CV Writing In Kenya: 5 Quick Tips From An Expert

If you really want to get that job you applied for or that dream job you’ve always wanted, the first step is to have a professional CV. A professional CV is what will sell you to the recruiter or employer as a qualified candidate, leading to your being called for an interview.

So, if you are applying to jobs and not getting interviews, the number one problem could be that you have a bad CV.

So, how do you fix this? How do you identify if the CV you are currently using is good enough for the job? The answer is simple; have a professional take a quick look at it. Like a recruiter, a professional CV writer will scan your document in a few seconds and let you know if it’s a keeper or not.

To better understand what a professional CV writer will be looking at to evaluate if your CV is a keeper or not, here are a few pointers.

CV Writing Tips From A Professional CV Writer

1. Ensure the format you agree on is consistent through the CV
Melody Mwendwa, a Professional CV Writer at Corporate Staffing Services says the first thing that will put off the employer from reading your CV is the format used. “A job candidate should emphasize on a neat CV, from the font style, font size and even the arrangement. The CV should be appealing.”

As a job seeker, you must understand that recruiters do not begin reading your CV from the top. They start by skimming through the document, which triggers them to either read it to see qualifications, or move on to the next. So, if your CV has a mix up in fonts and is just haphazard, that will probably end up in the ‘Not to be read’ section. Make sure you have a neat CV.

SEE ALSO >>> Have Your CV Reviewed And Get A Free Career Book

2. The Position held And Duties & Responsibilities are a requirement
Some candidates leave out information about the position they held, only indicating the company they worked at. Some forget to include their duties and responsibilities for each position. Big company or not, the position you held is very important for the job you are applying for.

Remember recruiters receive a large pool of CVs and cannot afford to take time trying to find out what position you held, so always make it very clear.

3. Contact details are not optional
Once recruiters identify you as a suitable candidate, the next step is to invite you for the interview. If they can’t find your contact details or you left ones that you cannot be reached on, then that becomes a problem

Just because you sent your application by email does not mean that recruiters will invite you for an email through the email, remember the large pool of candidates applying. The recruiter might keep you pending and end up not going back to your CV in the end.

4. Your personal profile is important
Employers are different across organizations, some may not be interested by your personal profile but others will. The same is common across professions. If you come across advice telling you it is not required, always remember that employers are always different.

To be on the safe side, always include it. The Kenyan job market wants people who can describe themselves at the snap of a finger, demonstrate that you can do exactly that.

5. Language & grammatical mistakes are not acceptable

You do not know who is going to be looking at your CV, meaning that your CV may probably end up with someone who is sensitive about grammar and little mistakes. While grammatical errors may not leave you out from a job entirely, it could be the reason a recruiter passes you as not fully qualified.

Picture a job that requires you to be detail oriented, if you have a couple of mistakes, chances are somebody else will be picked instead of you.

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Elizabeth is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a leading Recruitment firm that offers CV Writing, Job Placement & Career Advice. If you have any queries, contact elizabeth@corporatestaffing.co.ke