CV Writing Guide
Written by the SA Bursary Hub Editorial Team · Published on · 5 min read
How to write a strong one-page student CV for bursary applications, even with no formal work experience.
Keep it to one page
Bursary panels read hundreds of CVs. One clean page, in a standard font at 11pt, with clear headings, beats three pages of dense text every time.
What to include
- Full name, city, phone number and a professional email address
- A two-line personal summary naming your field of study and goal
- Education: school or institution, year, and your best results
- Achievements: academic awards, top-of-class subjects, competitions
- Leadership: prefect, class representative, team captain, church or community roles
- Skills: languages, computer literacy, laboratory or technical skills
- References: two people who have agreed to be contacted
No work experience? No problem
Volunteering, tutoring younger learners, helping in a family business, running a sports team or organising a school event all demonstrate responsibility and initiative. Describe what you did and the result, not just the title.
Common mistakes
- Spelling errors, read it aloud and ask someone else to check
- An informal email address
- Listing every subject instead of your strongest results
- Photographs, coloured backgrounds or graphics that hide the content
SA Bursary Hub editorial team
This guide is written from the South African application process and reviewed before publication. It is general guidance, not funder policy. How we verify information.