together, you can build your CV step by step with CV Sorted: it is free to build and preview.