Your CV is your first impression with UK employers. Nigerian CVs and UK CVs have significant differences in format, content, and style. Converting your Nigerian CV to UK standards can dramatically improve your chances of getting interviews. This guide shows you exactly how.
Key Differences: Nigerian vs UK CV
| Feature | Nigerian CV | UK CV |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Common | Never |
| Date of birth | Included | Never |
| Marital status | Included | Never |
| Length | 3-5 pages | 2 pages max |
| Objective statement | Common | Personal statement instead |
| References | Full details | "Available on request" |
UK CV Structure
1. Contact Information
- Full name (no titles like Mr/Mrs)
- Phone number (UK format preferred)
- Professional email (firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
- Location (city only, no full address)
- LinkedIn profile URL
DO NOT include: Photo, date of birth, marital status, gender, nationality, religion
2. Personal Statement (3-4 sentences)
A brief summary of who you are professionally:
- Your professional identity
- Key skills and experience
- What you're looking for
- Tailored to each role
3. Key Skills
6-8 bullet points highlighting relevant skills:
- Match skills to job description
- Include both technical and soft skills
- Be specific (not just "good communication")
4. Work Experience (Reverse Chronological)
Format for each role:
- Job Title | Company Name | Location
- Dates (Month Year - Month Year or Present)
- 4-6 bullet points of achievements
- Focus on impact, not just duties
- Quantify where possible (numbers, percentages)
5. Education
- Degree, Institution, Year
- Relevant modules or dissertation (if recent graduate)
- No need to list all O-Levels/A-Levels
6. Additional Sections (Optional)
- Professional certifications
- Languages
- Volunteer work
- Professional memberships
Achievement-Based Writing
Instead of: "Responsible for managing team"
Write: "Led team of 8 developers, delivering 12 projects on time and 15% under budget"
Use this formula: Action verb + What you did + Result/Impact
Strong action verbs:
- Achieved, delivered, implemented, increased, reduced
- Led, managed, coordinated, developed, established
- Streamlined, optimized, transformed, generated, secured
Common Nigerian CV Mistakes
- Too long: Keep it to 2 pages maximum
- Including personal details: Remove photo, age, marital status
- Duties not achievements: Focus on what you accomplished
- Listing every job: Focus on relevant recent roles
- Generic statements: Be specific and quantify
- Poor formatting: Use clean, professional layout
- Spelling errors: Use UK English spellings
UK English Spellings
Use British spellings:
- organisation (not organization)
- colour (not color)
- centre (not center)
- analyse (not analyze)
- programme (not program)
Tailoring Your CV
For each application:
- Read the job description carefully
- Identify key requirements
- Match your experience to those requirements
- Use similar language/keywords
- Adjust your personal statement
- Reorder bullet points to highlight relevant experience
Conclusion
Converting your Nigerian CV to UK format is essential for job success. Remove personal details, keep it concise, focus on achievements, and tailor for each role. A well-formatted UK CV significantly increases your chances of getting interviews.
Take time to get this right—your CV is your marketing document. Make every word count.