For many youthful job seekers in Kenya, their resumes are a classic case of CTRL+C and CTRL+V (for those who have no idea what I’m talking about, find a computer and do this immediately).
Indeed, the same resume they used to apply for a job in 2015 is the same one that’s being used today!
Are you serious?
If that’s not enough, they always seem perplexed as to why they never get the call up despite nailing the oral interview.
Remember, the purpose of a resume is to make a positive impression.
Unfortunately, a large number of Kenyans seem to make one-too-many of these mistakes when submitting their applications; especially at non-governmental organizations.
Then they wonder why their expatriate brothers and foreign sisters clinch these plump jobs!
That being said, here are some of the most OBVIOUS mistakes that youth in Kenya are making with their job resumes
Cliches
If there’s one thing that puts the recruitment team straight to sleep with your resume, it’s cliches. You know what I’m talking about:
“I am highly skilled…”
“I am a team player…”
It sounds like you’re reading off of a teleprompter!
Creativity is what captivates the recruiters. Take the wise words of former US President Thomas Jefferson, who eloquently quipped:
“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do!”
So avoid such cliches, and always have a fresh approach to each job application you undertake.
Typographical Errors
This might sound obvious but many applicants make these simple resume mistakes over and over.
You have to ask yourself; how long does it take to simply review your resume before taking it to be printed?
Just a couple of minutes, right?
As a matter of fact, it wouldn’t hurt to use Microsoft Word’s content checker (which is free btw) to just scrutinize your resume before printing it.
Trust you me; those five minutes might make the difference between ‘i enjoy reading’ and ‘i enjoy leading ‘ books!
Exaggerating Your Information
Did you really spend six months working at a certain organization? Are you sure you speak English, Kiswahili, and French?
If you’re a classic pathological liar on your resume, then you need to stop immediately.
What you don’t understand is that these NGOs do a lot of background digging on your profile as soon as you submit your application.
So lying in your resume is a one-way-ticket for it to land in the trash can!!
Out-of-date Experience.
As I stated earlier; DONT YOU EVER, and I MEAN EVER, submit an outdated resume.
As a rule of thumb, always update your resume every six months. And this is only if you’re between a series of jobs.
Additionally, any work that you did 10 years ago, especially if it’s irrelevant to the job posting, should be left out!
There’s no point overloading the recruitment team with irrelevant content.