A targeted CV answers three questions: can you do the work, what evidence supports that claim, and how can the employer contact you? Start from one advert, not from a long list of skills. The examples in this Jobconnect guide are fictional; use the structure, not the invented achievements.
Turn an advert into an evidence list
Copy the essential requirements into a private checklist. Keep mandatory qualifications separate from desirable experience. A strong application cannot compensate for a mandatory licence that you do not hold, and a desirable skill should not automatically stop you from applying.
| Example advert requirement | Evidence to locate | Where to put it |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly bank reconciliations | The accounts you handled, frequency, tools and discrepancies you resolved | Relevant employment bullet |
| Diploma in accounting | Exact award title, institution, completion date or current status | Education |
| Excel reporting | A report you built and the functions you actually used | Experience or project, supported by a short skills entry |
Rewrite a duty without inventing a result
Weak: Responsible for stock management.
More useful fictional example: Recorded weekly receipts and issues for a school store, reconciled the stock register with physical counts, and reported discrepancies to the bursar before the monthly order.
The second version gives frequency, a method and a purpose. It does not need a dramatic percentage. Use numbers only when you can explain where they came from. If you helped a team, say what you personally handled instead of taking credit for the entire result.
Write a summary for the role you can evidence
Fictional entry-level example: Accounting diploma graduate with a three-month placement supporting cashbook entries and monthly reconciliations. Used Excel to organise supporting documents and flag unmatched transactions for supervisor review.
This summary describes training and work already completed. Avoid calling yourself an expert or a manager simply because those words appear in the vacancy title. For an experienced applicant, lead with the relevant work and scope instead of the qualification.
Choose a section order
For a recent graduate, use contact details, a short summary, education, relevant placement or projects, and skills. For someone with substantial relevant employment, move experience before education. A change of career may benefit from a short relevant-project section, but keep a clear chronological employment history.
Use month and year dates consistently. Mark an unfinished qualification as in progress, with an expected completion date only if known. Describe a genuine career break briefly where useful; do not extend an employment date to conceal it. Include a referee only with permission and follow the advert if it specifically asks for referee details.
Prepare a practical contact block
Use your full name, a working email address, a reachable phone number and your current town or city. For example, a location could read Morogoro, Tanzania. A second phone number, photograph, LinkedIn link or portfolio is optional unless the employer gives a specific instruction. Do not insert an empty social link, a national ID number or unrelated personal information just to fill space.
Check the actual file, not only the editor
- Download the format requested by the employer. If none is specified, a simple PDF preserves layout; keep an editable copy for future changes.
- Open the downloaded file on a phone and a computer. Check page breaks, contact lines, dates and the final bullet on every page.
- Select and copy a sentence to confirm that the document contains readable text rather than only a picture.
- Use a clear filename, such as Amina_Mashauri_CV.pdf. Remove draft notes and sample achievements.
- Compare it with the advert one last time. Attach certificates only when requested and check the file-size limit.
Open the CV Builder or prepare a cover letter using the same verified details.