Writing a resume or a CV for a specific role seems easy until you actually start doing it yourself, and most times people just end up paying huge amounts of money to have “job hunting coaches” write for them. However, it’s not that hard to draft, you only need a guide and a smart format to write it yourself.
A resume is personal and I do feel only you and your hiring manager should know your business. Right? 🤷♂️
So, what is the difference between a CV and a Resume?
A resume is a brief 1-2 page summary of your skills and work experience tailored for specific roles.
A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a comprehensive document listing your entire academic and professional history that include education, publications and awards , it’s mostly used for academic, medical or international positions.
In Kenya, we often use ‘CV’ to mean resume, but the key difference is length and sometimes purpose: resumes are more of snapshots while CVs are detailed career records.
To get it right, always read the advertised role carefully so that you can know what you need to focus on when writing tour resume
Follow this simple guide to write your resume whether you’re fresh out of college or experienced in the workplace.
Formatting Rules
- Font: Use 11pt–12pt for body text; 14pt–16pt for headings.
- Font Style: Stick to Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, or Garamond.
- Length: 1 page is ideal or 2 pages max for experienced candidates
- Spacing: Keep it uniform use 1.0 line spacing
- Margins: 0.5–1.0 inch on word doc standard for readability
- File Format: Save as PDF unless specified otherwise
- Bullet Points: Use them for clarity 3 to 5 per role, no huge paragraphs
- ATS-Friendly: Avoid tables/graphics – most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems nowadays.
- Keywords: Mirror phrases from the job description e.g., if they want “SEO,” include it.
Avoid:
- Underlining, tables, or graphics ATS scanners cant these
- Fancy fonts, colors, or decorations.
What NOT to Include Unless It’s Specified On The Ad
- Personal Details: Age, sex, religion, ID number, or home address. Remember we have lots of scam job ads on the internet and your information can be used to commit crimes or con you.
- Photos: Unless explicitly requested like in modeling/acting roles.
- Irrelevant Info: Hobbies, marital status, or non-professional social media.
What to INCLUDE
Work Experience
- Job Title: Correct and specific like “Marketing Executive” not “Marketing Staff”
- Company Name: Full official name and location like “Safaricom PLC, Nairobi”
- Dates: Month/Year – Month/Year like: “Jan 2020 – Present”
- Achievements: Use bullet points with quantified results like: “Increased sales by 30% in Q1 2023”
- Tenses: Past tense for old roles, present tense for current roles.
Skills
- Technical Skills: List tools/software like: “QuickBooks, Zendesk, Advanced Excel”
- Soft Skills: Avoid clichés like “hardworking.” “Can handle pressure” Be specific like: “Stakeholder Management”
- Certifications: Include issuing body plus date like: “CPA K – ICPAK, 2019”
Education should be in Reverse chronological order
- Degree/Certificate: Official names e.g. “BSc. Computer Science, University of Nairobi”
- Graduation Date: Month and Year e.g. “June 2015”
- Relevant Extras: Awards, thesis, or coursework e.g. “Best Final Year Project, 2021”
Extras
- Professional Memberships: e.g. “Member, Kenya Institute of Management”
- Volunteer Work: Only if relevant to the job in question.
- Adjust your resume for every job, don’t go auto sharing those generic submissions! Ai is here and your application will be filtered if it’s not relevant to the particular role.
Finally:
Your resume is your first interview, it gets you noticed before they even see your face. Make it count by keeping it relevant, to the point, and ATS scannable.
PS: Unless it’s stated so, or it’s a known company, do not include your references contact details in the resume or CV, just in case it’s a scam or people who just want to steal data.
Best of luck! 🙌
Anything I’ve left out? Lemme know in the comments!