How to Write Strong CV Bullet Points for Jobs in Tanzania

“Responsible for maintaining records” tells a recruiter what was assigned to you. “Reconciled the stock register against delivery notes every Friday and flagged missing entries before the monthly count” shows how you did the work. The second version is stronger because it gives the recruiter something specific to ask about in an interview.

Use this guide to turn duties from a job, teaching placement, internship, small business or volunteer role into CV bullet points you can explain and defend.

Start with the vacancy, then find your evidence

Pick three requirements that matter most in the job advert. For a school administrator, these might be record-keeping, communication with parents and spreadsheet skills. Next to each requirement, write down one occasion when you did comparable work. Your evidence can come from paid work, field placement or volunteering. Use the correct role title so the reader understands the context.

For each example, note what you personally did, who or what the work covered, and what it helped someone do. If the work was shared, name your contribution. For example, “Compiled the weekly attendance figures for the team’s report” is more precise than “Managed the reporting team” if someone else led the work.

Write each bullet as action, scope and evidence

1. Action. Start with a verb that describes your actual contribution, such as prepared, reconciled, taught, scheduled or repaired.
2. Scope. Add the task, audience, tool or frequency. “Recorded stock movements in Excel each day” gives a recruiter more context than “Used Excel.”
3. Evidence. Include a verified result, a completed output or the purpose of the task. If you cannot verify a percentage, use a fact you can explain, such as a weekly deadline, the number of classes covered or the handover record you maintained.

Before-and-after CV examples

These are illustrative examples. Replace the details with your own work and use numbers only when you can support them.

Teacher or teaching intern

Before: Taught English and marked exercises.

After: Planned Form Two English lessons and used weekly writing exercises to identify common grammar errors and plan revision activities.

Office or records assistant

Before: Helped with filing and data entry.

After: Logged incoming letters in Excel, checked each reference number against the physical file and prepared a weekly list of items awaiting a response.

Retail or stationery shop assistant

Before: Sold products and served customers.

After: Recorded sales and printing orders, reconciled the day’s receipts against the cashbook and reported differences before closing.

Community programme volunteer

Before: Assisted with community meetings.

After: Confirmed meeting venues with local contacts, prepared attendance sheets and submitted participant totals to the programme coordinator after each session.

Tailor the bullet without changing the facts

The same experience can support different applications. If you kept an attendance register and used it to follow up on absences, lead with data accuracy for a records role. For a school support role, lead with attendance follow-up. Both versions should reflect what you actually did. Borrow the advert’s wording when it fits your experience and keep the language natural.

Check each bullet before you send your CV

• Does it demonstrate something the employer asked for?
• Is your own contribution clear?
• Can you explain the result or show how you obtained any figures?
• Could a reader understand it without knowing your previous workplace?

Start with the three bullets most relevant to your next application. Keep a separate record of projects, reports and other work you can refer to when updating your CV or preparing for an interview.

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