₦airaland Forum

As someone who reviews and writes CVs regularly, I’ve noticed that many job seekers don’t get rejected because they lack qualifications.

They get rejected because their CV fails to communicate their value quickly.

Most recruiters are busy. They may have dozens or even hundreds of CVs to review. If your CV doesn’t grab attention within a few seconds, it often gets skipped.

Some common mistakes I see:
1. Generic career summaries
Examples like:
“I am a hardworking and dedicated individual seeking a challenging position…”
Recruiters have seen this thousands of times.

2. Listing responsibilities instead of achievements
Don’t just tell employers what your job was. Show what you accomplished.

3. Poor formatting
Walls of text, inconsistent fonts, and cluttered layouts make CVs difficult to read.

4. Using one CV for every job
A CV for a customer service role shouldn’t look the same as one for a cybersecurity or accounting role.

5. Ignoring keywords
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs before a human sees them.

How to improve your CV:

✓ Tailor it to the job you’re applying for.

✓ Focus on achievements and results.

✓ Keep the format clean and professional.

✓ Use relevant keywords from the job description.

✓ Make your value clear within the first few lines.

One thing I always tell clients:

“Your CV is not just a document. It’s your professional story.”

What CV mistakes do you think Nigerian job seekers make most often?

Hmmm good one....thanks for enlightenment

No be by cv na haba..
People with most rich cvs are often rejected too

If you are in Nigeria looking for jobs now, you are in a big mess because there are no jobs in Nigeria. That's why applicants receive regret email. If you go on LinkedIn, over 100 people apply for ONE position within 24 hours.

Nonsense

I no blame una

Na crazy uneployment crisis in 9ja dey cause all these kind useless posts.

Tailoring CVs to each application can be draining 😥.

SmartPolician:
If you are in Nigeria looking for jobs now, you are in a big mess because there are no jobs in Nigeria. That's applicants receive regret email. If you go on LinkedIn, over 100 people apply for ONE position within 24 hours.

I used to believe that there are no jobs in Nigeria till I went to indeed and glassdoor, especially indeed. Thousands of jobs are posted every 10 minutes on indeed.

When you have a bad leader your CVs will definitely end up short, tinubu should resign and allow sensible human being to upgrade our educational system

SpaceX:
When you have a bad leader your CVs will definitely end up short, tinubu should resign and allow sensible human being to upgrade our educational system

Your progress in life is in jeopardy. The thread is about improving your resume so as to escape Tinubu, but you still made sure Tinubu has influence over your progress. It is well.

1Alex:
I used to believe that there are no jobs in Nigeria till I went to indeed and glassdoor, especially indeed. Thousands of jobs are posted every 10 minutes on indeed.

I believe there are still jobs esp tech related tasks. But seriously, when one is loaded with good skills, dollars based salary is the goal. I only just pity applicants looking into the Nigerian market. If its to gain experience to leverage and japa, fine. It is well.

1Alex:
I used to believe that there are no jobs in Nigeria till I went to indeed and glassdoor, especially indeed. Thousands of jobs are posted every 10 minutes on indeed.

That's not true. Nigeria doesn't have thousands of jobs to post every day on those platforms.

Sometimes, those job boards redirect applicants to LinkedIn for positions that recruiters have stopped receiving applications for.

Besides, jobs that pay less than 100k are no jobs - they are modern slavery work.

The main reason reason why most job applicants get rejected is because there are too few vacancies and way too many applications. A gold plated CV won't help you.

If you like you tailor it and also iron it join
Na connection be conduction

Anyway it's cool not to explain much in Resumees

Just say what you can do and what you have done strong, short and sharp

SmartPolician:
That's not true. Nigeria doesn't have thousands of jobs to post every day on those platforms.

Sometimes, those job boards redirect applicants to LinkedIn for positions that recruiters have stopped receiving applications for.

Besides, jobs that pay less than 100k are no jobs - they are modern slavery work.

the statement in bold clearly shows you don't go to indeed.

NaturePens:
As someone who reviews and writes CVs regularly, I’ve noticed that many job seekers don’t get rejected because they lack qualifications.

They get rejected because their CV fails to communicate their value quickly.

Most recruiters are busy. They may have dozens or even hundreds of CVs to review. If your CV doesn’t grab attention within a few seconds, it often gets skipped.

Some common mistakes I see:
1. Generic career summaries
Examples like:
“I am a hardworking and dedicated individual seeking a challenging position…”
Recruiters have seen this thousands of times.

2. Listing responsibilities instead of achievements
Don’t just tell employers what your job was. Show what you accomplished.

3. Poor formatting
Walls of text, inconsistent fonts, and cluttered layouts make CVs difficult to read.

4. Using one CV for every job
A CV for a customer service role shouldn’t look the same as one for a cybersecurity or accounting role.

5. Ignoring keywords
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs before a human sees them.

How to improve your CV:

✓ Tailor it to the job you’re applying for.

✓ Focus on achievements and results.

✓ Keep the format clean and professional.

✓ Use relevant keywords from the job description.

✓ Make your value clear within the first few lines.

One thing I always tell clients:

“Your CV is not just a document. It’s your professional story.”

What CV mistakes do you think Nigerian job seekers make most often?

/
Grammatical errors and misspellings top the list.


/

1Alex:
the statement in bold clearly shows you don't go to indeed.

If you don't know about the emboldened, then you clearly don't use them.

You just see job notifications and get excited

We all know say no be by Cv in this part of the world

rummmy:
No be by cv na haba..
People with most rich cvs are often rejected too

Two truths can co exist….hr might already have their family and friends they will pick next for a role or the Ogas have their family and friends too…but that doesn’t mean that your CV too shouldn’t be well put together at the same time too so that anyone seeing it can take you serous….so at the same time, pray to God for Favour to grant you the job exactly in which he has planned for you even while you search or test your entrepreneurial skills….you may be surprised the business initiative you can come up with or services you can offer if you just give it a try…..not everyone will work in a corporate environment. So cast your bread on many waters also

SmartPolician:
If you are in Nigeria looking for jobs now, you are in a big mess because there are no jobs in Nigeria. That's why applicants receive regret email. If you go on LinkedIn, over 100 people apply for ONE position within 24 hours.

I agree with you, Work in Nigeria requires connection, and recommendations, if you like write the best CV written by an American CV reviewer, the person will still not scale through because there is no work in Nigeria, and the ones we have are slavery camp, called work.

Lots of vacancies are online but aren't your dream job and aren't worth it, but they're also some organizations and companies who presence are offline for understandable reasons; to avoid unmanageable logistics, avoid equity problems based on high profile connections especially overwhelming entitlement and community pressure from family, friends or anybody else, overwhelming economic pressures and security reasons especially the fear of scams, spams and kidnappings and digital search for jobs fails here, as not every organizations and companies want to attract too much attention as they prefer to be low profile and they favor accountability, competence and their companies using the right medium to attract potential job seekers based on their talents and capabilities rather than connection and deceit

No wonder the place I applied for never call me back I am a graduate but I don't know how to write CV well I gave it to cyber people to do it for me. God I never see job for two years now

NaturePens:
As someone who reviews and writes CVs regularly, I’ve noticed that many job seekers don’t get rejected because they lack qualifications.

They get rejected because their CV fails to communicate their value quickly.

Most recruiters are busy. They may have dozens or even hundreds of CVs to review. If your CV doesn’t grab attention within a few seconds, it often gets skipped.

Some common mistakes I see:
1. Generic career summaries
Examples like:
“I am a hardworking and dedicated individual seeking a challenging position…”
Recruiters have seen this thousands of times.

2. Listing responsibilities instead of achievements
Don’t just tell employers what your job was. Show what you accomplished.

3. Poor formatting
Walls of text, inconsistent fonts, and cluttered layouts make CVs difficult to read.

4. Using one CV for every job
A CV for a customer service role shouldn’t look the same as one for a cybersecurity or accounting role.

5. Ignoring keywords
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs before a human sees them.

How to improve your CV:

✓ Tailor it to the job you’re applying for.

✓ Focus on achievements and results.

✓ Keep the format clean and professional.

✓ Use relevant keywords from the job description.

✓ Make your value clear within the first few lines.

One thing I always tell clients:

“Your CV is not just a document. It’s your professional story.”

What CV mistakes do you think Nigerian job seekers make most often?

My brother for two years I graduated I never see job na my house rent I use dey hold body people insult me because I no dey go out but I don't care one day oluwa will do it for me

SmartPolician:
If you are in Nigeria looking for jobs now, you are in a big mess because there are no jobs in Nigeria. That's why applicants receive regret email. If you go on LinkedIn, over 100 people apply for ONE position within 24 hours.

rummmy:
No be by cv na haba..
People with most rich cvs are often rejected too

It depends on the cv you are talking about.
If you carry better thing for the cv, then my brother, NA BY CV.

You can have one CV and formatted resume for different positions

SmartPolician:
If you don't know about the emboldened, then you clearly don't use them.

You just see job notifications and get excited

me too I have been using indeed for years, I have never been redirected to linkdn.

PM me for a professional Resume/Cover page for your Cv.
Check my Signature

rummmy:
No be by cv na haba..
People with most rich cvs are often rejected too

Why are rich CVs rejected? I mean why do you think they are rejected? I just want to know the reasons. Thank you.

Gotocourt:
Tailoring CVs to each application can be draining 😥.

Very draining, especially if you're gainfully employed and 24hrs in a day isn't enough to complete your tasks.

Gotocourt:
Tailoring CVs to each application can be draining 😥.

Must you apply for everything??

One practical fix is to rewrite every duty as proof. Many CVs say what the person was supposed to do, not what changed because they did it.

Use this formula:

Action + Tool/Method + Result

Weak: Responsible for customer service.
Better: Handled 40+ customer enquiries daily by phone and email, resolved common complaints, and escalated payment issues within 24 hours.

Weak: Managed social media pages.
Better: Planned 20 posts monthly, replied to DMs, tracked engagement in Meta Business Suite, and helped increase enquiries from 15 to 40 per week.

If you are stuck, paste the job description beside your CV and make the first half of the CV answer: why should this employer call me today? A tailored CV draft from https://cverai.com can help, but still edit it with your real numbers and proof.