Cv Writing. Facts On Personal Details.

Just imagine meeting an employer for the first time! What first impression do you create? But before you meet him, he has met you through your CV. In the CV, the first meeting is at the personal details section. An employer can easily tell what kind of person you are through the personal details section of your CV. So then, what information should you include there and how much information? It may seem an obvious thing to say,
but the ‘Personal Details' section of your CV is your first opportunity to introduce yourself to a potential employer.

This is a section you should also trade cautiously like many other sections because any simple mistake can cost you a job. Give information like a mini-skirt, brief enough to portray value and long enough to cover everything. Do NOT give yourself away in this section by giving too much unnecessary information. By the fact that it is called personal information does not mean you give your secrets away. Today we want to share guidelines and step by step handling of this section.

Here is a guideline to what personal information you should and shouldn't include in your CV, and how to ensure that you do not fall victim to discrimination about your age, sex, religion or nationality:

1. Your name: Write your name in a larger font than the rest of your CV to make it stand out, after all your CV is a marketing tool used to market YOU Ltd. Middle names are optional, but don't be tempted with Vincent ‘The Viper' Murungi. You also need to avoid nick names and labeling your CV with the like ‘Mzeeeiiiyya’

2. Marital status and family: You don't have to include details about your marital status or information about whether you have a family or not. However, if you think your status will make your application become more attractive. For example being single might make unsociable working hours more feasible, whereas having a family may mean you're in a more stable situation and likely to be loyal to the company. This will normally depend on the job you are applying for. Make sure you do your research well of the company you are applying to and know their company culture.

3. Sex (Male or Female): Employers are not allowed to use this as a basis for short listing but if your name is bisexual then you may give this information out. Although it is easy to tell from your name whether you are male or female although the employer is forbidden from making a decision based on these factors by the law, but there's no harm in putting yourself in a positive light.

4. Date of birth: You may include your birth date if you wish. However, it is no longer necessary since the new laws made age discrimination illegal in the recruitment process. If you're having issues getting interviews, try removing it from your CV to see if it has a positive impact.

5. Nationality: With the exception of governmental positions, which may require this information, your nationality should be omitted. The law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or nationality (including citizenship, ethnicity or national origin). As long as you are either a native to the country in which you are applying or can provide a suitable working visa, there is no need to tell them where you are from.

6. Contact details: Simple logic applies here like don't include your work phone number, fax number or email address. Use your own personal email address or create a new account specifically for your job search, especially if your current email address is something like john.kamau@gmail.com and avoid controversial email addresses like foxybabe@gmail.com. Be sure to add the phone number that will make it easier for potential recruiters or agencies to contact you, most likely your mobile phone. And double check you've got the right number on there. If you're worried about getting calls while you're at work, you may wish to put some times on there when it's OK for you to be contacted.

7. Other information: If the job you're after requires you to drive then you will probably want to assure them about your clean driving license. If you are going for a web design role, you may want to direct them to a website you have created. Whatever you decide to include, just be sure it helps, not hinders your application.

Where do you include this information? Is it at the end or at the beginning of the CV? This is upon you because it depends on the CV format that you decide to take up. Whether you include these personal details at the start or end of your CV is up to you. You just need to make sure that it is easier for the employer to find them immediately when he requires them.

Like I said in the earlier paragraph, do NOT give too much unnecessary information in this section because you may end up giving yourself away.

All in all, be careful about this section and let it fall under your discretion.