Quick answer
Find a vacancy from an employer you can identify, read the whole advert, apply only if you meet the essential requirements, and submit exactly what that advert asks for before the closing time. Keep a copy. Then prepare examples you can talk about if you are invited to an interview.
1. Find a suitable vacancy
Start with the employer's own careers page, a government vacancy circular, or a labour centre. The Department of Employment and Labour says its Employment Services of South Africa matching service is free, and that private employment agencies may not charge a work seeker for placement.
A suitable vacancy is one where you meet the qualification and location, or where the advert says it will train a beginner. A job you like but cannot qualify for wastes the application. Skip adverts with no employer name, no duties and a request for a fee.
2. Read the advert
Read it once for the job and a second time for the instructions. Note the title, employer, reference number, location, closing date, qualification, experience, documents and how to submit. Instructions at the bottom are part of the advert.
3. Check eligibility
Separate what you must have from what would be an advantage. If the advert says a National Senior Certificate is required and you are awaiting results, apply only if it says current matriculants may apply. If it asks for a driver's licence you do not have, do not apply and hope.
Citizenship, age and location rules are real on some programmes, especially in the public service and in funded youth programmes. Read them. They are not the same for every job.
4. Prepare the CV
Use a CV that puts the matching evidence first. For a first job that evidence may be education, a project or volunteering. Do not invent employment. The CV Builder can hold the draft. Change the CV when the next advert asks for something different.
5. Prepare a cover letter when it is useful
The government CV page says a cover letter should go with a CV and should be a few short paragraphs on why you are suitable. Include one when you are emailing an application or when the advert asks for a motivation. If the online form has no upload for a letter, use the form's own questions instead of forcing an attachment.
6. Prepare the documents
Collect only what this advert requests. Common requests include:
- A certified copy of your identity document.
- A statement of results or National Senior Certificate.
- An academic record for tertiary study.
- A driver's licence, if the job needs one.
- Proof of residence, for some programmes.
Certification rules differ. Some employers want copies certified within a set number of months. Certify what the advert asks for, and do not send original certificates. Do not email a pack of personal documents to an address that is not on the employer's own advert.
7. Complete the application
Answer every required field. Use the reference number. If a question does not apply, follow the form's instruction, which may be to write not applicable. An empty required field is a common reason an online system will not let you submit.
For a public-service post, the Z83 and the CV are different documents. Complete both when the advert says so. The Z83 tool on this site opens the official PDF. It does not submit the form.
8. Submit the way the advert says
Email, a portal, a hand delivery or a specific website are not interchangeable. Use the address in the advert. Submit before the closing date and, if a time is given, before that time. A late application is usually not considered, even if the CV is strong.
Check the domain before you upload documents. A careers page should sit on the employer's own site or a portal the advert names. A lookalike address, or a request to pay a refundable fee at a retailer, matches scams the Department of Employment and Labour has warned about.
9. Keep a record
- Save the advert, or a screenshot if it may be taken down.
- Save the CV and letter you sent.
- Save the email, the portal reference number, or the receipt.
- Write the closing date and the contact person in one place.
If the portal sends no confirmation, check the junk mail and the status page once. Sending the same application many times can create duplicate records. Follow the advert's instruction for queries.
10. Prepare for an interview
An invitation means the employer wants examples, not a repeat of your biography. Prepare three stories from school, projects or any work: a task you finished, a problem you handled, and a time you worked with other people. Know the employer's name and the duties in the advert.
Interviews differ. Some are in person, some are online, and some include a test. The invitation should say which. If it asks you to pay for the interview or to bring cash, stop and verify the employer on an official number.
Common mistakes
- Applying for everything, including posts whose qualification you do not have.
- Sending a CV without the reference number the advert requires.
- Missing the closing time because you started scanning documents that day.
- Paying a third party to submit the application.
- Forgetting which version of the CV you sent.
Information can change
Rules, forms, closing dates and programme requirements change. Treat this guide as a way to prepare and to know what to check. The official page for the institution, employer or funder is the version that applies to your application.
Official sources
- Work seekers warned not to payThe Department of Employment and Labour says employment services must not be charged to work seekers.
- Finding a jobOfficial notes on labour centres, ESSA, CVs and private employment agencies.
- Compiling a curriculum vitaeGovernment guidance on the CV and cover letter that accompany an application.
Prepare the CV before you fill in the application.
CV Builder →Draft a letter when the advert asks for one.
Cover letter →Read current job listings and open the employer's own advert before you apply.
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