How to put informal work on your CV
Washing cars, doing hair, selling at the taxi rank, helping at the spaza shop, gardening, cleaning homes, working as a security guard — this is all real work. Here is how to put it on your CV so employers take it seriously.
Many people tell us, "I have never worked before." But when we ask a few questions, it turns out they have been working for years. They washed cars every weekend. They did hair for people in the community. They helped at their aunt's spaza shop. They sold food at the taxi rank.
That is work. You showed up. You served customers. You handled money. You did the job well enough that people came back to you.
The problem is not that you have no experience. The problem is that nobody ever showed you how to write it down.
Informal work counts. If someone paid you for your time or your skill, that is work experience — whether it was a big company or your neighbour down the road.
Step 1: Give yourself a proper job title
This is where most people go wrong. They write "piece jobs" or "just helping out." Those words make real work sound like nothing.
Instead, describe what you actually did, using the same words a company would use. You are not making anything up — you are simply naming the work properly.
Instead of"I washed cars"
WriteCar Wash Attendant
Instead of"I did hair for people"
WriteHairdresser (Self-employed)
Instead of"I helped at a spaza shop"
WriteShop Assistant
Instead of"I sold things at the taxi rank"
WriteStreet Vendor (Self-employed)
Instead of"I cleaned people's houses"
WriteDomestic Worker
Instead of"I cut grass and did gardens"
WriteGardener
If you worked for yourself, adding "(Self-employed)" is honest and it shows something good about you — that you found your own customers and ran your own small business.
Step 2: Say what you actually did
A job title alone does not tell a manager much. What convinces them is the detail — what you did every day, and what you did well.
Think about your work and ask yourself: Did I handle money? Did I deal with customers? Did I work early or late? Did people come back to me? Did I look after tools or stock? Did I work without anyone watching me?
Car Wash Attendant — I washed cars.
Car Wash Attendant
• Washed and cleaned up to 15 cars a day, inside and outside.
• Handled cash payments from customers and kept my money correct.
• Built up regular customers who came back and asked for me.
• Worked in all weather and always arrived on time.
Look at what that second version shows a manager: you can handle a workload, you are honest with money, customers like you, and you are reliable. Those are exactly the things managers look for — and they were true all along. They just needed to be written down.
💡 Send My CV helps here: When we ask what you did in the job, take your time and write down everything you can remember. Once your CV is finished, tap 📝 Improve my CV from the menu — we read through your CV and tell you exactly where it looks thin and what to add to make it stronger. You can then tap Edit my CV to add it. You can do this once a day, so there is time to make the changes.
Open WhatsApp →
Step 3: What to put for "employer" when it was your neighbour
This is the question we get asked most, and it stops a lot of people. You did not work for a company. You worked for people in your community. So what do you write?
Here are the honest options:
If you worked for yourself
Write "Self-employed" as the employer. This is completely normal and honest, and many people do it. You can add your area, like "Self-employed — Soweto."
If you worked for a small business
Use the name of the shop or business, even if it is small. "Mama Thandi's Spaza Shop" is a real employer. Small does not mean less real.
If you worked for private people
Write something like "Private household" or "Private clients." If you cleaned homes for a few different families, "Private households — Tembisa" is honest and clear.
If it was family
You can still put it. Write the business name if there is one, or "Family business." Be honest about it — employers understand that many people start out helping family, and it still shows you know how to work.
The golden rule: never make up a company that does not exist. Being honest about informal work is much stronger than inventing a formal job — because if you are caught in a lie, you lose the job and your good name.
Step 4: What about how long you worked?
Many people worry because their informal work was on and off — some weekends, some school holidays, busy in December and quiet in February.
You do not need exact dates. What matters is roughly how long you kept doing it. If you washed cars most weekends for two years, that is two years of work — even though it was not every day.
Add up the whole time from when you started to when you stopped, and be honest. Showing that you kept at something for a year or two tells an employer you are reliable and can stick at a job. That matters far more than exact dates.
💡 Send My CV makes this easy: We do not ask you for dates. We just ask you to choose how long you did the work from a simple list — anything from less than a month up to more than five years. Pick the one that is closest and you are done.
Start my free CV →Step 5: Do not hide it — lead with it
Some people put their informal work right at the bottom of the CV, almost apologising for it. Do not do that.
If informal work is your main experience, it belongs in your Work Experience section, near the top, written properly. It is the evidence you have that you can work. Treat it with respect and the employer will too.
💡 Not sure if it counts? If you tell Send My CV that you have never had a formal job, we do not stop there. We show you a list of everyday things people do — like helping in the community, caring for family, or working for yourself — and you pick the ones that fit you. Then we turn them into proper CV entries. Type MENU to get started.
Open WhatsApp →A quick example, start to finish
Here is what it looks like when someone puts it all together:
"I don't really have experience. I just did piece jobs — I helped at a spaza shop and I did hair sometimes."
Shop Assistant
Mama Thandi's Spaza Shop · Diepkloof · 1 – 2 years
• Served customers and handled cash payments every day.
• Packed shelves and checked stock so the shop never ran out.
• Opened and closed the shop on my own when the owner was away.
Hairdresser (Self-employed)
Self-employed · Diepkloof · 3 – 4 years
• Built up my own regular customers through good work and word of mouth.
• Managed my own bookings, prices and money.
• Worked evenings and weekends to fit around customers' time.
Same person. Same life. But now an employer can see someone who is trusted with money, trusted with a shop, good with customers, and able to run things without being watched.
What else Send My CV can do for you
Writing your informal work down properly is just the start. Everything below is free, and all of it happens right here on WhatsApp — just type MENU and choose what you need.
- ✏️ Edit my CV — change any part of your CV as many times as you like, then get a fresh PDF straight away. You can edit right here on WhatsApp, or open your CV on a web page where you can see and change everything on one screen.
- 💻 Build your CV on a web page — if you would rather fill everything in on one page instead of answering questions in the chat, you can. Your finished CV still comes back to your WhatsApp.
- 🔍 Improve my CV — we read your CV and tell you exactly what is missing and what would make it stronger.
- ✉️ Cover letter — make a cover letter for a job, or a motivation letter for a learnership. Answer a few questions and we write it for you.
- 💡 Interview advice — get advice for your interview, or do a practice interview where you answer real questions by voice note and get feedback.
- 🤝 Add a reference — add someone who can speak for you, so employers can see you are trusted.
- 🎨 Change CV style — try a different look for your CV.
- 💼 Find a job — see jobs that match what is on your CV.
You have probably worked harder than you give yourself credit for. Your CV just needs to say so.
Let us help you write it down
Send My CV turns your real experience — formal or informal — into a professional CV. Free, in about 10 minutes, right on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Do piece jobs count as work experience on a CV?
Yes. If someone paid you for your time or your skill, that is work experience — whether it was a big company or your neighbour down the road. Washing cars, doing hair, selling at the taxi rank, gardening and domestic work all count. The key is to write it properly, with a real job title and a few lines about what you did.
What job title should I use for informal work?
Describe what you actually did, using the same words a company would use. "I washed cars" becomes Car Wash Attendant. "I did hair for people" becomes Hairdresser (Self-employed). "I helped at a spaza shop" becomes Shop Assistant. You are not making anything up — you are simply naming the work properly.
What do I write as the employer if I worked for myself or for people in my community?
If you worked for yourself, write "Self-employed" — you can add your area, like "Self-employed — Soweto". If you worked for a small business, use its real name, even if it is small. If you cleaned homes for different families, write "Private households" and your area. If it was a family business, say so. Never invent a company that does not exist.
What if my informal work was on and off, or I do not know the exact dates?
You do not need exact dates. Add up the whole time from when you started to when you stopped and be honest — if you washed cars most weekends for two years, that is two years of work. On Send My CV you do not enter dates at all; you simply choose how long you did the work from a list, from less than a month up to more than five years.
Where should informal work go on my CV?
In your Work Experience section — and if informal work is your main experience, it belongs near the top, not hidden at the bottom. It is the evidence you have that you can work. Treat it with respect and the employer will too.
You have been working all along. Now let your CV say so. Start your free CV on WhatsApp →