How to Convert a Nigerian CV to a UK CV: Before and After

If you are wondering how to convert a Nigerian CV to a UK CV, the most useful thing is to watch it happen. This post takes one typical Nigerian CV and rewrites it to UK norms, section by section, explaining every change.

The example is a composite. It is built from patterns common in Nigerian CVs, not copied from one real person, so no private details are exposed. Chidinma is an accountant in Lagos with about six years' experience. Swap in your own details as you go.

Why a Nigerian CV needs rewriting for the UK

A CV that works well for Lagos or Abuja employers can look out of place to a UK recruiter. The differences fall into three groups:

• Personal information. UK employers generally don't ask for age, marital status, religion or state of origin. Equality law discourages decisions based on these, so many recruiters prefer not to see them.
• Emphasis. UK CVs focus on recent results, not on duties or every exam you have taken.
• Length and layout. Two pages is the usual norm for experienced candidates. Simple, single-column formatting tends to work best with recruiters and applicant tracking systems.

None of this means your Nigerian CV was wrong. It was written for a different audience.

How to convert a Nigerian CV to a UK CV, section by section

1. Personal details

Before:

CURRICULUM VITAE Name: Okafor Chidinma Grace Date of Birth: 14th March 1994 Sex: Female Marital Status: Married State of Origin: Anambra LGA: Nnewi North Religion: Christianity Address: 12 Adeola Street, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State Phone: 08031234567 Email: chidinmagrace94@yahoo.com [passport photograph]

After:

Chidinma Okafor Lagos, Nigeria | +234 803 123 4567 | chidinma.okafor@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/chidinmaokafor

What changed and why:

• Dropped the "Curriculum Vitae" heading. Your name is the heading.
• Put the name in first-name-then-surname order, which UK readers expect.
• Removed date of birth, sex, marital status, state of origin, LGA, religion and the photo. UK CVs usually leave these out.
• Shortened the address to city and country. A full street address isn't needed.
• Added the +234 country code so a UK recruiter can dial the number. If you have a UK number, use that instead.
• Used a neutral, professional email without a birth year.

2. Career objective becomes a personal profile

Before:

CAREER OBJECTIVE: To work in a dynamic and result-oriented organisation where my skills and experience will be fully utilised for the growth of the organisation and my personal development.

After:

Profile ICAN-qualified accountant with six years' experience in month-end close, management reporting and audit preparation for manufacturing and FMCG businesses. Reduced month-end close from 10 to 6 working days by standardising reconciliations in Excel and SAP. Looking for a management accountant role in the UK.

What changed and why: The objective described what Chidinma wants. The profile tells the employer what she offers, with one concrete result. Keep it to three or four lines. Only include numbers you can explain at interview, and only name tools you have genuinely used.

3. Education and professional qualifications

Before:

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS WITH DATES University of Lagos, B.Sc. Accounting, 2011–2015, Second Class Upper Division Federal Government College, Enugu, WAEC (SSCE), 2010: 8 credits including English and Mathematics St. Mary's Nursery and Primary School, First School Leaving Certificate, 2004

After:

Professional Qualifications Chartered Accountant, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), 2018

Education BSc Accounting, University of Lagos, 2015 | Second Class Upper (CGPA 4.1/5.0)

What changed and why:

• Professional qualifications moved above the degree, because for an experienced accountant they matter more.
• Primary school and WAEC were removed. For someone six years into a career, UK employers rarely need school results. Graduate schemes or roles that set a specific GCSE-level requirement are the exception.
• The CGPA scale was added so the grade is readable.

Don't claim a UK equivalent you haven't confirmed. Some employers ask for a statement of comparability from UK ENIC, which you can request if needed. For more detail, see how to show Nigerian CGPA on a UK or Canadian CV.

If you also hold ACCA or CIMA, list them here. If you are part-way through one, write "ACCA – 9 of 13 exams passed", not just "ACCA".

4. NYSC

Before: NYSC sat under its own heading, with the certificate number and the date of discharge.

After:

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Accounts Assistant, Lagos State Ministry of Finance | 2015–2016

• Reconciled departmental payment vouchers against bank statements each month.

What changed and why: UK recruiters may not know what NYSC is. Listing it as a role, with one line of genuine work, makes it understandable. Drop the certificate number. For someone with six years' experience, this entry can be very short or folded into earlier experience. See what to do with your NYSC certificate on a CV.

5. Work experience

This is where most of the improvement happens.

Before:

Lekki Foods Ltd – Senior Accountant (2019 – Date) Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for preparation of monthly financial statements
• In charge of reconciliation of bank accounts
• Liaising with auditors
• Any other duty assigned by the Financial Controller

After:

Senior Accountant, Lekki Foods Ltd, Lagos | Jan 2019 – Present Food manufacturer, around 400 staff, annual revenue approx. ₦18bn

• Prepare monthly management accounts and variance analysis for the Financial Controller and board.
• Cut month-end close from 10 to 6 working days by standardising 14 bank reconciliations in Excel and SAP.
• Led preparation of audit schedules for the external auditors; audits closed with no material adjustments in 2021–2023.
• Trained two junior accountants on reconciliation procedures.

What changed and why:

• Job title first, then employer. UK recruiters scan for titles.
• A one-line company description. A UK reader won't know Lekki Foods. Size and sector give context. Only include figures that are public or that you are allowed to share. A range or "approx." is fine.
• "Present", not "Date", and month plus year for every role.
• Achievements instead of duties. "Responsible for" became an action verb with a result. "Any other duty assigned" was deleted.
• Currency kept as naira. Don't convert to pounds. Exchange rates change, and a conversion can look inflated.

If you don't have exact figures, describe the change honestly: "Simplified the reconciliation process, reducing manual errors" is fine. Never invent a percentage.

6. Skills, hobbies and referees

Before:

SKILLS: Microsoft Office, good communication skills, hardworking, ability to work under pressure HOBBIES: Reading, travelling, watching movies REFEREES:

1. Mr. Emeka Nwosu, Financial Controller, Lekki Foods Ltd, 0802…
2. Pastor (Dr.) Samuel Ade, Living Faith Church, 0803…

After:

Skills SAP FI | Advanced Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query) | IFRS reporting | Management accounts | Budgeting and forecasting

References available on request.

What changed and why:

• Soft-skill claims like "hardworking" were removed. Your bullet points should show these.
• Skills became specific tools and standards. If the job ad mentions UK GAAP or Xero and you have truthfully used them, add them. If you haven't, don't.
• Hobbies were removed. Generic interests take up space; keep one only if it is distinctive or relevant.
• Referee names and phone numbers were removed. In the UK, references are usually requested later in the process. A religious leader is rarely appropriate as a professional referee.

Location, right to work and applying from Nigeria

UK recruiters will want to know whether you can legally work for them. Being vague doesn't help, so add one honest line under your contact details:

• If you hold a visa that allows work: "Right to work in the UK: [visa type], valid until [month year]."
• If you would need sponsorship: "Will require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship." Some people instead raise this in the cover letter or the application form question, which is also fine.
• Only write "Relocating to London, March 2025" if that plan is real and confirmed.

Immigration rules change, and this post is general information, not legal advice. Check eligibility on the official GOV.UK visas and immigration pages. If you need sponsorship, you can see which organisations hold a sponsor licence on the register of licensed sponsors. A licence alone doesn't mean an employer will sponsor a particular role.

Once your UK version is ready, the next step is matching it to real vacancies. The QuickApplyPilot remote and international jobs tool can help you adapt your CV and application to a specific overseas or remote job ad and flag country-specific details you may have missed. It doesn't guarantee responses; it helps you check your own work. You can also do the same by hand, using the checklist below.

Final layout and checklist

Chidinma's finished CV runs to two pages in this order: name and contact details, right-to-work line, profile, experience (most recent first), professional qualifications, education, skills. For more on length, see how long a CV should be in the UK.

Before you send yours, check:

1. No personal data UK CVs usually omit: date of birth, marital status, state of origin, LGA, religion, photo.
2. Name in first-name-surname order, and the phone number includes a country code.
3. Profile of 3–4 lines stating what you offer, not what you want.
4. Recent roles first, each with month-year dates and a one-line employer description.
5. Achievement bullets starting with verbs, using only numbers you can back up.
6. Grades with scales (for example, "CGPA 4.1/5.0"); school results removed unless the job asks for them.
7. NYSC explained as a role, not just a certificate.
8. Specific, truthful skills that reflect the job ad's wording where it fits your experience.
9. Referees removed, or replaced with "References available on request".
10. Simple formatting: one column, standard headings, no tables or text boxes, saved as PDF or Word as the employer requests.
11. British spelling throughout ("organisation", "programme").
12. An honest right-to-work line, checked against official GOV.UK guidance.

The same principles apply in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, but details such as referees and length differ, so check local norms before reusing your UK version elsewhere.