Writing a CV for the first time (or rewriting an old one that isn't working) can feel overwhelming. Here is the exact 90-minute process, section by section, with Nigerian examples at every step.
Step 1: Collect your material (15 min)
Before you open Word, make a list of:
- Every job you have held, with employer name, dates, and three to five achievements per role.
- Every academic qualification with institution, class of degree, graduation year.
- Certifications, training courses, professional memberships.
- Technical and soft skills.
- Two referees you have asked permission from.
Step 2: Write the header (5 min)
Chidinma Okafor
Lagos, Nigeria · +234 801 234 5678 (WhatsApp) · [email protected]
linkedin.com/in/chidinmaokafor
Use a professional email (firstname.lastname works). Keep the phone WhatsApp-enabled; most Nigerian recruiters follow up by WhatsApp before calling.
Step 3: Write a professional summary (10 min)
Three to four sentences. Say what you do, how long you have done it, your two strongest skills, and the role you want. Example:
Backend engineer with 4 years' experience building fintech infrastructure in Nigeria. Specialising in Python, PostgreSQL and distributed systems. Previously at Flutterwave and Carbon. Seeking a senior backend role at a product-led fintech.
Step 4: Work experience (30 min)
Reverse-chronological. For each role:
- Job title, employer, dates, location on one line.
- One-sentence context about the employer or your remit.
- Three to five bullet points, each starting with an action verb and ending with a measurable outcome.
Format:
Senior Backend Engineer, Flutterwave · 01/2023 - Present · Lagos
Owned the KYC verification pipeline for Flutterwave's merchant onboarding (3M+ merchants).
- Reduced verification time from 48 hours to under 10 minutes by rebuilding the service in Go.
- Introduced automated identity-document OCR, cutting manual review workload by 72%.
- Mentored two junior engineers through to mid-level promotion.
Step 5: Education (10 min)
For each qualification: institution, degree, class, year. Add NYSC if applicable.
B.Sc Computer Science (Second Class Upper), University of Lagos · 2019
Final-year project: distributed task queue in Erlang.
NYSC · MTN Nigeria, Lagos · 2019 - 2020
Software engineering intern on the data-platform team.
Step 6: Skills (10 min)
Split into categories. Keyword-match the job advert.
Technical: Python, Go, PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, CI/CD, event-driven architecture.
Soft: technical writing, mentorship, cross-functional collaboration.
Step 7: Finish (10 min)
Add certifications, hobbies if under 30, and two referees. Save as PDF named Firstname Lastname - Role.pdf. Spell-check twice.
Need a template to copy? Download our Nigerian CV template. Ready to apply? Browse live openings.