For drivers, security guards and caregivers in Kenya, a strong CV doesn’t need complicated designs or long paragraphs. Employers want to quickly understand your experience, reliability, practical skills, certifications and suitability for the job.

Whether you’re applying to a private company, hospital, school, hotel, household, security company, NGO or overseas employer, your CV should clearly show what you can do and the responsibilities you have handled.

1. Start With a Clear Professional Profile

Your profile should immediately identify your occupation, experience and strongest skills.

Example – Driver

Experienced professional driver with 7 years of experience in passenger transportation, delivery operations and vehicle maintenance. Holds a valid Kenyan driving licence with a clean driving record and strong knowledge of Nairobi and major Kenyan routes. Reliable, safety-conscious and experienced in maintaining accurate vehicle and delivery records.

Example – Security Guard

Disciplined and reliable security professional with 5 years of experience in access control, surveillance, patrols, incident reporting and emergency response. Experienced in protecting residential, commercial and institutional premises while maintaining professional communication with clients and colleagues.

Example – Caregiver

Compassionate caregiver with 4 years of experience supporting elderly and vulnerable clients with personal care, medication reminders, mobility assistance, meal preparation and daily activities. Patient, dependable and committed to maintaining client dignity, safety and comfort.

Avoid generic openings such as “I am hardworking and looking for a challenging job.” Focus on what you can actually offer.


2. Put Your Practical Skills Near the Top

For these occupations, practical skills are often more important than having a highly designed CV.

Create a Core Skills section.

Driver Skills

  • Defensive Driving
  • Route Planning
  • Vehicle Inspection
  • Basic Vehicle Maintenance
  • Customer Service
  • Delivery Documentation
  • Navigation
  • Time Management
  • Road Safety
  • Long-Distance Driving

Security Guard Skills

  • Access Control
  • Security Patrols
  • CCTV Monitoring
  • Incident Reporting
  • Emergency Response
  • Visitor Management
  • Loss Prevention
  • Conflict Management
  • Alarm Response
  • Security Awareness

Caregiver Skills

  • Personal Care
  • Elderly Care
  • Mobility Assistance
  • Meal Preparation
  • Medication Reminders
  • Hygiene Support
  • Companionship
  • Basic First Aid
  • Patient Observation
  • Household Assistance

Only list skills you genuinely have.


3. Make Your Work Experience Specific

Don’t simply write:

Driver – ABC Company

and then provide a long list of generic duties.

Instead:

Company Driver – ABC Logistics Ltd
Nairobi, Kenya | January 2021 – Present

  • Transported staff and company materials safely across Nairobi and other assigned locations.
  • Conducted daily vehicle inspections and reported mechanical issues.
  • Maintained accurate fuel, mileage and service records.
  • Planned routes to meet delivery schedules.
  • Ensured company vehicles remained clean and roadworthy.
  • Followed traffic regulations and company safety procedures.

This gives the employer a clearer picture of your actual responsibilities.


4. Highlight Your Driving Licence Correctly

For driver positions, your licence is one of the first things an employer may want to see.

Create a dedicated section:

DRIVING LICENCE

Kenyan Driving Licence
Category: [Your actual category]
Status: Valid

Only state categories you actually hold.

If you have additional qualifications such as defensive driving or specialised driver training, list them under Certifications & Training.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) provides official information and services relating to driving licences and driver licensing in Kenya. NTSA official website


5. Show Your Driving Experience

A driver CV should answer:

What have you driven? Where? For whom? And what responsibilities did you handle?

Mention relevant experience such as:

  • Company vehicles
  • Personal executive driving
  • School transport
  • Delivery vehicles
  • Passenger transport
  • Logistics
  • Long-distance routes
  • Airport transfers
  • Staff transportation
  • Construction vehicles, where appropriately licensed

For example:

Executive Driver – Private Company
Provided daily transportation for senior management, maintained vehicle schedules, planned routes and ensured timely arrival at meetings and business engagements.


6. Include Vehicle Maintenance Knowledge

Employers value drivers who understand basic vehicle care.

If applicable, mention:

  • Daily vehicle inspections
  • Tyre checks
  • Oil and fluid checks
  • Battery checks
  • Basic troubleshooting
  • Service scheduling
  • Vehicle cleanliness
  • Accident reporting

Don’t claim to be a mechanic unless you have the appropriate training and experience.


7. For Security Guards, Focus on Safety and Responsibility

A security guard’s CV should demonstrate alertness, discipline and the ability to follow security procedures.

Relevant experience may include:

  • Gate control
  • Visitor screening
  • Access control
  • Security patrols
  • CCTV monitoring
  • Alarm response
  • Incident reporting
  • Key management
  • Property protection
  • Emergency response

For example:

Conducted regular patrols of commercial premises, monitored access points, verified visitor information and prepared daily security reports.

This is stronger than simply writing:

Responsible for security.


8. Highlight Security Training

If you have relevant security training, make it visible.

Examples include:

  • Security Guard Training
  • First Aid
  • Fire Safety
  • CCTV Operations
  • Emergency Response
  • Conflict Management
  • Risk Assessment
  • Occupational Health and Safety

If you have experience working with a recognised security company, clearly state the employer and your role.


9. Show Security Achievements Where Possible

Instead of only listing responsibilities, demonstrate your contribution.

For example:

Monitored access control for a commercial facility with more than 200 daily visitors while maintaining accurate visitor records.

Or:

Conducted scheduled night patrols across a multi-building residential compound and reported security incidents promptly to supervisors.

Use numbers when they are accurate.


10. For Caregivers, Show Compassion AND Practical Competence

A caregiver CV should demonstrate both human qualities and practical caregiving skills.

Relevant areas can include:

  • Personal hygiene
  • Bathing and dressing assistance
  • Feeding support
  • Mobility assistance
  • Medication reminders
  • Companionship
  • Meal preparation
  • Housekeeping
  • Appointment support
  • Observation and reporting
  • First aid

For example:

Assisted elderly clients with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility and daily routines while maintaining their privacy, dignity and safety.


11. Include First Aid and Caregiving Certifications

If you have completed relevant training, make it easy to find.

Examples:

First Aid Certificate – Training Institution | Year

Caregiving Certificate – Training Institution | Year

CPR Training – Training Institution | Year

Only include certifications you actually hold.

For formal healthcare roles, distinguish clearly between caregiving experience and professional nursing or clinical qualifications.


12. Highlight the Type of People You Have Cared For

For experienced caregivers, the nature of previous care can be useful.

Where appropriate, mention experience with:

  • Elderly clients
  • Children
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Post-surgery clients
  • Bedridden clients
  • Clients requiring mobility assistance
  • Clients needing companionship and daily living support

Don’t disclose private medical information about previous clients.

Instead of:

Took care of a client with [specific private medical condition].

Use:

Provided personal care, mobility assistance and medication reminders for an elderly client requiring daily support.


13. Include Relevant Personal Strengths

For these occupations, certain personal qualities are particularly relevant.

Drivers

  • Reliable
  • Punctual
  • Patient
  • Safety-conscious
  • Responsible

Security Guards

  • Alert
  • Disciplined
  • Observant
  • Calm under pressure
  • Trustworthy

Caregivers

  • Patient
  • Compassionate
  • Dependable
  • Respectful
  • Attentive

However, don’t simply list these words.

Show them through your experience.

For example:

Maintained punctual daily transportation schedules while ensuring passenger safety and vehicle compliance.

This demonstrates reliability better than simply writing “I am reliable.”


14. Include Referees

For these roles, employers may want to verify your previous employment.

Potential referees could include:

  • Previous supervisors
  • Security supervisors
  • Transport managers
  • Company managers
  • Previous employers
  • Caregiving supervisors

Always ask for permission before listing someone.

Example:

John Kamau
Transport Manager, ABC Logistics Ltd
Phone: 07XXXXXXXX
Email: example@email.com

If references aren’t required, you can simply state:

References available upon request.


15. Keep Your CV Simple and Professional

For drivers, security guards and caregivers, there is usually no need for a heavily designed CV.

Use:

  • Clear headings
  • Simple fonts
  • Bullet points
  • Consistent dates
  • Adequate spacing
  • Professional contact information
  • Easy-to-read formatting

Avoid:

❌ Excessive colours
❌ Large graphics
❌ Skill-rating stars
❌ Unnecessary photographs
❌ Long paragraphs
❌ Irrelevant personal information

The employer should be able to identify your experience, licence/certifications and skills within seconds.


16. Don’t Include Sensitive Personal Information

Your CV should generally contain:

  • Full name
  • Phone number
  • Professional email
  • Location
  • Relevant qualifications
  • Work experience
  • Skills
  • References

Avoid unnecessarily publishing:

  • National ID number
  • Full passport number
  • Bank details
  • PIN
  • Private medical information
  • Passwords or other sensitive information

If an employer legitimately requires documentation later, provide it through the appropriate recruitment process.


17. Tailor the CV to the Specific Job

Don’t use one generic CV for every application.

For example, a school driver should emphasise:

  • Safe driving
  • Passenger safety
  • Punctuality
  • Child safeguarding awareness
  • Vehicle checks

A security guard should emphasise:

  • Access control
  • Patrols
  • CCTV
  • Incident reporting
  • Emergency response

A home caregiver should emphasise:

  • Personal care
  • Companionship
  • Meal preparation
  • Mobility support
  • Hygiene
  • Medication reminders

The same person may have several skills, but the CV should prioritise the skills most relevant to the vacancy.


18. Use Job-Specific Keywords

If an employer advertises a position requiring:

“Valid driving licence, defensive driving, route planning and vehicle maintenance,”

and you genuinely have those skills, use the same relevant terminology in your CV.

Similarly, a security vacancy mentioning:

“CCTV monitoring, access control, patrols and incident reporting”

should prompt you to highlight those genuine competencies.

This can make your CV easier for recruiters and recruitment systems to assess.


19. Recommended CV Structure

A simple structure works well for these occupations:

FULL NAME

Phone | Email | Location, Kenya

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

2–4 lines summarising your experience.

CORE SKILLS

8–12 relevant skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Job Title – Company
Location | Dates

  • Responsibility
  • Responsibility
  • Achievement
  • Relevant skill

EDUCATION

Qualification – Institution – Year

CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING

Relevant certifications.

LICENCES

Driving licence or other relevant licence, where applicable.

LANGUAGES

Language – Proficiency

REFEREES

Professional references.


20. Final CV Checklist

Before submitting your application, check:

☑ Your target job is clear.
☑ Your professional profile is specific.
☑ Relevant practical skills are easy to find.
☑ Employment dates are accurate.
☑ Your driving licence category is correct, if applicable.
☑ Security training is included, if applicable.
☑ Caregiving and first-aid training is included, if applicable.
☑ Achievements are included where possible.
☑ Your CV is easy to read.
☑ Contact details are correct.
☑ Referees have given permission.
☑ Unnecessary personal information has been removed.
☑ The CV has been tailored to the specific vacancy.

Final Thoughts

A strong driver, security guard or caregiver CV in Kenya doesn’t need to be complicated. Employers want evidence that you are qualified, experienced, responsible and capable of performing the job safely and professionally.

For drivers, make your licence, driving experience and safety record clear.

For security guards, highlight security training, alertness, access control, patrols and incident management.

For caregivers, demonstrate practical caregiving skills, patience, compassion, safety awareness and relevant training.

Don’t just tell employers that you are hardworking. Use your CV to show them what you have done and what you can confidently do for them.