Build the top of the CV for a fast first read
Start with your name, reliable phone number, professional email address and a concise location line. Add LinkedIn or a portfolio only when it strengthens the application.
Follow with a short professional profile that names the role family you are targeting and the strongest evidence you can offer. Avoid generic claims unless the next line proves them.
- Use the job title and vacancy language naturally where it accurately describes you.
- Keep personal data to what the application needs; do not add sensitive identifiers unless the employer explicitly requests them through a trusted process.
- A photograph, date of birth, marital status or state of origin should not be added by default simply because an old CV template contains them.
Write experience as evidence, not a duty list
For each recent role, project, internship or leadership position, show what you handled and what changed because of your work. Numbers help when they are truthful.
Graduates with limited formal employment can use SIWES, NYSC, final-year projects, volunteering, freelancing and relevant leadership work when those experiences demonstrate the skills the vacancy asks for.
- Lead bullets with strong actions and the result or purpose.
- Prioritise recent, relevant evidence.
- Do not invent metrics; a clear factual outcome is stronger than a fabricated percentage.
Handle education, NYSC, certifications and skills deliberately
List the qualification, institution and completion date clearly. If a graduate programme states an NYSC requirement, make your completed, exempted or current status easy to find.
Separate technical tools, languages, licences and professional certifications from vague soft-skill lists.
- Include degree classification only when useful or requested.
- List active certifications with the correct awarding body.
- Do not claim proficiency in tools you cannot discuss in an interview.
Final submission check
Re-read the official vacancy before submitting. Check that your CV reflects the role you are actually applying for, not the last role you applied to.
Use a professional filename such as Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf when PDF is accepted. If the employer requests another format or an online profile, follow that instruction.
- Proofread names, dates, phone number and email address.
- Remove hidden comments, tracked changes and irrelevant pages.
- Confirm the application domain before uploading personal information.
How to write a Nigerian CV with no experience
Use the strongest evidence you actually have: an industrial attachment, SIWES or NYSC project, volunteer work, a final-year research project, student leadership or a portfolio. Describe the contribution and result, not an invented employer or impressive-sounding job title. Employers still need to know what you can do even if you have not held a salaried position.
Move education, projects and relevant practical training above unrelated roles when that helps the reader. A project bullet should explain the problem, your personal action, the tools used and a truthful outcome. Add a portfolio link only when the employer can open it without receiving private credentials.
- Do not fabricate work dates.
- Include NYSC status only when relevant to eligibility.
- Tailor the evidence to one vacancy.
An example CV layout for a fresh graduate in Nigeria
Begin with accurate contact details and city, then a brief role-focused profile. Follow with education and relevant project or internship evidence, a clearly labelled NYSC status if applicable, skills you can demonstrate and any credible professional training. A simple reverse-chronological format can work well, but the order should support the position you are pursuing.
Keep dates consistent across your CV, application form and certificates. One page may be practical when experience is limited, but readability and the employer's own requirements matter more than an arbitrary page count. Export a clear document, test the email and portfolio links and use the file type requested in the advert.
- No invented percentage achievements.
- Avoid irrelevant sensitive personal details.
- Check the actual attached file before submission.
Sources and verification context
These sources support the application-process guidance and provide official examples. Always follow the instructions on the exact vacancy you are applying for.