Thandiwe throws herself at her mother as soon she walks through the door from work. Noma tosses her purse onto the sofa and catches Thandiwe.

“Why so much excitement?” Noma asks, after they break the hug.

“I received a call from a Siyakhula principal. I have an interview with him tomorrow,” Thandiwe says.

“God is great! He’s truly worth to be praised,” Noma says, tears dripping down as she sits down.

“Don’t worry, my child. These are tears of happiness. I’ll finally sleep well tonight. What makes me even happier is that Siyakhula is nearby,” Noma says.

When Noma’s overjoyed, she cries. When she’s hurt, she cries. Thandiwe knows this but she never gets used to it. She always worries when her mother cries.

Thandiwe wakes up at seven o’clock in the morning and prepares to go to Siyakhula. She’s on the taxi to the school by half-past nine.

She walks into the school through the main entrance and goes straight to the reception.

“Good morning, my name is Thandiwe Velani. I have a job interview with Principal Jobela. Could you tell me where I can find him?” Thandiwe says.

“Turn to your right and you’ll see a door with the words “Principal Z Jobela”. Before the door, you’ll see a long bench. Sit there and wait for him because he’s currently occupied with another interview,” the lady replies, pointing to the right.

“Thanks,” Thandiwe says.

Thandiwe waits for the principal. She becomes hopeful when she doesn’t find anyone else sitting there. After a few minutes, Principal Jobela comes out with a young man. The young man looks happy as he walks by, waving at Thandiwe. She starts getting worried and doesn’t even notice Principal Jobela, who is waiting for her to walk inside.

“Are you not here for a job interview, Miss?” Principal asks, looking annoyed. He’s holding the door with his left hand and a pen with his right.

“Sorry, Principal. Yes, I’m here for the job interview,” Thandiwe says, jumping into Principal Jobela’s office.

Principal Jobela asks Thandiwe to sit down after brief greetings. He also sits, facing Thandiwe. Between them, there’s a desk with loose papers and a small book that the principal is using to take notes. Thandiwe moves her eyes around the office quickly. Behind Principal Jobela, on the wall, his certificate of qualification is hanging. She went to the same university as the principal, though she was still breastfeeding when Principal Jobela got his teaching qualification.

“Tell me about yourself, Miss Velani,” Principal Jobela says, looking at Thandiwe.

Thandiwe has been asked this question in every interview she’s been to, but still, her heart beats near her throat when she has to answer.

“My name is Thandiwe Velani. I was born and raised in Masiphumelele. I went to Zwelethemba Primary School and Khulani High School where I excelled in Mathematics. Because I love sharing information, I decided to pursue a career in teaching. I graduated two years ago but I haven’t received an opportunity to teach yet,” Thandiwe says.

Principal Jobela raises his eyebrows and scans through Thandiwe’s CV after she mentions she has never practised teaching.

Tell us: Have you ever had to write a CV? What information is important to include?