A general worker CV faces a specific challenge: the role is broad, so the duties often read as generic and every applicant appears similar. The skills section is where you can change that. This page sets out which general worker skills genuinely matter to South African employers, how to evidence them, and how to make a short work history read as capability rather than as a gap.
How Skills Differ From Duties on a General Worker CV
Duties describe what you did in a particular job. Skills describe what you can do anywhere. For general worker roles this distinction is especially useful, because the duties are often similar across employers while the skills you have accumulated may not be.
Keep a short skills section near the top of the CV covering certifications, physical capabilities and practical competencies, then let your duty bullets provide the evidence. For duty wording, see general worker duties for CV.
Practical and Technical Skills
- Manual handling and safe lifting technique.
- Loading and offloading vehicles and containers.
- Operating pallet trucks, and forklifts where certified.
- Use of hand tools and basic power tools.
- Stock handling, counting and basic stock rotation.
- Packing, wrapping and palletising goods.
- Machine feeding or basic machine operation on a production line.
- Cleaning, housekeeping and waste separation.
- Basic maintenance and repair tasks.
- Assembly or component fitting where applicable.
Certifications Worth Listing
Certifications are the fastest way to distinguish a general worker CV, because most applicants do not have them. List any you hold with the expiry date.
- Forklift operator certificate, with the machine class stated.
- Pallet truck or reach truck certification.
- Working at heights certification.
- First aid certification.
- Health and safety representative training.
- Food handling or hygiene certification.
- Fire fighting or emergency response training.
- A valid driving licence, which widens the roles you can be considered for.
Workplace and Personal Skills
- Reliability and consistent attendance, which employers value above almost everything else.
- Punctuality and readiness to start on time for shift work.
- Ability to follow verbal and written instructions accurately.
- Teamwork across different functions and shifts.
- Flexibility to switch between tasks as priorities change.
- Physical stamina for a full shift of active work.
- Health and safety awareness and willingness to report hazards.
- Basic literacy and numeracy for labels, counts and simple records.
- Honesty and trustworthiness where there is unsupervised access to stock.
- Willingness to work shifts, weekends or overtime where required.
How to Evidence Skills Rather Than List Them
Employers see the same adjectives on every general worker CV. Attaching evidence is what makes yours different.
- Instead of hardworking, write maintained full attendance across a twelve-month rotating shift pattern.
- Instead of team player, write assisted picking and packing teams during peak periods to meet dispatch deadlines.
- Instead of safety conscious, write reported racking damage and hazards, contributing to an incident-free area record.
- Instead of quick learner, write trained on and certified to operate a counterbalance forklift within three months.
- Instead of flexible, write worked across receiving, picking and dispatch as allocated by the supervisor.
If You Have Little Work Experience
A short work history is common for general worker applicants and is not a barrier if the CV is built properly. Include any temporary, seasonal, casual or piece work, and describe it as concretely as permanent work. Learnerships, community projects and volunteer work all count when the tasks are described specifically.
Where you have no formal experience, lead with certifications, physical capability and availability. Employers hiring general workers weight reliability and attitude heavily, so an honest CV that shows you turn up and can be trained competes well.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Listing only generic adjectives with nothing to evidence them.
- Leaving out certifications, which are the strongest differentiator available.
- Omitting temporary or casual work that demonstrates real capability.
- Writing duties so vaguely that any applicant could have written them.
- Claiming forklift operation without holding valid certification.
- Failing to state availability for shifts, which many employers screen on.
Related Job Duties and Templates
For duty wording to pair with these skills, see general worker duties for CV. For CV duty wording across other roles, use Duties for CV, and for related positions browse general worker logistics duties.
FAQs
What skills should a general worker put on a CV?
Include practical skills such as manual handling, loading and offloading, stock handling and equipment operation; any certifications held with expiry dates; and workplace skills such as reliability, punctuality, teamwork, flexibility and safety awareness. Certifications are the strongest differentiator.
How do I write a general worker CV with no experience?
Lead with certifications, physical capability and availability for shifts. Include temporary, seasonal, casual, learnership or volunteer work and describe the tasks concretely. Employers hiring general workers weight reliability and willingness to be trained heavily, so an honest, specific CV competes well.
Should I list soft skills on a general worker CV?
Yes, but always with evidence. Reliability and teamwork matter genuinely in this work, so support them with an attendance record, an example of covering another function during a peak, or a hazard you reported. Unsupported adjectives appear on every competing CV.
Which certifications help most for general worker roles?
A forklift operator certificate is usually the most valuable, since it widens the tasks you can be allocated. Working at heights, first aid, food handling and health and safety representative training are also worth listing, along with a valid driving licence.
What should I avoid in a general worker skills section?
Avoid generic adjectives with no evidence, leaving out certifications, omitting casual or temporary work, claiming equipment operation you are not certified for, and failing to state your availability for shifts or overtime.