What a lecturer's red pen would mark on a student CV, the seven sections in the right order, how to write projects with impact, why FPT counts as experience, and the checks before you hit send.
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Your CV gets you the interview, so it has to do its job in a few seconds. Here’s what a lecturer’s red pen would mark on a typical student CV, and how to fix every mark. CV ya kwanza, ifanye vizuri.
What the red pen sees
- Personal details nobody needs: date of birth, religion, marital status, P.O. Box. Si lazima.
- A generic objective: “To work in a reputable company that will help me grow.” Kila mtu anasema hivi.
- Non-tech skills: “MS Office, Internet, Hard working.” Skills za tech?
- No projects at all. Hapa ndipo pa muhimu!
The fix: say less about yourself on paper, and show more proof of what you can do.
Seven sections, in this order
- Header: name, phone, email, location, GitHub and LinkedIn
- Summary: two lines on who you are and what you build
- Skills: the languages, frameworks and tools you’ve really used
- Projects: your strongest proof, with links
- Experience: FPT, internships, gigs and volunteering
- Education: most recent first, with your GPA if it’s good
- Referees: two or three, with their permission
As a student, your projects are your experience, so put them early.
Header and summary
Use a professional email (name.surname@…, not boy_mtundu99@…). Your summary should say what you build, not what you want. For example:
Computer Science diploma graduate who builds web apps for small businesses with Laravel and React. Shipped a POS used daily by a shop in Mbeya.
That’s an example, so use your own real details. Never copy someone else’s CV.
Projects: show impact, not just tasks
- ❌ “Did a website for a shop.”
- ✅ “Built a sales and stock app for a shop in Mbeya with Laravel and MySQL. Used daily by 3 staff; stock errors dropped in the first month.”
The formula: Built [what] for [who] using [tools], so that [result]. Then add the GitHub or live demo link. Use real numbers only, and never invent results.
Your FPT is experience
Write it like a job: your role, the company, the months, and three bullet points starting with a verb (Built, Configured, Fixed, Led). Use your logbook so the details are accurate. Gigs and volunteering count too.
Before you hit send
- One page. Two pages only if you have real work experience.
- Save it as a PDF, because Word files break on other computers.
- Name the file properly: Amina-Juma-CV.pdf, not CV final(2).pdf.
- No typos. Read it out loud, then ask a friend to read it.
- Referees have agreed. Ask your FPT supervisor or lecturer first.
- Tailor it to the skills in each job advert.
What’s the hardest part of your CV? Niambie kwenye comments, and share this with a classmate who’s job hunting.
![Projects: show impact, not just tasks. Built [what] for [who] using [tools], so that [result].](/carousels/first-tech-cv/05.webp)
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9 slides