Professional CV Templates
Present your experience clearly, from your first application to your next leadership role.
Start with the employer’s instructions
Use a clear, reverse-chronological CV. A graduate can usually start with one or two focused pages; an experienced applicant may need more. Follow any length, format or academic CV instructions in the original vacancy.
These original, free text templates are designed for Nigerian applications. Select and copy the text into your own document editor, replace every bracketed field and export in the format the employer requests. No download or CV upload is required.
Graduate CV template
[FULL NAME] [City, State] | [Phone] | [Professional email] | [Portfolio, if relevant] PROFILE [Your qualification, relevant strengths and the role you seek. Use evidence, not “hardworking” alone.] EDUCATION [Degree / HND / OND and discipline], [Institution], [Graduation year] [Class or grade only if accurate and relevant] NYSC [Completed: year / currently serving: expected completion / exempt, as applicable] RELEVANT EXPERIENCE [Internship / volunteering / project role], [Organisation], [Month Year–Month Year] • [What you did, which skill you used and the actual result.] • [A second relevant contribution.] PROJECTS [Project title] | [Tools used] [Your specific contribution and what the project demonstrated.] SKILLS AND TRAINING [Role-relevant skills you can demonstrate] [Completed course, provider, completion date; distinguish training from professional certification]
Experienced professional CV template
[FULL NAME] [City, State] | [Phone] | [Email] | [Relevant professional profile] PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY [Your field, actual experience and strongest relevant contribution.] CORE SKILLS [Four to eight skills supported by your work history] WORK EXPERIENCE [Most recent job title], [Employer], [Month Year–present / Month Year] • [Action + responsibility + substantiated outcome.] • [Scope of work, team or process, only where accurate.] [Previous job title], [Employer], [Dates] • [Relevant achievement or responsibility.] EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION [Qualification, institution, year] [Current registration / licence and status, if relevant; omit private identification numbers] RELEVANT DEVELOPMENT [Course or training, provider, date] [Portfolio or publication link, if applicable]
Turn duties into evidence
Graduate example structure: “Built [project] using [tool] to address [problem]; my contribution was [specific work].” Experienced example structure: “Reorganised [process], resulting in [documented improvement].” These are writing patterns, not achievements to copy as your own. If you cannot substantiate a number, describe the real outcome without inventing a metric.
CV writing checklist
- Match your headline, skills and most relevant experience to the vacancy.
- Check phone number, email, dates and spelling. Explain gaps honestly if asked.
- Use standard headings and selectable text. Avoid complex tables, graphics and tiny type.
- State NYSC status accurately where relevant. Do not invent a discharge or exemption.
- Omit BVN, NIN, bank details, passwords, exact home address and unnecessary personal data. Do not add photos, age, marital status or religion unless there is a clear, legitimate requirement you have assessed.
- Use a clear filename such as Firstname_Surname_CV.pdf and reopen the exported file to check it. Never submit bracketed placeholders.