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Remove from your CV: excessive personal information (marital status, age…

Brief

Simon Ingari (@simon_ingari) advises jobseekers to strip CVs of personal details, vague objectives, irrelevant roles and generic adjectives, and to open instead with a 2–3 line professional summary. He urges concrete, quantifiable achievements (e.g., +30% retention; led 10 people on a $1M project), role-specific tools/certifications, and ATS-friendly formatting.

Why it matters

Remove from your CV: excessive personal information (marital status, age, religion), objective statements, irrelevant experience, generic skills (e.g., “hardworking,” “team player”), full street address (use city and country only), the line “References available on request,” and unprofessional formatting or email addresses.

Key details

  • Replace with a 2–3 line professional summary stating profession, years of experience, key strengths and value; highlight quantifiable achievements (examples given: “Increased customer retention by 30%” and “Led a team of 10 to deliver a $1M project”); list role-specific tools/software and include value-adding certifications tailored to each job.
  • Use clean, modern, ATS-friendly formatting (clear fonts, bullet points; avoid tables, text boxes, graphics), use a professional contact email (e.g., firstname.lastname@gmail.com), and the author offers CV submissions at cv@oyk.co.ke with subject line "Revamp".
Source evidence

Remove These From Your CV and Do These Instead. (This will definitely work for you)

Remove These

❌ Excessive Personal Information – Marital status, age, religion, etc., are not necessary in most countries.

❌ Objective statement – Often too vague or outdated. Employers want to see value, not just what you're looking for.

❌ Irrelevant experience – If a past role doesn’t align with your current career goals, either remove it or keep it very brief. Focus on roles that showcase transferable skills or industry relevance

❌ Generic skills – Terms like “hardworking,” “team player,” or “go-getter” don’t stand out. Let your results speak for you instead.

❌ Full address – city and country are enough.

❌ “References available on request” – unnecessary.

❌ Unprofessional formatting or email address - Ensure your contact email looks professional (e.g., firstname.lastname@gmail.com),

Do These Instead:

✅ Start with a Compelling Professional Summary - Open your CV with a 2–3 line summary that clearly states your profession, years of experience, key strengths, and the value you bring to employers.

✅ Highlight Quantifiable Achievements
Focus on outcomes (e.g., “Increased customer retention by 30%,” or “Led a team of 10 to deliver a $1M project”). Numbers show impact better than duties.

✅ Showcase Relevant Skills and Tools
List tools or software specific to your profession. Tailor this to each job you're applying for.

✅ Include Certifications that Add Value
Especially those that are industry-standard or enhance your credibility in the role you seek.

✅ Use Clean, Modern, and ATS-Friendly Formatting
Stick to clear fonts, bullet points, and a logical layout. Avoid using tables, text boxes, or graphics that may not parse well in ATS.

Send your CV via email to cv@oyk.co.ke for your winning CV.
Subject "Revamp"