This CV Format Screams ‘Ignore Me Every Time

If your CV still starts with a big, bold “CURRICULUM VITAE” followed by lines like:

NAME: Jane Doe
DATE OF BIRTH: 01 January 1990
NATIONALITY: Kenyan
CAREER OBJECTIVE: To work in a dynamic and challenging environment...

Then listen up.

You are not unlucky. You are not cursed. You have not been “overlooked.”
The truth is simpler — your CV is sabotaging you.

1. “Curriculum Vitae” Is Wasting Prime Real Estate

Your CV only has one job: to grab attention in seconds. Not minutes. Not paragraphs later. Seconds.

So why open with a title that tells the recruiter what they already know?

Hint: They opened the file. They know it’s a CV.

That space should scream “Here is why I am perfect for this role” ~ not “Let me label this document like it is 2005.”

You would not print “Phone Call” at the top of your phone screen before calling someone. So do not do it here.

2. Your Name, Nationality & Date of Birth? Totally Irrelevant

Let us talk about the unnecessary parade of personal info at the top of most CVs.

Name: John Kamau
DOB: 16/03/1987
Nationality: Kenyan
Religion: Christian
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Male

Why is this still a thing?

None of this gets you hired. In fact, in global best practice, recruiters are discouraged from seeing these details because of bias risks.

In modern hiring, the recruiter wants to know:

• What do you do?

• What have you achieved?

• What can you do for us?

Not how old you are or what passport you carry.

Keep your name, phone number, email, and or LinkedIn profile at the top.
The rest belongs in your ID, not your CV.

3. “Career Objective” Is Dead. Bury It.

This is the biggest CV crime of them all.

“To gain employment in a reputable organization that will allow me to utilize my skills and grow my career…”

You have said nothing. Zero. Zilch.
It is generic, boring, and adds zero competitive advantage.

Worse, every job seeker has copy-pasted the same tired line.
Recruiters read this and immediately think: “Next.”

You are not applying to be mentored. You are applying to solve a business problem.

Replace that fluff with a professional summary that:

• Introduces who you are

• Shows what you are great at

• Drops one or two impressive wins

• Hints at the value you will bring to the hiring company

Make it sharp. Make it confident. Make them want to read more.

What Happens When You Ignore This Advice?

• Your CV gets trashed before the first interview round.

• Recruiters stop reading before they even reach your experience.

• You miss out on jobs you are qualified for, just because your document looks dated and irrelevant.

• You start thinking you are “not lucky” or the market is bad ~ when really, your CV is just weak.

And let us be honest ~ that hurts.

What to Do Instead — Today

Here’s the modern CV structure that actually works:

1. Professional Summary
   A strong intro that highlights your expertise, key skills, and what you bring to the table.

2. Key Skills or Achievements
   Bullet points with impact ~ think results, awards, percentages, not duties.

3. Work Experience
   List your roles from most recent, focus on achievements, not just tasks.

4. Education
   Include degrees and relevant certifications. No need to list high school if you have a degree.

5. Extras (if relevant)
   Tools, systems, languages, volunteer work ~ keep it relevant to the job.

6. Contact Information
   Name, phone, email, LinkedIn. That is it. No ID number. No religion. No “male or female.”

Your CV Is a Marketing Document, Not an Autobiography.

Do not let a poorly written CV hold you back another day.

You have worked hard, studied hard, built experience. Do not package all that in a document that screams “I don’t know how to sell myself.”

Need help creating a CV that gets noticed and gets you interviews?
Email us at support@skillfix.org or WhatsApp: +254700231231.
Let us rebuild it right ~ once and for all.