Your CV is often the first thing an employer sees before deciding whether to invite you for an interview. Whether you're applying for a graduate position in Lusaka, an engineering job on the Copperbelt, an internship, an industrial attachment or a role with an NGO, a good CV should make it easy for the employer to understand who you are, what you can do and what experience you have. Unfortunately, many qualified applicants lose opportunities because of simple CV mistakes.
Here are 10 common mistakes to avoid.
1. Sending the Same CV for Every Job
One of the biggest mistakes is creating one CV and sending it to every company.
A CV for a Mechanical Engineering position shouldn't look exactly the same as one for an administrative or accounting position.
Read the job advert and identify the skills the employer is looking for.
If the advert mentions:
Preventive maintenance
AutoCAD
Troubleshooting
Equipment inspection
make sure your relevant experience with those areas is easy to find in your CV.
You don't necessarily need a completely different CV for every application, but you should tailor it to the position.
2. Making Your CV Too Long
A CV isn't supposed to contain your entire life story.
If you're a recent graduate or student with limited professional experience, you probably don't need a five- or six-page CV.
Focus on information that is relevant to the position.
For example, instead of writing several paragraphs about an attachment, use concise bullet points showing what you actually did.
Industrial Attachment – Engineering Company
Assisted with pump assembly and maintenance.
Participated in equipment inspections.
Used basic workshop tools and measuring instruments.
Followed workplace safety procedures.
This is easier for an employer to scan.
3. Using an Unprofessional Email Address
Your email address may seem like a small detail, but it contributes to the overall impression of your CV.
An address such as:
coolboy123@gmail.com
or:
bigbosskiller@gmail.com
is probably not the best choice for a job application.
Use a professional address based on your name.
For example:
firstname.lastname@gmail.com
If your preferred name is unavailable, add a sensible number or initial.
4. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
A CV with numerous spelling and grammatical errors can make you appear careless.
Imagine applying for a position that requires strong attention to detail while your CV contains several obvious errors.
Before sending your CV:
Read it slowly.
Check company names.
Check job titles.
Check dates.
Check spelling.
Check your phone number.
Ask someone you trust to read it.
Don't rely entirely on spell-check.
5. Listing Duties Without Showing What You Actually Achieved
There's a difference between describing your duties and showing what you accomplished.
For example:
"Responsible for maintaining machines."
is quite vague.
A stronger description might be:
"Assisted with preventive maintenance, inspection and troubleshooting of industrial pumps and rotating equipment during industrial attachment."
Where possible, explain what you did, what equipment you worked with and what skills you developed.
If you have measurable achievements, include them.
6. Including Irrelevant Personal Information
Some CVs contain a lot of information that doesn't help an employer decide whether the applicant is suitable for the job.
Think carefully before including things such as:
Favorite football team
Religion
Marital status
Height
Weight
Every hobby you've ever had
Some information may be relevant in particular circumstances, but don't include personal details simply because you've seen them on old CV templates.
Focus on information that helps demonstrate your qualifications, experience, skills and suitability for the position.
7. Using an Unclear or Overly Complicated Design
Your CV doesn't need to look like a movie poster.
Fancy graphics, excessive colors, complicated layouts and unusual fonts can actually make your CV harder to read.
A clean CV with:
Clear headings
Consistent formatting
Good spacing
Readable fonts
Proper alignment
will usually make a better impression.
Remember that an HR officer may have dozens or even hundreds of applications to review.
Make your CV easy to scan.
8. Forgetting Your Industrial Attachment or Internship
For students and recent graduates in Zambia, this is a particularly important mistake.
You may not have years of employment experience, but your industrial attachment, internship, volunteer work or practical training is still experience.
Don't simply write:
Industrial Attachment – 2025
and leave it at that.
Explain what you were exposed to.
For example:
Industrial Attachment – Zambia Sugar
Assisted with pump disassembly and assembly.
Participated in inspection and maintenance activities.
Gained exposure to balancing of rotating components.
Used measuring instruments such as dial gauges.
Participated in workplace safety activities.
Your attachment could be one of the strongest sections of your CV as a student.
9. Not Updating Your Contact Details
Imagine an employer wants to invite you for an interview but the phone number on your CV is no longer active.
Before submitting your CV, check that your:
Phone number
Email address
LinkedIn profile, if included
Location
are accurate.
If you have two active phone numbers, you can include both where appropriate.
Also make sure your voicemail, where applicable, is professional enough for someone from an organization to contact you.
10. Saving Your CV With a Poor Filename
Don't send a document called:
CV final.pdf
or:
My CV new latest FINAL 2.pdf
It looks much more professional to use your name and, were useful, the position.
For example:
John_Banda_CV.pdf
or:
John_Banda_Mechanical_Engineer_CV.pdf
If you're applying for a specific vacancy, a clear filename makes it easier for the recruiter to identify your application.
Bonus: Don't Lie on Your CV
This deserves a special mention.
Never claim that you have:
A qualification you haven't obtained
Work experience you don't have
Professional registration you don't hold
Software skills you've never used
Responsibilities you never performed
You may get past the initial CV screening, but an interview or practical assessment can expose the exaggeration.
Instead, be honest about your level.
For example:
AutoCAD – Intermediate
is better than claiming:
AutoCAD – Expert
when you are still learning.
You can always improve your skills.
You can't build a good career on information you invented.
Before You Send Your CV
Take two minutes and ask yourself:
☐ Is this CV tailored to the position?
☐ Is my most relevant experience easy to find?
☐ Are my phone number and email correct?
☐ Have I checked spelling and grammar?
☐ Is my industrial attachment/internship included?
☐ Are the dates consistent?
☐ Is the formatting clean and readable?
☐ Have I removed unnecessary information?
☐ Have I avoided exaggerating my skills?
☐ Is the filename professional?
☐ Have I converted it to PDF if appropriate?
Final Advice
A good CV doesn't have to be complicated.
It doesn't need expensive templates or dozens of pages.
It needs to present your qualifications, experience and skills clearly and honestly.
For students and graduates, don't be discouraged because you don't have five years of work experience. Your education, projects, industrial attachment, internship, volunteer work and practical skills can all help demonstrate what you are capable of. Take time to prepare your CV properly. Then, when you find a vacancy that matches your skills, tailor the CV before you send it. Your CV may only get a few seconds of attention initially. Make those seconds count.
ZambiaCareer provides job and career information to help job seekers in Zambia to make better informed decisions about their careers. Always verify vacancies and recruitment information through the employer's official channels before submitting personal information or making any payment.