# How to write a CV: a complete step-by-step guide

Source: https://www.cvsorted.co.za/blog/how-to-write-a-cv
Published: 2026-10-13

To write a CV, first collect your facts, then choose a simple layout, then write each section in this order: contact details, a short profile, work experience, education, skills and extras. Finish by tailoring it to one job and checking it carefully. Most people need one or two pages.

## Key points
- Collect your facts before you open a document. Writing is much easier with a full list in front of you.
- Use one simple, single-column layout with clear headings.
- Put the most useful and most recent information first.
- Describe what you did and what changed because of it, not only your duties.
- Check it as if you were a stranger, then check it again on a phone.

## Step 1: What do I need before I start writing?
Before you write a word, gather a plain list of facts: every job or unpaid role you have held, with employer, job title, town and dates; every qualification, course and licence; and the tools, machines, software or languages you can use. Put it in a notes app or on paper.

Then add a column of "what happened because of me". For each role, write down anything you fixed, sped up, learned, trained others in, or were trusted with. Examples: "was asked to open the shop alone after three months" or "cut the queue at the till by showing new staff the quick keys". You will not use everything, but you need the raw material.

If your history is thin, include school roles, volunteering, helping at a family business, church or community work. These count as evidence of what you can do.

## Step 2: Which CV format should I choose?
Use the reverse-chronological format (most recent first) unless you have a clear reason not to. It is what most employers expect, and it is the easiest for both people and software to read.

| Your situation | Format to use |
| --- | --- |
| Steady work history, no big gaps | Reverse-chronological |
| Little or no paid work | Reverse-chronological, with education and projects first |
| Changing field, with relevant skills | Reverse-chronological with a strong profile and a short skills block |
| Long gaps or very varied work | Reverse-chronological with a short explanation line |

Keep it to a single column, one font, and clear headings. Avoid text boxes, sidebars, icons and skill bars. They look neat but can be unreadable to software and difficult on a phone.

## Step 3: How do I write the header?
Put your name at the top in a larger size, then your town or city, one phone number and one professional email address. Add a LinkedIn link only if the profile is complete and current.

You do not need a photo, your ID number, your date of birth, marital status or religion in most cases. Practices vary by country and employer, so check what is usual for where you are applying. For a deeper look, see the article on contact details.

Check the email address: a simple version of your own name works best. Nicknames, jokes and old school addresses read poorly.

## Step 4: How do I write a short profile?
Write two to four lines at the top that say who you are, what you do, and what you offer to this kind of job. Keep it factual.

A weak profile: "Hard-working and motivated person looking for an opportunity to grow."

A stronger one: "Stock controller with four years in a busy hardware store. Comfortable with a handheld scanner, weekly counts and receiving deliveries. Looking for a storeroom role where accuracy matters."

The second version tells the reader the job, the setting, the tools and the target. If you cannot write the profile yet, leave it until the end. It is easier once the rest is done.

## Step 5: How do I write the work experience section?
List jobs from most recent to oldest. For each, give the job title, employer, town and dates on one or two tight lines, then two to five bullet points.

Make each bullet answer "so what?". Duties say what the job is. Evidence says what you did with it.

| Duty only | Better |
| --- | --- |
| Responsible for answering phones | Answered all incoming calls for a six-person office and passed messages on the same day |
| Worked on the till | Handled cash and card sales on a busy shift and balanced the till at close |
| Looked after stock | Counted and recorded stock each week and flagged shortages to the manager |

Start bullets with a plain action word such as "managed", "trained", "arranged" or "reduced". You can find more of them in the article on action verbs. Use numbers when you honestly have them, such as how many customers, how many people in the team, or how often. If you do not have a number, describe the scope in words. Never invent one.

Give more space to recent and relevant jobs. A job from fifteen years ago can be one line. See the article on how far back a CV should go.

## Step 6: How do I list education and training?
List your highest or most relevant qualification first. Give the qualification name, the institution and the year you finished. In South Africa, matric is the National Senior Certificate, and you can write it as "Matric (National Senior Certificate)" with the school name and the year.

Add short courses and licences underneath, such as first aid, a driver's licence code, or a computer course. If a qualification is unfinished, say what you completed, for example "Completed two of three years". Do not imply you graduated.

If you have been working for several years, education usually goes below experience. If you are a school leaver or recent graduate, put it first.

## Step 7: How do I choose which skills to list?
List the skills the job asks for and that you can truly demonstrate. Group them under simple labels, for example "Software", "Equipment" and "Languages". Avoid rating yourself with stars or bars: they tell the reader nothing they can check.

Choose skills that appear in the job advert, and be ready to give an example for each in an interview. If you list "Excel", you should be able to say what you did with it. For soft skills such as teamwork or reliability, show them through your bullets, and keep the list short.

## Step 8: What extras are worth adding?
Add extras only when they help for this job. Good candidates are volunteering, a relevant project, awards, languages you speak, and professional memberships. Hobbies can stay out unless they show something that matters to the role.

References: you can write "References available on request", or leave the line out. Have two people lined up and ask their permission first.

## Step 9: How do I tailor the CV to a job?
Read the advert and underline the tasks it names. Move the matching parts of your CV nearer the top, and use the same plain wording where it is true for you. If the advert asks for "customer service" and you have done that, say "customer service" rather than a different phrase.

Do not add skills you do not have. The aim is to make real experience easy to find. Keep a master version with everything, and make a shorter copy for each application.

## Step 10: How do I check the finished CV?
Check it in four passes:

1. Read it for facts: dates, spelling of employers, phone number.
2. Read it for gaps in time and make sure each can be explained.
3. Read the first half of the first page only. Would a stranger know what you do and what you want?
4. Open the file on a phone and scroll. Is the text readable without zooming?

Ask one other person to read it. A fresh reader will spot things you no longer see. Save it as a PDF unless the employer asks for Word, and name the file with your own name.

## What does a finished CV look like?
Here is the skeleton of a short example for a fictional person, Thandi Mokoena. It is an example only.

**Thandi Mokoena**, Polokwane. Phone and email on one line.

**Profile:** Stock controller with four years in a busy hardware store, comfortable with scanners, weekly counts and receiving deliveries. Looking for a storeroom role where accuracy matters.

**Experience**
Stock Controller, Limpopo Hardware (a made-up employer), Polokwane:
- Counted stock weekly and reported differences to the manager.
- Booked in supplier deliveries and checked them against the order.
- Trained two new packers on the shelving system.

**Education:** National Senior Certificate, plus a short forklift course.

**Skills:** Handheld scanner, basic spreadsheet use, stock records, English and Sepedi.

Notice what is missing: no photo, no long paragraphs, no hobbies list, and no claims that cannot be checked. Every line gives the reader something to ask about in an interview.

## What if my situation does not fit the usual pattern?
Many people do not. Here is how to adapt:

- **Very little experience:** lead with education and projects. See the article on writing a CV with no work experience.
- **A gap in your history:** state it plainly with dates and a short reason, then move on to what you did.
- **Many short jobs:** group them under one heading such as "Temporary and contract work" and list the common tasks.
- **A change of field:** use the profile to explain the direction, and pull forward the skills that carry across.
- **Applying abroad:** formats and personal details vary by country, so look up local norms before you send it.

## How long should the finished CV be?
Most people need one or two pages. A school leaver or someone with little experience can use one. If you have many years of relevant work, two is normal. If you go to a third page, you probably have older detail that can be cut.

## What are the most common mistakes?
- Starting with a long block of paragraphs instead of short bullets.
- Listing duties with no result.
- Using an email address that looks unprofessional.
- Sending the same CV to every job without changing the profile.
- Leaving unexplained gaps with no hint of what happened.
- Cramming in small text to fit everything on one page.

## Frequently asked questions
### What is the first thing I should write on a CV?
Start with your name and contact details at the top, then a short profile of two to four lines. If you are stuck on the profile, write the work experience section first and come back. The profile is easier once you can see what evidence you have.

### Should I write my CV in the first person?
Most CVs drop the "I" and start bullets with an action word, such as "Managed" or "Trained". Avoid full sentences with "I am" throughout. Keep one style across the whole document so it reads smoothly.

### How many jobs should I list?
List the jobs that are relevant and recent, usually the last ten years or so, and fewer if the earlier ones add nothing. If you have many short jobs, group them under one heading. You do not need to list every job you have ever had.

### Do I need a different CV for every job?
You need a different version of the same CV. Keep your facts the same, but adjust the profile and the order of bullets so the parts that match the advert come first. This takes a few minutes once you have a master copy.

## Next steps
Collect your facts today, then write one section at a time, starting with work experience. If you want a guided way to put this together, you can build your CV step by step with [CV Sorted](/cv): it is free to build and preview.

## Related reading
- [CV format: which layout to use and why](/blog/cv-format-guide)
- [What to put on a CV: every section explained](/blog/what-to-put-on-a-cv)
- [How to tailor your CV to a job advert, step by step](/blog/how-to-tailor-your-cv)