Updated 27 October 2026. If you have completed college, university or secondary school and have never held a full-time job, preparing your first CV can feel difficult. The challenge is usually not that you have nothing to offer. It is deciding which real experiences demonstrate the abilities an employer needs.
This guide explains how to organise a clear CV for entry-level work in Kenya, how to describe attachments and volunteer roles without exaggeration, and how to tailor the document to a genuine vacancy.
Start with the job advertisement, not a CV template
Before writing, read the vacancy twice. On the first reading, highlight minimum qualifications, location, deadline and required supporting documents. On the second, note the actual work: answering customers, entering records, reconciling payments, preparing reports or managing stock. If you are not eligible for a mandatory qualification, changing your CV will not solve that problem.
Create two columns on paper: “Employer needs” and “Evidence I can show”. For a receptionist vacancy requiring accurate records and polite communication, evidence might come from a school office attachment, front-desk volunteering or keeping attendance registers for a community organisation. Describe what you genuinely did, even if the experience was unpaid.
A sensible order for an entry-level CV
- Name and contact details: a reachable phone number, professional email address and your town or county. Include a professional portfolio link if relevant.
- Brief profile: two or three lines connecting your training and strongest relevant skill to the position.
- Education: qualification, institution and completion year. Include relevant coursework or a final-year project if it demonstrates the vacancy’s skills.
- Experience and projects: attachments, internships, freelance work, volunteering or verifiable projects, each with a role, organisation and dates.
- Relevant skills: specific software, language proficiency and task-based strengths you can explain in an interview.
- Referees: follow the employer’s instructions. Obtain permission before supplying anyone’s contact information.
Not every employer asks for the same personal information. Do not add ID numbers, bank details, a photograph, religion or marital status unless there is a legitimate, clearly explained requirement at the appropriate stage. A CV is not a place to publish sensitive documents.
Example profile for a graduate with no permanent employment
Recent Diploma in Business Management graduate with practical experience maintaining attendance records during a three-month office attachment. Comfortable using spreadsheets, preparing summaries and responding to routine enquiries. Seeking an entry-level administrative position where accuracy and reliable follow-through are important.
This is an illustrative profile, not a real applicant. Replace every detail with your actual qualifications and experience. Avoid empty claims such as “hardworking, dynamic and result-oriented” when the CV provides no example to support them.
Turn ordinary tasks into useful evidence
A weak entry might say: “Responsible for records and office duties.” That does not tell a recruiter what you actually handled.
A clearer, honest alternative is: “Updated daily attendance records in Excel and checked entries against signed registers during a school office attachment.” If you have verified quantities, include them; otherwise do not invent percentages or savings.
Other illustrative examples:
- Retail: “Recorded daily stock receipts and flagged differences for the supervisor to review.”
- Campus project: “Coordinated a four-person team to collect questionnaire responses and present the findings.”
- Volunteer work: “Answered visitor questions and maintained an appointment log during a community event.”
- Creative work: “Edited short videos for a student society and organised project files for reuse.”
You can present these experiences under “Relevant Experience” or “Projects”; they need not be disguised as permanent paid employment. Use accurate dates and organisation names.
What about KCSE grades, attachments and unfinished studies?
For an early-career applicant, KCSE results may be relevant when the advertisement sets a specific mean grade or subject requirement. Once you have a higher qualification, give that qualification prominence, while retaining KCSE information when requested. State studies honestly: “Diploma coursework completed; award pending” is more accurate than claiming a completed diploma if you have not received it.
For an attachment, identify the host organisation and what you contributed. A period of informal work may also be included if it developed a relevant skill, but be prepared to explain the setting truthfully.
Make the document readable on a phone and a computer
Use descriptive headings such as Education, Experience, Projects and Skills. A simple layout with consistent dates and bullet points is easier to scan than crowded columns or decorative graphics. Some applicant tracking systems struggle with complex tables, headers and text boxes. Follow the employer’s requested upload format; a PDF may preserve appearance, while an editable document may be required for certain systems.
One page can work for a new graduate, but clarity matters more than forcing everything onto an arbitrary length. Check the file on your phone before sending. Use a descriptive name such as Amina_Otieno_CV_Accounts_Assistant.pdf rather than finalCVnew2.pdf.
Tailor each application in ten minutes
- Confirm the job is still open on the employer’s official careers page.
- Compare the essential requirements to your real education and abilities.
- Adjust your profile to the role without changing facts.
- Move the most relevant project or attachment bullets near the top.
- Check dates, spelling, phone number and email.
- Include only supporting certificates or documents requested.
- Save the job link, date and a copy of what you submitted.
Common errors that damage credibility
Never copy another applicant’s work history, fabricate an employer or claim a language proficiency you cannot demonstrate. Do not paste keywords into the CV if you cannot explain them. Another common error is sending identical generic applications to very different roles. If a posting requests a specific subject line or reference number, follow that instruction exactly.
Related reading: Before sending an application, read our guide to checking job offers in Kenya. You can also use our application tracking guide to manage your next steps.
Applying for jobs in Kenya
For KCSE applicants, include mean grade and subjects where requested. TVET certificate and diploma holders should use the exact award title and institution. University graduates can describe attachment projects and actual tasks performed. For example, a fictional candidate might write: “Industrial Attachment, Eldoret office: entered approved records, organised correspondence and assisted with spreadsheet reports.” Do not copy this as personal experience unless true. Follow the official employer advert and use secure recruitment channels; never share national ID copies or bank details with an unverified recruiter.
A final self-review checklist
Read your CV as if you were the hiring officer. Can you identify your target role quickly? Does each major claim have an example? Are your education and dates consistent? Is the file legible? Does it avoid unnecessary sensitive data? Can you substantiate every accomplishment at interview?
Further reading: University of California, Berkeley Career Engagement: Resumes provides guidance on tailoring evidence, achievements and straightforward formatting. For Kenyan public service vacancies, refer to the official Public Service Commission recruitment system and use the actual advert’s requirements.
Editorial note: All named CV examples are illustrative. This article is career guidance, not an advertisement for a currently open vacancy or a guarantee of employment.