Your CV is usually the first thing an employer looks at before deciding if they want to interview you. In today’s job market, a clear and well-organized CV can help you stand out, while a messy one might hide your strengths.
You don’t need to use fancy words or write a long CV. The main goal is to show your experience, education, and skills clearly and convincingly.
No matter if you’re just starting out, have years of experience, or want to change careers, this guide will help you write a CV that makes recruiters want to learn more about you.
What Is a CV?
A curriculum vitae, commonly known as a CV, is a summary of your professional and academic background.
Depending on your experience, it may contain your education, employment history, professional skills, certifications, achievements, and other information that is relevant to the position you want.
Your CV should not contain every detail about your life. Instead, it should highlight the information that helps an employer understand what you can contribute to their organization.
This is why it is important to adjust your CV when applying for different positions.
1. Put Your Contact Details at the Top
Start with the information an employer needs to contact you.
Your CV should normally include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- City and state
- LinkedIn profile, if applicable
- Portfolio or personal website, where relevant
Keep this section simple and professional. There is no need to include sensitive information such as your bank account details, National Identification Number, or other private information that has nothing to do with the application.
Your email address should also look professional. An email based on your name is usually a good choice.
2. Create a Clear Professional Summary
Your professional summary gives the recruiter a quick picture of who you are.
Keep it short, usually around three to five lines, and focus on your strongest qualifications, experience, and career direction.
Instead of writing something vague such as:
“I am hardworking and looking for an opportunity to grow.”
Give the employer something useful:
“Customer-focused business professional with experience in sales, client relationship management, and business development. Skilled at identifying customer needs, developing solutions, and maintaining strong client relationships.”
A strong summary immediately connects your background to the type of role you want.
3. Adapt Your CV to Every Relevant Job
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is sending exactly the same CV to every employer.
Before applying, study the job description. Look at the qualifications, skills, and responsibilities the employer considers important.
For example, if a company is looking for someone with experience in content writing, SEO, and social media management, those skills should be clearly visible in your CV if you genuinely have them.
However, tailoring your CV does not mean adding skills you do not have. It simply means making your most relevant experience easier for the employer to notice.
If you are also exploring flexible career options, you may find our guide to curated remote work-at-home opportunities useful.
4. Present Your Work Experience Clearly
If you have previous employment experience, this section deserves particular attention.
Generally, list your most recent position first and work backward.
For every role, provide:
- Job title
- Company or organization
- Location
- Employment dates
- Key responsibilities and achievements
Try not to turn your work history into a list of routine duties.
For example:
Basic:
“Responsible for customer service.”
Better:
“Handled daily customer inquiries, resolved service issues, and maintained accurate customer records while meeting service targets.”
The second version gives the employer a clearer idea of what you actually did.
5. Show What You Achieved
Your responsibilities explain what you were hired to do. Your achievements show the value you brought to the organisation.
Whenever possible, demonstrate your impact with figures or specific outcomes.
Think about questions such as:
- Did you increase sales?
- Did you attract new customers?
- Did you improve a process?
- Did you reduce errors?
- Did you complete projects successfully?
- Did you manage a team?
- Did you improve customer satisfaction?
- Did you handle a high volume of work?
For example:
“Managed approximately 50 customer enquiries daily while maintaining accurate records and meeting response deadlines.”
This is more informative than simply stating that you “handled customers.”
6. Include Your Education and Certifications
Your educational background should be easy to find on your CV.
Include:
- Qualification or degree
- Name of institution
- Relevant dates or graduation year
You can also include professional certifications, courses, and training that are relevant to the position.
If you are a recent graduate without much work experience, you can give greater attention to your education, internships, academic projects, volunteer work, NYSC experience, and relevant training.
7. List Skills That You Can Actually Demonstrate
Avoid filling your skills section with empty phrases such as “hardworking,” “loyal” or “team player.”
Instead, focus on specific skills that are useful for the job.
Examples include:
- Microsoft Excel
- Customer relationship management
- Data analysis
- Sales and business development
- Content writing
- SEO
- Social media management
- Project coordination
- Graphic design
- WordPress
- Financial reporting
Your skills should match your actual abilities. Where possible, demonstrate those skills through your work experience, projects or achievements.
For people interested in building an online career, our beginner’s guide to digital income and remote careers also covers practical ways to develop income-generating digital skills.
8. Make Your CV Simple and Easy to Read
Recruiters often review many applications, so your CV should be easy to scan.
Use:
- Clear headings
- Consistent formatting
- Readable fonts
- Short paragraphs
- Bullet points
- Adequate spacing
Avoid excessive colors, complicated designs, and unnecessary graphics.
A professional CV should make important information easy to find rather than forcing the recruiter to search through a crowded page.
9. Keep Applicant Tracking Systems in Mind
Many organizations use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help manage large numbers of applications.
These systems can scan CVs for relevant information and keywords before the document reaches a recruiter.
To make your CV easier to process:
- Use standard headings such as Professional Experience, Education, Skills, and Certifications.
- Include relevant keywords from the job description where they accurately describe your experience.
- Avoid unnecessary graphics and complicated formatting.
- Do not fill your CV with keywords simply to get past an ATS.
Your CV still needs to make sense to a human reader.
10. Proofread Before You Apply
A small mistake can make a professional CV look careless.
Before submitting it, check:
- Your name and contact details
- Email address
- Phone number
- Company names
- Job titles
- Employment dates
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Formatting
It is also useful to ask someone else to review your CV. A fresh pair of eyes may notice errors that you have missed.
Common CV Mistakes to Avoid
Before sending your application, make sure your CV does not:
- Contain false or exaggerated information
- Use an unprofessional email address
- Have spelling or grammatical mistakes
- Include unnecessary personal information
- Focus only on responsibilities instead of achievements
- Use the same profile for every application
- Contain skills you cannot demonstrate
- Have unexplained gaps or inconsistencies in employment dates
- Include references when they have not been requested
- Copy another person’s CV
Your CV should tell your own professional story and accurately represent what you can offer.
How Many Pages Should a CV Be?
There is no fixed number of pages that works for everyone. A recent graduate with limited experience may only need one or two pages. Someone with several years of relevant experience may require more space. Instead of worrying about a specific page count, focus on relevance.
Ask yourself:
Does this information help me demonstrate that I am suitable for this particular position?
If the answer is no, consider removing it.
What Comes After Your CV?
A strong CV is only one part of your job search. Once your CV is ready, look for opportunities that match your skills and career goals. If you prefer working remotely, you can also explore our list of work-from-home jobs that can pay $20 or more per hour.
The key is to apply strategically rather than sending the same application everywhere.
Final Thoughts
Writing a good CV is ultimately about communicating your value.
You want an employer to understand, within a short time, who you are, what you have accomplished, and why your background could be useful to their organization.
Keep your information accurate, focus on relevant experience, highlight measurable achievements, and tailor your CV to the role you want. Most importantly, do not treat your CV as a complete record of your life. Treat it as a professional introduction.
When a recruiter finishes reading it, they should have a clear answer to one question:
“Why should I consider this candidate?”
Make sure your CV gives them a convincing reason.