Applying for a Zambian government job: CV and cover letter notes
How public-service applications in Zambia differ from private sector, and how to format a CV for them.
Follow the advert exactly
Public service adverts usually specify required documents: certified copies of certificates, NRC copy, a cover letter addressed to a named officer. These are screening criteria, not suggestions. An excellent CV in an incomplete envelope is discarded before anyone reads it.
Formal and conservative
A plain single-column CV in a standard face is the right choice. Design-led layouts read as inappropriate in this context and gain you nothing. Match the qualification wording in the advert to your own qualifications line by line so a reviewer can tick each requirement without hunting.
Cover letter
Address it to the specific officer named in the advert. State the position and reference number in the first line. Three short paragraphs is plenty: why you are applying, what you have done that matches the stated requirements, and your availability.