If you are a student in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or anywhere else in Africa, and you have never written a CV before, you are not alone.
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Most students panic the moment a lecturer mentions “internship application”
or a friend sends a job link with “attach your CV” written at the bottom.
The truth is, you don’t need years of work experience to write a strong CV.
You need to know how to present what you already have — your school projects,
your skills, your volunteer work — in a way that convinces an employer to give you a chance.
In this article, I will break it down step by step, in plain language, with real examples you can copy and adjust for yourself.
What Is A CV and Why Do You Need One As A Student?
A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a short document, usually one page for students,
that tells an employer who you are, what you can do, and why they should consider you.
Many students confuse a CV with a resume. In most of Africa, the two words are used to mean the same thing,
so don’t stress over the difference — what matters is that the document is clear, honest, and well organized.
As a student, you might need a CV for:
- An internship application (SIWES placement in Nigeria, for example)
- A part-time or holiday job
- A scholarship or exchange program application
- A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) related opportunity after graduation
- A volunteer role with an NGO or community project
Even if you feel you have “nothing to write,” you have more than you think.
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Every group project, every church or mosque volunteering activity, every time you helped organize an event in school — these all count.
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Step 1: Choose the Right CV Format
There are three common CV formats, but as a student, one works best for you almost every time.
1: Reverse Chronological Format
This lists your most recent education or experience first.
It works well if you have some structured experience,
like an internship or a leadership role in a student union.
2: Skills-Based (Functional) Format
This format is best for students with little or no work experience.
Instead of focusing on job history, it highlights your skills — communication,
teamwork, computer literacy, and so on — and backs them up with examples from school or volunteer life.
3: Combination Format
This mixes both. It’s a good middle ground once you’ve done at least one internship, project, or short course.
Our advice: If you are still in your first or second year, go with the skills-based format.
If you’re in your final year or just graduated, a combination format usually works better.
Step 2: Structure Your CV Correctly
Keep your CV to one page. Employers in Africa, especially HR officers handling hundreds of applications,
spend less than 30 seconds scanning a CV before deciding whether to read further.
Your structure should follow this order:
1. Contact Information
Put your full name, phone number, professional email address, and city/state at the top.
Avoid email addresses like “sweetboy001@yahoo.com” — use something with your real name, such as “adaeze.okafor@gmail.com”
2. Personal Profile / Career Objective (2-3 sentences)
This is a short paragraph introducing you. For example:
“Final-year Computer Science student at the University of Lagos with hands-
on experience in web development through personal and academic projects.
Seeking an internship role to apply my HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills in a real-world tech environment.”
Keep it specific. Avoid generic lines like “hardworking and motivated individual seeking opportunities to grow”
— every recruiter has read that sentence a thousand times.
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3. Education
List your current school, course of study, and expected graduation year.
If your CGPA is impressive (above 4.0 on a 5-point scale, or a 2:1 and above in the UK system used by many African universities), include it.
If it isn’t strong, you can leave it out entirely — that’s completely acceptable.
Example:
- B.Sc. Computer Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2022 – Present, expected graduation 2027)
- WAEC (West African Senior School Certificate), 2021
4. Skills Section
Separate this into two: technical/hard skills (Microsoft Excel, Canva, coding languages,
data entry) and soft skills (communication, time management, teamwork).
Only list skills you can genuinely defend if asked about them in an interview.
5. Experience (Including Non-Job Experience)
This is where students often struggle, but you actually have more to include than you realize:
- Class projects (especially group projects with a leadership role)
- School clubs or associations (JETS Club, Red Cross, debate team)
- Volunteer work (church programs, community outreach, NGO support)
- SIWES or industrial training, if completed
- Freelance gigs (even small ones, like designing flyers for a friend’s business)
Write each entry with the organization name, your role, and the dates,
and 2-3 bullet points describing what you did and, where possible, the result. For example:
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Class Representative, Department of Economics — Sept 2023 to Present
- Coordinated communication between 120 students and 8 lecturers
- Organized 3 successful class meetings to resolve exam schedule conflicts
6. Certifications and Extra Courses
If you’ve done any short courses — from Google, Coursera, ALX,
or even a local computer training center — list them with the year completed.
7. References
You can write “References available on request”
or list one or two people (a lecturer or a former volunteer coordinator) with their permission.
Step 3: Use Keywords From The Job Or Internship Posting
Many organizations, especially bigger ones,
use software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan CVs before a human even sees them.
If the internship listing mentions “data entry” and “customer relations,”
make sure those exact phrases appear somewhere in your CV, as long as they are true for you.
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This small step significantly improves your chances of getting shortlisted.
Step 4: Avoid These Common Student CV Mistakes
- Using an unprofessional photo or no photo when one is required. Some African employers still expect a passport photograph on the CV — check the application instructions first.
- Writing in paragraphs instead of bullet points. Recruiters skim; bullet points are easier to scan.
- Lying or exaggerating. If you say you’re “fluent in Excel” and can’t do a basic VLOOKUP in the interview, it damages your credibility instantly.
- Spelling and grammar errors. Always proofread, or ask a friend or lecturer to review it before submitting.
- Using one CV for every application. Tailor it slightly for each role or internship you apply for.
Step 5: Save And Send Your CV Correctly
Save your CV as a PDF, not a Word document, unless the application specifically asks for a .doc or .docx file.
A PDF keeps your formatting exactly as you designed it, no matter what device or software the recruiter opens it with.
Name the file properly too — “Ada_Okafor_CV.pdf” looks far more professional than “Documents1.pdf” or “CV new final2.pdf.”
Where Nigerian And African Students Can Find Real Internship And Job Listings
Once your CV is ready, here are a few credible places to start applying:
- MyJobMag – one of the most popular job and internship listing sites in Nigeria
- Jobberman – job listings and free CV tools across several African countries
- LinkedIn – increasingly used by African employers for internships and graduate roles
- JAMB and WAEC – for students confirming academic records that often need to be referenced in CVs and applications
For more guides on building your student career profile, check out our other articles on the
CollegeBreaking blog, including our posts on writing a cover letter and preparing for your first internship interview.
Conclusion:
Writing your first CV as a student doesn’t need to be stressful.
Focus on presenting your real experiences honestly — your school projects, volunteer work,
and skills — using a clean, one-page format.
Tailor it to each application, proofread carefully, and save it as a PDF before sending.
With these steps, you’ll have a CV that stands out, even without years of work experience behind you.
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FAQ:Â
1. Can I write a CV if I have never worked before?
Yes.
Use school projects, volunteer work, and skills you’ve developed to fill your experience section. Every student starts somewhere.
2. How long should a student CV be?
One page is ideal. Employers rarely expect a longer CV from a student or recent graduate.
3. Should I include my WAEC or JAMB results on my CV?
You can include your WAEC result under your education section, especially if you’re still in your early university years.
JAMB scores are usually not necessary unless specifically requested.
4. Is it okay to use a CV template from the internet?
Yes,
as long as you customize it with your real information and keep the design simple and easy to read.
Avoid overly decorated templates with too many colors or graphics for corporate applications.
5. Do I need a cover letter with my CV?
Many applications require both.
A cover letter allows you to explain, in more detail,
why you’re a good fit for that specific role, while your CV gives a quick overview of your background.
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