A strong CV doesn’t need to be flashy — it needs to be clear, accurate, and easy for both recruiters and screening software to read. Yet many qualified candidates in Kenya lose out on interviews not because of a lack of skills, but because of avoidable CV mistakes that quietly work against them. Here are the most common ones, and exactly how to fix each.

1. Including a Photo, Age, and Marital Status by Default

Many CV templates used in Kenya still include a passport photo, date of birth, marital status, and even religion or tribe as standard fields. While not always disqualifying, this practice is increasingly discouraged, especially for roles at multinational companies, NGOs, and organisations with formal diversity and bias-reduction hiring policies. Some ATS systems and HR policies flag or ignore CVs with embedded photos entirely.

The fix: Unless a photo is explicitly requested (common for some hospitality, media, or front-office roles), leave it out. Include only information directly relevant to your ability to do the job.

2. An Overcrowded, Multi-Page CV Full of Irrelevant Detail

It’s common to see CVs running 4–6 pages, listing every training, every task performed in every role since school. Recruiters reviewing hundreds of applications typically spend under a minute on a first pass — an overloaded CV makes it harder to find what’s relevant, not easier.

The fix: Keep your CV to 2 pages for most professional roles (3 maximum for extensive senior careers). Prioritise recent and relevant experience; older or unrelated roles can be summarised in one line rather than a full breakdown.

3. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

A common pattern: “Responsible for managing customer complaints and handling inquiries.” This describes what the job required, not what the candidate actually accomplished — and it’s identical to what every other candidate for a similar role would write.

The fix: Rewrite duties as measurable achievements. For example: “Resolved an average of 40+ customer complaints weekly, improving satisfaction scores by 15% over six months.” Numbers, outcomes, and specific results make a CV memorable and credible.

4. Generic Objective Statements

Objectives like “Seeking a challenging position in a reputable organisation where I can utilise my skills for mutual growth” appear on countless CVs and say nothing specific about the candidate or the role applied for.

The fix: Replace the generic objective with a tailored professional summary — 3 to 4 lines highlighting your specific expertise, years of experience, and what you bring to that particular role or industry.

5. Inconsistent or Confusing Formatting

Mixed fonts, inconsistent date formats, misaligned bullet points, and unpredictable spacing make a CV look careless, even when the content is strong. This is especially damaging for roles requiring attention to detail — finance, administration, quality assurance.

The fix: Use one font throughout, consistent date formatting (e.g. “Jan 2022 – Present” everywhere, not mixed with “2022-2023” elsewhere), and uniform spacing and bullet styles across all sections.

6. Unexplained Employment Gaps Left as a Red Flag

Leaving a visible gap in your work history unaddressed often leads recruiters to assume the worst, or simply move on to a candidate with a cleaner timeline, rather than ask for an explanation.

The fix: Briefly account for significant gaps — further studies, caregiving responsibilities, freelance work, upskilling — in one line. You don’t need to over-explain, but an unaddressed gap invites more doubt than a short, honest one.

7. Spelling and Grammar Errors

Typos and grammatical errors are one of the fastest ways a CV gets set aside, particularly for roles involving writing, communication, or client-facing responsibilities, where such errors directly suggest a risk in the role itself.

The fix: Proofread carefully, read the CV aloud, and ideally have someone else review it before submission. Free tools like Grammarly can catch errors, but a second human reader remains the most reliable check.

8. Using the Same CV for Every Application

A CV that isn’t tailored to the specific role or industry reads as generic, and increasingly fails to match the keywords an ATS is scanning for in a specific job description.

The fix: Adjust your professional summary, reorder or re-emphasise relevant experience, and incorporate keywords from the specific job advert for each application. This doesn’t mean rewriting the whole CV each time — targeted adjustments are enough.

9. Listing References as “Available Upon Request”

This phrase is outdated and adds no value — if a recruiter wants references, they’ll ask. Including it simply takes up space that could be used for more relevant content.

The fix: Remove the line entirely unless the job advert specifically asks for references to be listed upfront. If they are requested, list actual names, titles, and contact details rather than the placeholder phrase.

10. Poor File Naming and Format Choices

Submitting a CV saved as “Document1.docx” or “CV final final v2.docx” looks unprofessional and can get lost among dozens of similarly generic filenames in a recruiter’s inbox or applicant system.

The fix: Save your file as “FirstName_LastName_CV.docx” and use the file format specified in the job advert — typically Word (.docx) for ATS compatibility, or PDF only when specifically requested.

Final Thought

Most CV mistakes are small individually, but together they create the impression of a rushed or careless application — often enough to cost an interview regardless of actual qualification. Reviewing your CV against this list before your next application takes under an hour and can meaningfully improve your response rate.

Browse our daily updated job listings across Kenya, and check our career advice section for more CV, interview, and job search guides.

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