Job requirements are the criteria an employer sets for a role, covering qualifications, experience, skills and any legal prerequisites such as a licence, registration or clearance. They separate what is genuinely required from what the employer would prefer.
Reading a job advertisement accurately is a skill in itself. Advertisements usually mix essential requirements, which exclude you if unmet, with preferred attributes, which do not. Applicants routinely disqualify themselves by treating the second as the first.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Most South African job requirements fall into the following categories.
- Qualifications: a specific certificate, diploma or degree
- Experience: a number of years in a defined role or sector
- Legal prerequisites: professional registration, a licence or a permit to work
- Clearances: a criminal record check, credit check or medical assessment
- Skills: technical competencies, languages or software
- Practical conditions: a driving licence, own transport or shift availability
Education and Subject Requirements
Where a qualification is a legal prerequisite, as in nursing, teaching, law or engineering, it genuinely cannot be substituted. Where it is an employer preference, relevant experience frequently can substitute for it.
If you meet most but not all of a specification, apply anyway unless the gap is a legal prerequisite. Employers commonly shortlist candidates who meet the essential criteria and some of the preferred ones.
Age, Fitness, Licence and Background Requirements
Employers may require background checks, but there are limits. Credit checks are generally only permitted where the role justifies them, and you must consent to checks being carried out.
Applicants who are not South African citizens need a permit allowing them to work, and employers are obliged to verify it. This is a legal prerequisite rather than a preference.
Documents and Evidence Required
Expect to provide the following.
- A certified copy of your identity document
- Your National Senior Certificate or highest qualification
- A curriculum vitae setting out your experience
- Certified copies of any relevant qualifications or certificates
- A police clearance certificate, where the role requires one
Application and Selection Process
Address the stated requirements directly in your application. Recruiters and screening systems look for evidence against the specification, and an application that does not reference it is easily passed over.
Prepare your documents in advance: certified copies, a police clearance where the sector commonly requires one, and contactable references. Delays at that stage cost offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I apply if I do not meet every requirement?
Yes, unless the gap is a legal prerequisite such as a required registration or licence. Employers commonly shortlist candidates meeting the essential criteria.
Can an employer run a credit check on me?
Only where the role justifies it, and with your consent. There are limits on when credit checks are permitted.
What counts as a legal prerequisite?
Professional registration, a licence, a permit allowing you to work, or a clearance required by law for the role.
How do I tell essential from preferred requirements?
Advertisements usually distinguish them explicitly. Where they do not, legal prerequisites are essential and most other criteria are negotiable.
Confirm requirements with the employer directly where an advertisement is unclear, and confirm any professional registration requirement with the relevant council. Browse all career requirements.