Job search toolkit for office and admin jobs

Where to find office jobs in South Africa, how to get ready for the interview and any typing or Excel test, free help from government, and how to stay safe from job scams.

Where to find office and admin jobs

Many admin jobs are advertised on the big job sites, often by recruitment agencies. Create a profile on two or three of them, upload your CV, and set up job alerts for the roles and areas you want.

Also check the careers pages of companies you'd like to work for, and tell people you know that you are looking. Set the search to your own town as well as the big cities: many admin jobs are advertised for smaller towns.

Free help from government

ESSA (Employment Services of South Africa) is the Department of Employment and Labour's free job database. Register as a work seeker so employers looking for your skills can find you.

Getting your CV noticed

1. Show the volume and the quality. Calls a day, invoices a month, people you support, accuracy and deadlines met.
2. Match the advert. Use the job title and the systems named in the advert (Excel, Sage Pastel, Xero, SAP, MedEdi, Legal Suite) in your profile and skills, but only the ones you can really use.
3. Keep it to about 2 pages and send a PDF named with your name, e.g. Naledi-Dlamini-CV.pdf.
4. Leave off your ID number, photo and marital status unless the advert asks for them.
5. Add a short cover letter that names the job and your one or two best strengths.
6. Follow up with a short, polite email about a week after you apply.

Brush up your office skills for free

Adverts for admin jobs often name Excel, Word and Outlook, and some mention typing. A few evenings of practice can help before a test.

• Excel and Word: GCFGlobal has free step-by-step lessons for Excel, Word, Outlook and more. Practise formulas, sorting, filters, lookups and tidy formatting.
• Typing: use a free online typing tutor or typing test that shows your words a minute and your accuracy. Only put a typing speed on your CV that you have actually tested.
• Your own files: rebuild a real spreadsheet you use at work, so you can talk about it in the interview.

Preparing for an admin interview

• Some employers test you. A typing test, an Excel task or a short letter are all possible. Do a practice run first.
• Prepare examples: a busy day you kept under control, a mistake you caught, a difficult caller you calmed down, a time you kept something confidential.
• Know the systems on your CV well enough to answer questions about them.
• Know your numbers (calls a day, invoices a month, people you supported) and where each number came from.
• Dress and arrive for the job. For reception and front office roles, how you greet people is part of the interview.
• Ask good questions at the end: who you will support, what a normal day looks like, and which systems you will use.

Documents to have ready

• Your CV as a PDF, and the same CV as a Word file in case a site asks for it.
• Copies of your Matric certificate and any other certificates (ICDL, bookkeeping, payroll, N4 to N6).
• Two references who have agreed to be contacted, with their phone numbers.
• A copy of your driver's licence if the advert asks for one.
• Your ID copy only once you have been invited to a real interview with a company you can check.

How to spot a job scam

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