CV Writing Tips: 5 Things HR Managers Are Keen On in Graduate CV’s

By Jane Okoth,

As a new graduate who is looking for work, not being considered for interviews after applying for jobs is discouraging.

Therefore it is important to note that an excellent CV gets you an interview and gives you high possibility of getting your dream job

What information are employers looking for in a fresh graduate CV that may determine whether you stand any chance in the job?

Florence Mukunya, a Career Advisor at Corporate Staffing Services states that the most important aspect is your potential.

“What is important to an employer is if you can well handle your new responsibilities well by doing the job they are recruiting you for,” she says.

“Most employers want to see whether you have indicated in your CV the duties and responsibilities that you acquired and this could be during your tenure as an intern,” she explains.

She further advises that “Regardless of what company you worked for, employers want to know more about your achievements.”

As an entry level, graduates need to know the importance of highlighting your educational qualification because it is one of the key areas in the CV.

“As an entry level you don’t have much work experience so highlighting your educational qualifications is equally important,” she opines.

“Provide your education background in a chronologically descending order starting from your college/university education then to the secondary and primary qualification you have attained,” she says.

On the basis of work experience, Ms Mukunya advocates for the need to emphasize it.

“Give a proof of your skills by clearly indicating your work experience in the field. Do this by providing a summary of your work experience with a focus on your achievements,” she suggests.

“Another important thing to note in the area of work experience is relevance,” she adding that, “Employers don’t have time to read your CV, so don’t include irrelevant information.”

According to Ms Mukunya it is always good to observe professionalism as far as CV writing is concerned.

“You want your CV to appear as that one of a professional and not as student,” she says.

She strongly suggests that you “Keep it neat by avoiding unnecessary formatting such as too much highlighting in bold and also too much abbreviation as well.”

‘Instead, organize your CV details by writing the most important information on top and the least on the bottom,” she advises.

She cautions that, “Putting a lot of unnecessary detail in your CV will not make you qualify for the position either so try to be as professional as possible.”

“An important consideration in your CV is to indicate other extracurricular activities that you participated in. For instance, stating in your CV that you had the chance to participate in volunteer work will boost your experience and also impress the employer,” she concludes.

For more queries on CV writing kindly contact jane@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke

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