How to Write a CV in Nigeria

Learn how to write a CV in Nigeria. There are quite several things that seem like a no-brainer at first mention until you attempt them. One of them is the task of writing a CV. This is an assignment that is only easy for professionals. If you’re reading this article as a beginner then we can tell you from experience that you might have a hard time coming up with something to impress your employers.

You could tap the exit button on this page and say “If I ever need a CV, I could just hire a professional.” That’s correct. But what if you don’t have the time or resources to hire an expert CV writer? Are you just going to miss the chance to nail your dream job? We doubt that.

Scrolling this far on this article means you’re fully committed to your growth and career success. That is why, we are pouring our vast wealth of experience and value into this one article to show you how to write a CV in Nigeria like a pro.

What is a CV?

CV is curriculum vitae in short form and a document that provides a detailed summary of an individual’s education, work experience, skills, achievements, and other relevant information. It is commonly used in academic, scientific, and professional contexts, especially when applying for jobs, internships, or educational opportunities.

Content and format on the average CV are determined by three things:

• The industry of choice
• The country you’re in
• The specifications of the job

When learning how to write a CV in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, always have it at the back of your mind to keep your CV maximized to showcase power points such as experiences and qualifications that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Before we get into a breakdown of our foolproof guide to CV writing, let’s make a quick distinction between two similar career tools:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Resume

A CV is not the same thing as a resume. This remains a fact regardless of how commonplace it is for many applicants to switch one for the other. While a resume summarizes your skills, education, and experience, a CV provides more detailed information for recruiters to analyze. They are used interchangeably by many but we can’t ignore the slight difference.

What Should a CV contain?

We’ll give you the 5 magic pointers:

• Education
• Contact Information
• Skills (certifications and so on)
• Professional statement
• Employment History

If you choose, you can throw in two extra segments for your references and hobbies but this is not always mandatory in most cases.

Education

To write a CV in Nigeria, you don’t need to follow a particular format. Your attention should be on tailoring the content of your CV to suit the job you’re applying for and highlighting the strongest points of your education history.

For instance, it is advised that in the event of a connection between your education and the job in question, job applicants with tertiary education showcase this in larger or bold fonts. What comes after this is your institution’s name and dates attended.

Here are examples of what we mean:

University of Port Harcourt, 2011

BSc, 2:2, Management Science

Or

BSc, Management Science

2008-2011

Contact Information

The importance of including your contact information in your CV cannot be overemphasized. You may be the most outstanding candidate after interviews have been conducted but if your recruiters can’t get a hold of you then you are not getting the job.

Always include the following: phone number, current email address, house address, first name, and last name.

If you’re open to telling eating would you get the job, then it’s best to take out your house address from your C.

Skills

Keep this part of your CV as short and as simple as possible. Provide a list of skills you have acquired and developed over time that could benefit the organization. This may include skills such as graphic design, video editing, writing, project planning, proficiency in specific apps and software, and any other relevant skills. Additionally, please mention the languages you are proficient in, as being multilingual is often advantageous. Please indicate your level of proficiency for each language mentioned.

Professional Statement

This particular section often lacks creativity and tends to be poorly written. It serves as a brief introduction to convey your identity in just two or three sentences. If you have several years of work experience, it is advisable to use the title “professional statement,” while recent graduates may opt for “career objective” due to limited work experience.

Unfortunately, many professional statements are dull, lacking specificity, and devoid of personality. It is crucial to customize this section to align with the organization you are targeting. The hiring manager should be able to establish a connection based on skills and cultural compatibility when reading this segment.

In a nutshell, your professional statement should contain the following in no particular order:

1. Your objectives for the field you have chosen. Here, you should communicate your interests and goals you hope to achieve in this line of career.
2. Your experience. How many years have you been in this field? What knowledge and capacities have you developed? It also helps if you can connect this to the job you’re applying for.
3. Your most profound work accomplishments as in writing. This could range from one to two accomplishments.
4. Your primary transferable skills.

Employment History

We’ve known this section that almost always consumes the majority of the time when creating a  CV. It holds significant importance as the hiring manager devotes a substantial portion of their time to reviewing this section. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively showcase and promote yourself in this area.

This four-part structure has always worked for all our readers when learning to write a CV in Nigeria.

1. Company Name: If the company does not fall under the category of a multinational organization, or Fortune 500 company, or lacks prestige in the industry you are applying to, it is advisable to provide a concise description of its core activities. This inclusion will enhance the credibility of your CV.
2. Employment Date: Please state the duration of your employment using the month/year format. Include the period from when you commenced the job until your departure unless it is your current position.
3. Job Title: It is recommended to highlight the job title or position in bold font, preferably using a larger font size compared to other elements in this section. Ideally, your current or most recent position should closely match or align with the position you are applying for. This signals to the hiring manager that they should pay closer attention to this particular section.
4. Key Achievements: Rather than solely listing responsibilities, it is important to focus on highlighting significant achievements in this section. Many individuals tend to only mention their day-to-day activities, which is not ideal.

The hiring manager typically has a general understanding of your role; however, it becomes truly impressive when you provide specific statistics or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that demonstrate your accomplishments in the position.

These achievements will set you apart from other qualified candidates. It is crucial to align your key achievements with the job description, emphasizing skills (both hard and soft) explicitly mentioned in the role requirements. This showcases your proficiency in those areas and enhances your candidacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Pages Should a CV be?

The average CV should be at least two pages. This is unless the position being applied for is an entry-level position. That being said, your main objective should be integrating relevant elements and information into your CV

What Skills Should I Include On My CV?

To save you the trouble, we’ll only key you in on skills employers are always looking for in applicants among others. They are teamwork skills, computer skills, time-management skills, conflict resolution, problem-solving skills, empathy, and organizational skills.

What Are The Top 3 Strengths That Employers Look For

Employers keep a sharp eye on applicants with strong work ethics,  leadership capacities, and critical thinking.

Should I Add Hobbies To My CV

Hobbies are one segment of CV writing that is rarely mandatory for the job. This means you could skip that to create room for other information. However, if it involves something highly impressive like ending world hunger or working with reputable industry professionals and organizations, then you can include that to give your CV a little boost.

Conclusion

With these frameworks guiding your progress, you can join the list of confident career men and women who have learned to brilliantly write a CV in Nigeria that shows recruiters you know your onions.

Finally, before turning that CV in, we recommend that you seek the assistance of a second and even third person to review their CV before submitting it.

It is often challenging to identify our own mistakes, which is why having a few meticulous friends whom you highly respect to critique your CV and provide honest feedback is invaluable. Their fresh perspective can help uncover any errors or areas for improvement that you may have overlooked.