Writing a CV that catches the recruiter’s eye

For every vacancy, a recruiter often receives dozens of applications. They read the top of the first page first: if they do not quickly find what they are looking for, they move on to the next one. Your CV must get straight to the point.

One or two pages, no more

One page is enough for a recent graduate, two for an experienced profile. Remove anything that adds nothing to the job you are applying for: internships from fifteen years ago, unrelated hobbies, stock phrases.

The right order

• At the top: name, a phone number where you can be reached, a professional email address (firstname.lastname@…), city.
• A headline that names the target job, for example “Accountant – 4 years of SYSCOHADA experience”.
• Work experience, from the most recent to the oldest.
• Degrees and training, with the year and the institution.
• Skills relevant to the job: software, languages (French, Arabic, English), driving licence.

Results rather than tasks

“In charge of accounting” says little. “Kept the accounts of 3 donor-funded projects, annual closing with no reservations from the auditor” shows what you can do. Whenever possible, give a figure: a budget, a number of people supervised, a deadline met.

Tailor the CV to each vacancy

Re-read the advertisement and use its key words in your CV where they match your real experience. Put forward the experience closest to the job, even if it is not the most recent.

Before you send it

• Have someone proofread your CV: a single spelling mistake can be enough to rule out an application.
• Send it as a PDF with a clear name: “CV-Firstname-Lastname.pdf”.
• Attach exactly the documents requested in the advertisement, no more and no less.