How to write a CV employers read

What to put in your CV, in what order, and the mistakes that get CVs set aside.

Keep it short and clear

An employer often looks at a CV for less than a minute before deciding whether to read on. One or two pages is enough for most people. Use a simple layout, one clear font, and headings that are easy to find.

What to include, in this order

Your name and contact details: phone number, email and town. A professional email address helps.
A short summary: two or three lines on who you are and what you're looking for.
Work experience: your most recent job first, with dates, the employer and what you did.
Education: your highest qualification first.
Skills: the ones the job asks for, written the way the advert writes them.
Referees: two or three people who know your work, with their permission.

Your education, written clearly

For each qualification, give the name of the award, the institution, and the years, with your highest qualification first. For example:

Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, University of Dar es Salaam, 2019–2022. GPA 3.8.
Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education (Form Six), Mkwawa High School, 2017–2019. Division I.

Include your grade or division if it helps you. List your final-year project or research title if it relates to the job. Professional qualifications and their registration numbers, such as for accountants, nurses or engineers, belong here too or in a section of their own.

Show what you achieved

Under each job, write what you did and what changed because of it. "Prepared monthly reports for 12 branches" says more than "responsible for reports". Start each line with an action word, such as managed, prepared, sold or trained.

Fit it to each job

Read the advert's requirements and make sure your CV shows them clearly, where they're true for you. If the job asks for Excel and you use it every day, say so. Never claim a qualification or experience you don't have: employers check, and it can cost you the job later.

Common mistakes

Spelling mistakes and wrong phone numbers.
Long paragraphs instead of short lines.
Old jobs described in more detail than recent ones.
Personal details employers don't need, such as religion or marital status.
Sending a Word file when the advert asks for PDF.

Photo and personal details

Many CVs in Tanzania include a date of birth, nationality and a photo. These are not needed unless the advert asks for them. If you add a photo, use a clear, recent one with a plain background and work clothes. Leave out your religion, tribe, marital status, number of children and national ID number: an employer doesn't need them to decide whether you fit the job, and some of these details shouldn't be shared with everyone who sees your CV.

Layout that is easy to read

Use one font throughout, such as Arial or Calibri, at 10 to 12 points for the text.
Make headings slightly larger or bold, and keep the same style for every heading.
Leave white space between sections. A crowded page is hard to read.
Avoid tables, text boxes and columns if you apply through online portals, because some systems can't read them.
Save and send it as a PDF, unless the advert asks for something else.

Kaziplat's CV builder produces a clean, consistent layout and a PDF you can download, so you can focus on the content.

Keep a master CV

Keep one full version of your CV with every job, course and achievement. When you apply for a job, make a copy and shorten it to what matters for that job. This is faster than starting again each time, and you won't forget details from years ago.

Update the master CV whenever something changes: a new job, a finished course, a new responsibility or a result you are proud of.

Check it before you send

Read your CV aloud, slowly, once. Errors you miss on screen are easier to hear. Then ask someone you trust to read it too. Check that your phone number and email work, that dates don't overlap by mistake, and that the job titles match what your employers called them.

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