Whether you’re a fresh graduate or a mid-level professional, here are five common CV mistakes Nigerian employers often complain about—and how you can avoid them.

1. Generic Objective Statements

Bad example: “I seek a challenging position where I can use my skills and grow.”

Employers want specificity. Tailor your career objective to the role.

Fix: “To leverage my digital marketing skills to drive lead generation and social media growth at a forward-thinking agency.”

2. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements

Job descriptions aren’t enough. Nigerian hiring managers want proof of impact.

Bad: “Managed a sales team.”

Good: “Led a 6-person sales team that grew monthly revenue by ₦2.5M within 4 months.”

3. Poor Formatting and Lengthy Layouts

A 4-page CV with inconsistent fonts will be ignored.

Fix: Use clean, readable fonts like Calibri or Arial, keep it to 1–2 pages max, and align everything properly. Export to PDF to preserve formatting.

4. Including Irrelevant Personal Information

Details like state of origin, religion, or marital status are not necessary.

Fix: Only include your name, phone number, professional email, and LinkedIn (if available).

5. Ignoring Keywords from Job Ads

Most companies now use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). If your CV lacks relevant keywords, it may never be seen.

Fix: Scan the job ad for key skills (e.g., “content strategy,” “Python,” “customer service”) and include them naturally in your CV.

Bonus Tip: Proofread or Lose Out

A typo like “Manger” instead of “Manager” might seem small—but it signals carelessness. Always have someone review your CV before sending it out.

Fixing these CV mistakes could be the difference between silence and an interview invitation. Need help optimizing your CV for Nigerian employers? BudRace.com has expert resources and templates to get you started.