A Ghanaian CV is longer and more formal than an American résumé. Recruiters here expect your education in full and two or three referees they can call, and most will read two pages without complaint.

The template

[YOUR FULL NAME]
[Town, e.g. Dansoman, Accra]
[Phone] | [Email]
[LinkedIn or portfolio link, if you have one]

PROFILE
[Three or four lines: what you do, for how
long, and what you are good at. Written for
this job, not for every job.]

EDUCATION
[Degree, class], [University], [Year]
[Diploma or certificate], [Institution], [Year]
WASSCE, [School], [Year]

WORK EXPERIENCE
[Job title], [Employer], [Town]
[Month Year] - [Month Year, or Present]
- [What you did, with a result: "Cut stock
  losses by a third in six months"]
- [Another result]

[Job title], [Employer], [Town]
[Month Year] - [Month Year]
- [What you did]

NATIONAL SERVICE
[Role], [Organisation], [Year]

SKILLS
[Software, languages, licences - only
those you would be happy to be tested on]

REFEREES
[Name], [Position], [Organisation]
[Phone] | [Email]

[Name], [Position], [Organisation]
[Phone] | [Email]

Why each part is there

  • Profile first. A recruiter decides in seconds whether to read on, and the profile is what they read. Rewrite it for every application.
  • Education in full, with the class of degree. Formal credentials carry weight with Ghanaian employers, and many adverts screen on them.
  • National service as its own line. For a recent graduate it is experience, and employers ask about it.
  • Results, not duties. “Responsible for stock” says what the job was; “cut stock losses by a third” says what you did with it.
  • Referees named, not “available on request”. Ghanaian employers do call them, often before an offer. Ask each one first, and tell them which jobs you have applied for.

What to leave out

  • Your date of birth, marital status, religion and hometown. Older Ghanaian CVs carried all four, and many still do. None is needed to judge whether you can do the job, so leave them off unless an advert asks.
  • A photograph, unless the advert asks for one.
  • Your Ghana Card number. It belongs on a form an employer gives you after an offer, not on a document that goes to strangers.

Sending it

Save it as a PDF named after you - “Ama-Owusu-CV.pdf”, not “CV final 2.pdf” - and send it with a short application letter.

— Application letter for a job — How to find a job in Accra — Employment contract checklist