Eric/Techboy,
I do not want to sound harsh,but employers look for the slightest of excuses not to invite applicants for interviews. A graduate who cannot tell the difference between 'deemed' and 'dimmed' will have a very low chance of getting that 1 job that has attracted 5,000 applicants.
Chances are that your CV has spelling mistakes and also looks like the other 4,980 CVs submitted by the 5,000 looking for the 1 position (statitistics show that 20/5000 will stand out).
As someone who has gone through the agony of jobhunting for months,I advise the following;
(1) Tailor your CV to answer the one question all employers are asking,why should I hire you out of the 5,000 applicants. Summarise you key competencies as the opening selling line. All employers want candidates who have excellent numeracy and written skills,analytical thinkers,good communicators,team players,self motivated and detail oriented,innovators.
(2) Sex and religion are no longer relevant. remove these from your CV. Imagine you CV indicating that you are a born again christian in an organization whose HR manager is a devout Muslim. Chances are you wouldnt get called for an interview.
(3) Make sure that the format of your CV is unlike the normal final year student CV format. As a rule,yours should look better than that of your peers.
(4) Prioritise work experience over academic qualifications. Remember the employer wants to know whether you can apply the theories learnt in school.
(4) Imagine a basketball in Nairobi Sports house. How much is it worth? Ksh 7,000? Now imagine a mere picture of a basketball in the hands of Michael Jordan,how much is that worth? Millions of Dollars. Eric you are a brand,now go out there and sell yourself.
PS: @Wendz,I was once asked how much I wanted during an interview. I gave my figure,when they asked whether it was negotiable,I said yes,upwards. I got the job,later on the departmental manager told me that they were torn between me and another candidate,but that the remark about negotiating pay upwards had broken the tie in my favour,because they had realized that I had a sense of humour.
@Eric,you can email me a copy of you CV
duetcapital@gmail.com and I will review it for you.