How to Format Your CV: Please Stop Using Microsoft Word Templates from 2007

When you submit a CV that is visually messy, you are telling the recruiter you do not care about quality. I have opened files that looked like secondary school projects with neon headers and tiny fonts. A clean, boring layout is what actually wins the attention of top employers.

The Psychology of CV Formatting in Nigeria

You must understand the environment in which your CV is being read. A recruiter at a hot tech startup like OPay or Flutterwave is likely reading your application on their mobile phone while stuck in Lagos traffic. They do not have the patience to zoom in and out because you used a tiny, complex font.

If your layout is visually chaotic, the recruiter will assume your mind and your work habits are also chaotic. Clean formatting shows discipline, organization, and respect for the reader’s time. Your goal is to make the document as easy to read as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Boring is beautiful when it comes to CV design. Unless you are applying for a graphic design position where you need a visual portfolio, your CV should rely on clear text and simple structures. Let your achievements do the talking, not your decorative borders.

The Core Rules of CV Typography and Layout

Choosing the right font is the first step toward a professional document. Avoid old-fashioned fonts like Times New Roman, which can make your experience look outdated. Stick to clean, modern sans-serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.

Keep your font sizes consistent throughout the document. Your name at the top should be the largest element, followed by section headers, and finally the body text. Here is a simple guide to font sizing:

• Your Name: 16–18pt (Bold)
• Section Headers: 12–14pt (Bold)
• Job Titles: 11–12pt (Bold or Italic)
• Body Text: 10–11pt (Regular)

Keep your line spacing between 1.15 and 1.5. This ensures there is enough breathing room between lines, making it easier for the recruiter to track their reading. Never squeeze your text together just to fit everything onto a single page.

Structure: The Standard Flow of Information

Your CV should follow a logical structure that aligns with how recruiters scan documents. Do not try to be creative with your section order; keep it predictable. The standard layout that works for most Nigerian employers includes:

1. Contact Information: Keep it clean and place it at the very top.
2. Professional Summary: A short, three-sentence pitch of your value.
3. Work Experience: Your employment history in reverse chronological order.
4. Education: Your degrees and institutions, starting with the most recent.
5. Skills: A list of relevant technical and soft skills.
6. Certifications: Any professional courses you have completed.

Ensure each section is separated by a clear line break. This visual separation helps the recruiter jump directly to the information they are most interested in, such as your latest job title.

Section Header Guidelines That Work in Nigeria

Your section headers must be instantly scannable. Use bold, left-aligned headers with consistent capitalization. Do not underline your headers, it looks like a typewriter from the 1980s. Keep header text short: “Experience” instead of “My Professional Work History and Previous Employment.”

For companies like Shell and Chevron that receive thousands of applications through their career portals, your section headers also need to be ATS-friendly. Use standard names like “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills.” Avoid creative labels like “Where I’ve Worked” or “My Toolbox,” the ATS robot will not understand them.

ATS systems at Nigerian banks like GTBank and First Bank parse your document by looking for these standard header keywords. If you rename “Education” to “Academic Background,” the system may fail to categorise your qualifications correctly. Stick to what the robots expect.

Why the PDF Format is Non-Negotiable

Never send your CV as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) unless the job advertisement explicitly demands it. When you save a file in Word, its layout depends on the version of the software the reader is using. If I open your Word document on my Mac, the formatting can shift, scattering your headers across the page.

A PDF lock-in ensures your layout looks identical on every device, whether it is a high-end office computer or a cheap mobile phone. It preserves your spacing, your margins, and your fonts exactly as you intended.

The only exception to this rule is when an employer uses an older Applicant Tracking System that specifies they only accept Word files. In every other case, export your document to PDF before clicking the send button.

Companies like PwC, KPMG, and Dangote Group typically accept PDF uploads directly through their ATS portals. If you upload a Word document, the ATS may strip your formatting and merge your text into one unreadable block. Do not risk it.

Common Formatting Disasters to Avoid

I often see candidates using Microsoft Word templates from 2007 with heavy blue headers, tables, and decorative boxes. These templates are outdated and difficult for modern ATS robots to parse. They also signal to the employer that you do not know how to design a modern document.

Another major mistake is using progress bars or percentages to describe your skills. If you write “Python: 80%,” what does that actually mean? Who graded you, and what does the other 20% represent? Use descriptive terms like “Intermediate” or “Advanced” instead of arbitrary numbers.

Finally, do not include your photograph on your CV unless you are applying for a modeling or acting role. In Nigeria, including a photo can expose you to unconscious bias regarding your tribe, age, or appearance. Keep the focus entirely on your professional merit and accomplishments.

ATS Formatting: What Works and What Breaks

Nigerian companies are increasingly adopting ATS platforms from providers like Jobberman, SeamlessHR, and Interswitch’s recruitment tools. These systems are not as sophisticated as international enterprise ATS software. They struggle with:

• Tables and columns: If you use a two-column layout, the ATS will read across the page instead of down, jumbling your content.
• Headers and footers: Some ATS systems cannot read text placed inside document headers or footers. Keep your contact details in the main body.
• Graphics and icons: Any image, logo, or icon will appear as a broken placeholder or empty space to the ATS.
• Special characters: Avoid unusual symbols, arrows, or bullet alternatives. Standard round bullet points or hyphens are safest.

For example, when you apply to NNPC or TotalEnergies through their career portals, your CV goes through an ATS filter before any human sees it. If you used a fancy template with text boxes, your carefully formatted experience section may appear as random strings of text. The recruiter will see garbage and click “Reject.”

Company-Specific Formatting Examples

Different industries in Nigeria have different formatting expectations. A format that works for a tech startup may fail at a traditional bank.

Shell and Chevron: These oil majors expect strict, conservative formatting. Single-column layout, black text on white background, professional summary at the top. They scan for technical keywords like “HSE compliance,” “process optimisation,” and “project management.” Your formatting must make these keywords immediately visible.

GTBank and Access Bank: Banking recruiters value precision and clarity. Use a clean sans-serif font, avoid any colour except dark blue for headers, and ensure your date formats are consistent (e.g., “Jan 2024 – Present” not “January 2024 till date”). Banks are sticklers for consistency.

Flutterwave and Paystack: These fintech companies appreciate slightly modern layouts but still need ATS compatibility. You can use a subtle accent colour for your name, but keep the rest black and white. Highlight your technical stack clearly at the top.

Dangote Group and Nestlé Nigeria: These manufacturing giants receive huge application volumes. Your CV must be optimised for their ATS. Use standard section headers, avoid images, and include a keywords section that mirrors the job description.

Cleaning Up Your Contact Details

You do not need to share your entire life history in your contact section. Many Nigerian candidates waste valuable space listing their date of birth, marital status, religion, state of origin, and local government area. Unless you are applying for a government quota position, leave these details out.

Your contact section should only take up three or four lines at the top of the page. Include your full name, a professional email address (avoid names like sexychinedu99@gmail.com), your phone number, your city, and a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Chinedu Okafor
Lagos, Nigeria | +234 803 123 4567 | chinedu.okafor@email.com | linkedin.com/in/chineduokafor

This clean structure gives the recruiter everything they need to reach you without cluttering the page. It looks sharp, professional, and modern.

The Golden Rule: Scanability is King

At the end of the day, your CV is a marketing document, not a personal diary. If a recruiter cannot find your key achievements within ten seconds of opening your file, your format has failed.

Take a close look at your CV today. If it looks crowded, chaotic, or outdated, spend the afternoon stripping away the design fluff. A clean, professional layout shows that you respect the employer’s time and take your career seriously. Let us make that first impression count.