How to Write a CV That Gets You Hired Internationally

Your CV is the first thing a recruiter sees — and in the international job market, you have roughly 6 seconds to make an impression. Here's how to build a CV that works globally.

The Golden Rules of International CVs

• 1–2 pages maximum — international recruiters do not read beyond page 2
• ATS-friendly format — Applicant Tracking Systems scan your CV before humans do; avoid tables, columns, graphics, and text boxes
• Clean fonts — Arial, Calibri, or Garamond at 10–12pt
• Save as PDF — always, unless instructed otherwise
• No photo — this is not standard practice internationally and can introduce bias

The Right Structure

• Header: Full name, email, WhatsApp number, LinkedIn URL, City & Country
• Professional Summary: 3–4 punchy lines — who you are, what you do, and your top achievement
• Work Experience: Reverse chronological order; bullet points with achievements, not duties
• Skills: Hard skills (tools, languages, platforms) and soft skills (leadership, communication)
• Education: Degree, institution, graduation year — keep it brief
• Certifications: Include Google, HubSpot, Coursera, or other relevant certificates

Achievements vs Duties — The Biggest Mistake

Most Nigerian CVs list what you were responsible for. International CVs show what you actually achieved.

• ❌ "Managed social media accounts"
• ✅ "Grew Instagram following by 40% in 3 months, increasing website traffic by 22%"
• ❌ "Handled customer complaints"
• ✅ "Maintained 97% customer satisfaction rating across 200+ weekly interactions"

ATS Keyword Optimisation

Read the job description carefully and mirror its exact language in your CV. If the job says "project management" and you wrote "managing projects" — the ATS may not match it. Tailor every CV to each application.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Unprofessional email address — create a clean firstname.lastname@gmail.com
• Unexplained employment gaps — address them briefly in your cover letter
• Generic objective statements — replace with a specific professional summary
• Spelling and grammar errors — use Grammarly before submitting
• Outdated information — keep your CV current; update it every 3–6 months