In South Africa, a résumé is known as a Curriculum Vitae (CV). As is true all over the world, writing a résumé/CV is critical in controlling the image presented to prospective employers. A résumé/CV is a documented record of a jobseeker's skills, education, employment and service. Companies receive dozens of unsolicited job applications a week. Typically, a résumé/CV is initially examined by a reviewer in 25 to 30 seconds. It is believed that more than 95 percent of résumés/CVs fail this reading and are rejected without further review. An applicant gets one chance to make a first impression, so it is important to ensure that it is a good one. If a résumé/CV is to stand out, it must be professionally presented and avoid errors.

The résumé/CV for South Africa should be written in English (United Kingdom), as this is the language of business in this job market. English (United Kingdom) utilizes different spelling from English (United States) or English (Canadian), so candidates should ensure that the résumé/CV is free from errors and poor presentation, as this will reflect negatively.