Maximizing on the Curriculum Vitae.
Eugene Odhiambo, a graduate from one of the local the universities, had been job hunting for
over one and a half years.
In 2018, after graduating with a second class upper in his Bachelor of Commerce class
Finance option, Odhiambo had dreams of getting employment as he planned his future.
He borrowed newspapers and scoured the internet as he looked for vacancies and openings
for employment opportunities in local firms. He also tried his luck at both the national and
county governments.
The herculean task was dropping his three-page curriculum vitae accompanied by copies of
his academic certificates and testimonials both physically and online.
Odhiambo dropped so many CVs with none of his prospective employers reverting with
positive feedback or just acknowledgement of his interest on an advertised position.
Over 18 months without meaningful employment, Odhiambo had reached a breaking point.
He thought villagers had conspired to have him suffer in this city full of concrete or rather
shamba la mawe.
One day as he was watching local news on TV, deep in thoughts, the news anchor of a local
channel said that after the bulletin, they will have a human resource expert talk about what
they expect from job-seekers.
The expert from a renowned human resource firm in Kenya addressed the do's and don'ts
while writing a CV. He had these to say;
The Do's:
 Choose the right type of CV. There three commonly used CV types:
-Chronological CV: This is by far the most widely used format and outlines your
work experience and education.
-Functional CV: Also known as ‘Skills-Based’, this CV puts the spotlight on your
achievements and skills rather than on experience and education.
-Combination CV: This format is a mixture of both a functional and chronological
CV.
 Keep it concise with no more than two sides or two pages.
 Choose the right font: Times New Roman is one of the most commonly used fonts but
you may find that Cambria or Calibri are better options for digital application. The
ideal font size is 12. The CV needs to be nice and easy to read.
 Begin sentences with verbs, rather than writing in the first person.
 Outline your career history, starting with the most recent first, clarifying any gaps
 Bullet-point your achievements and responsibilities, providing more information from
your more recent roles. Use power words like ‘achieved’, ‘supervised’, ‘launched’
and ‘co-ordinated’, when describing your work achievements
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List your education and qualifications, starting with the most recent first.
Include your skills, relevant training and spoken languages.
Ensure any outlined hobbies and interests are brief.
State that ‘Referees can be provided on request’.
Check it for grammatical error and spelling mistakes. Ask someone else to check it
also/proof read.
 Personal Statement-write a personal statement that identifies your strengths and
immediately shows that you have the right skills for the job.
 You should attach a cover letter to your CV whether it is specified or not. It is the
perfect way to reinforce your application
The Don’ts..
 However tempting, don’t make your CV too long – your CV needs to reflect all of
your selling points, nothing else.
 Don’t include unnecessary information such as age, nationality, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, health status and marital status and religion (unless required to do so).
 Do not include a photograph of yourself on your CV unless necessary – the vast
majority of professional jobs go to the person with the best looking CV, not the
photograph.
 Do not use clichés. Everyone likes to say they’re a team player with great
communication skills who can work under pressure. Instead, use your experience to
demonstrate how you can do those things
 Don’t lie or embellish the truth on your CV – things are easily checked and a small
untruth could blow your chance of success.
 Do not list every process or entity you’ve ever worked with, trained on, heard of or
read on the job specification.
 Don’t Use tables and graphics to create impressions on your CV.
 Never use inappropriate e-mail addresses or social media usernames names that look
unprofessional or coded for example; @Trickster123
 Don’t be tempted to shrink the font or reduce the margins to get more information in
 Do not include pages of obscure testimonials, references, newspaper cuttings and
brochures.
 Do not handwrite your CV. The hiring manager may not be able to read your
handwriting.
 Don’t include fluff such as a long list of schools you attended or hobbies you enjoy. If
it doesn’t help you get the job, do not include it.
 You shouldn’t even try to explain work history gaps in your cover letter or CV. The
time and place for such explanations is during the interview.
 Do not add negative information- Never mention divorces, failed exams, and failed
business start-up attempts. Similarly, don’t complain about a previous employer or
even give reasons why you left.
 Never include jargon, technical terms and acronyms to a CV not unless it is necessary.
 Don’t Mention Money-All mentions of salaries and benefits can wait until the
interview stage and only when asked about remuneration.
Above all, the human resource expert said that a good attitude, creativity and being
able to re-establish oneself is what will separate the go-getters and the casual youth
seeking self-employment or to be employed.
Ends…