Work Readiness Program
Resume Building
Resume Building
The Purpose of a Resume
Your resume has one job: to get you an interview. It is not your life story. It is a marketing document that shows an employer why you are worth 30 minutes of their time.
Recruiters spend an average of 7 seconds scanning a resume before deciding to read further or discard it.
Resume Structure
[FULL NAME]
[Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn] | [City]
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
2–3 sentences. Who you are, what you offer, what you're looking for.
SKILLS
• Skill 1 • Skill 2 • Skill 3 • Skill 4 • Skill 5
EXPERIENCE
Job Title — Company Name (Month Year – Month Year)
• Achievement or responsibility (use action verbs + numbers)
• Achievement or responsibility
• Achievement or responsibility
EDUCATION
Qualification — Institution (Year)
CERTIFICATIONS / COURSES
Course Name — Provider (Year)
❌ Weak Resume Entry
Cashier — Pick n Pay
- Did cashier things
- Helped customers
- Was responsible for the till
Problems: Vague, passive, no numbers, no impact shown.
Strong Resume Entry
Cashier & Customer Service — Pick n Pay (Jan 2023 – Dec 2023)
- Processed an average of 150+ customer transactions daily with 99% accuracy
- Resolved customer complaints on the spot, maintaining a 4.8/5 satisfaction rating
- Trained 3 new team members on POS systems and store procedures
Why it works: Specific numbers, action verbs, shows real impact.
Action Verbs to Use
Instead of "responsible for" or "helped with", use:
| Category | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Led, Managed, Coordinated, Directed |
| Achievement | Achieved, Delivered, Improved, Increased |
| Communication | Presented, Negotiated, Trained, Advised |
| Analysis | Analysed, Researched, Evaluated, Identified |
| Creation | Built, Designed, Developed, Created |
Resume Rules
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep it to 1 page (2 max) | Recruiters won't read more |
| Use a clean, simple font (Arial, Calibri) | Fancy fonts are hard to read |
| No photos (in SA, this is standard) | Avoids unconscious bias |
| Save as PDF | Preserves formatting across devices |
| Tailor it for each job | Match keywords from the job description |
| No spelling errors | One typo can disqualify you |
| Use consistent formatting | Shows attention to detail |
The "So What?" Test
For every bullet point on your resume, ask: "So what?"
- "Helped customers" → So what? → "Resolved 20+ customer complaints weekly, reducing escalations by 30%"
- "Used Excel" → So what? → "Built Excel dashboards tracking weekly sales for a team of 8"
If your bullet point doesn't answer "so what?", rewrite it.
Free Resume Tools
- Canva (canva.com) — beautiful, free templates
- Google Docs — simple, professional, easy to share
- LinkedIn — export your profile as a PDF resume
- Novoresume (novoresume.com) — ATS-friendly templates
Resume Checklist
- Full name and contact details at the top
- Professional summary (2–3 sentences)
- Skills section with 5+ relevant skills
- All experience entries use action verbs
- At least one number/metric per experience entry
- Education section complete
- No spelling or grammar errors
- Saved as PDF
- Under 2 pages
- Tailored to the specific job you're applying for
Mindfulness Moment
Building a resume can feel overwhelming — especially if you feel like you "don't have enough experience."
Here's the truth: everyone starts somewhere. Volunteer work, school projects, part-time jobs, community involvement — all of it counts. Your job is to frame it professionally.
Take 3 deep breaths. Then write down 5 things you've done in your life that you're proud of. Those are the seeds of your resume.
📺 Watch: How to Write a Resume With No Experience
Specifically for people entering the job market for the first time — how to frame your skills, education, and life experience into a resume that gets noticed.