The Ultimate Guide to Writing a 2-Page CV Employers Love

In the Nigerian professional landscape, we are often taught one cardinal rule of CV writing: “Keep it to one page.” For years, this has been the undisputed gospel preached by career coaches and HR managers alike. The logic is sound: in a market flooded with applicants for every single role, from Ikeja to Maitama, a recruiter's attention span is brutally short. A concise, one-page CV is seen as respectful of their time and a sign of a focused candidate.

But what happens when you are no longer a fresh graduate? What happens when you have 10, 15, or 20+ years of rich, hard-earned experience? You've led teams, managed multi-million Naira budgets, launched products, and navigated complex corporate structures. How can you possibly condense the full weight and value of your career onto a single A4 page without doing yourself a grave injustice?

This is where the strategic, well-executed 2-page CV transitions from a perceived “mistake” into a powerful, career-defining tool. But beware: simply letting your old one-page CV spill over onto a second page is a recipe for rejection. There is an art and a science to it.

This is not just another article; this is the definitive master guide that will demystify the 2-page CV for the experienced Nigerian and African professional. We will break down when to use it, who should use it, and most importantly, provide a step-by-step framework on how to structure it to make recruiters in Lagos, Abuja, and beyond sit up and take notice.

The Great CV Length Debate

Killing the “One-Page” Myth in Nigeria

First, let's address the elephant in the room. The “one-page rule” is not a universal, unbreakable law. It is a guideline, and its relevance is highly dependent on your career stage.

• The Logic Behind the One-Page Rule: The rule primarily exists to combat a common problem: applicants with little experience trying to fill space with irrelevant information (“fluff”). For a student, an NYSC corps member, or a professional with less than 5-7 years of experience, a single page is more than enough to showcase their potential and key accomplishments. It forces conciseness.
• The Tipping Point: As you become a more seasoned professional, the equation flips. A one-page CV can start to look sparse, as if you are hiding the depth of your experience. For a senior role, a recruiter expects to see a substantial history of achievements. Trying to cram 15 years of experience onto one page with a tiny font and no white space is far worse than presenting a clean, readable, two-page document.

The new rule for the modern Nigerian workplace is this: Your CV should be as long as it needs to be to persuasively tell your professional story, but not a single word longer. For experienced professionals, that sweet spot is often two pages.

The Golden Question:

Do YOU Need a 2-Page CV? A Litmus Test

Before you start writing, you must determine if a 2-page CV is the right strategic move for you. This is not about preference; it's about necessity and impact.

You SHOULD be using a 2-page CV if you are:

1. An Experienced Professional (10+ Years): If you have a decade or more of relevant, progressive experience, you have earned the right to two pages. You likely have multiple significant roles, major projects, and a deep well of accomplishments that cannot be adequately represented on one page.
2. A Senior Manager, Executive, or “Oga at the Top”: For C-level, Director, or Head of Department roles, a one-page CV would be seen as insufficient and almost amateurish. Recruiters expect to see a detailed history of your leadership, strategic initiatives, and quantifiable business impact.
3. An Academic or Researcher: For roles in academia, your list of publications, conferences, research projects, and grants is a core part of your qualification. This information requires significant space and is perfectly suited for a second page.
4. A Technical Expert or IT Professional: If your field requires you to list numerous technical skills, programming languages, software proficiencies, certifications, and a portfolio of complex projects (e.g., a Senior Software Engineer, a Cybersecurity expert), a second page is often necessary to provide the required level of detail.
5. A Project Manager or Management Consultant: Your CV is essentially a series of case studies. You need adequate space to detail the scope, your specific actions, and the quantifiable results (the P.A.R. model) for several key projects to effectively prove your expertise.

You should STICK to a 1-page CV if you are:

• A student, intern, or NYSC corps member.
• A fresh graduate.
• An early-career professional with less than 7-8 years of experience.
• Making a significant career change where much of your past experience is not directly relevant to the new role. In this case, conciseness is key.

The Anatomy of a Powerful 2-Page CV

The “Impact First” Strategy

The single most important rule for writing a 2-page CV is this: Page One must be a self-contained, high-impact document that can stand on its own.

Think of Page One as your executive summary, your personal billboard on the Lekki-Epe Expressway. A recruiter, swamped with applications, should be able to glance at this single page and know immediately your value proposition, your key skills, and your biggest career wins. If they were to print only one page, this page should be enough to land you the interview. Page Two is for the supporting evidence, the deeper context, and the proof of your extensive career.

The Structure of Page One: Your Power Pitch

1. Contact Information & LinkedIn URL: Placed clearly at the top.
2. Professional Summary (The “Power Summary”): This is not a generic objective. It's a 4-5 line summary of your entire career, written for a senior audience. It should state your years of experience, your core area of expertise, your leadership style, and 1-2 of your most impressive, quantifiable achievements.
3. “Key Achievements” or “Core Competencies” Section (Optional but Recommended): Immediately after your summary, create a bulleted section with 3-5 of your most impactful career achievements or a categorized list of your most relevant high-level skills. This is a high-impact “hook” that grabs the recruiter's attention instantly.
4. Professional Experience (The Beginning): Start your reverse-chronological work history. Your most recent and most relevant role(s) must begin on Page One. Dedicate significant space to this section, detailing your achievements with powerful, quantified bullet points. This section will likely continue onto the second page.

The Structure of Page Two: The Supporting Evidence

1. Consistent Header: Your name and “Page 2 of 2” should appear in a small, clean header or footer. This is crucial for keeping your document together if printed.
2. Professional Experience (The Continuation): Continue with your work history. This is where you detail your earlier, less critical roles. You can be more concise with these older positions, using fewer bullet points.
3. Education: Your university degree(s). For an experienced professional, this section no longer needs to be at the top of the CV.
4. Professional Certifications & Licenses: This is a crucial section in Nigeria. List your PMP, ICAN, ACCA, CIPM, or any other relevant professional qualifications here.
5. Technical Skills / Software Proficiency: A categorized list of your technical skills (e.g., Software, Programming Languages, Tools).
6. Publications / Conferences / Projects (If Applicable): For academics, consultants, or technical experts.

Design and Formatting for Maximum Readability

A 2-page CV must be exceptionally easy to read. You cannot afford for it to look like a dense, intimidating wall of text.

• Embrace White Space: Use adequate margins (at least 0.75 inches) and spacing between sections. This is the most effective tool for making your CV look clean, professional, and inviting to read.
• Use a Clear Header/Footer: On Page Two, include your name and page number (e.g., “Bolanle Adeyemi | Page 2 of 2”). This is a non-negotiable mark of professionalism.
• Use Clear, Consistent Headings: Use bolding and a slightly larger font size for your section headings (e.g., “Professional Experience,” “Education”) to guide the reader's eye.
• Choose a Professional Font: Stick to classic, readable fonts like Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, or Georgia in a size between 10.5 and 12 points.
• Save and Send as a PDF: Always. This preserves your formatting perfectly across all devices and prevents any accidental edits. Name it professionally: Bolanle_Adeyemi_Senior_Project_Manager_CV.pdf.

Common 2-Page CV Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

1. The Weak Page One: The biggest mistake is not making your first page a standalone powerhouse. If your best achievements and most relevant experience are buried on page two, they will likely never be seen.
2. Stretching to Fill Space: If you don't have enough relevant, high-quality content for two full pages, stick to a strong one-page CV. A weak, padded two-page CV is far worse than a powerful, concise one-page CV. Do not add irrelevant hobbies or use a huge font to fill space.
3. Inconsistent Formatting: Using different fonts, heading styles, or bullet point formats across the two pages looks sloppy, unprofessional, and shows a lack of attention to detail.
4. Forgetting the Page 2 Header: If a recruiter prints your CV and the pages get separated, the second page becomes an anonymous, useless document.
5. Using it Too Early in Your Career: Sending a two-page CV when you only have 4 years of experience can be perceived as arrogant or demonstrating an inability to prioritize and be concise.

Full Sample 2-Page CV for a Nigerian Professional

Candidate: Bolanle Adeyemi, a Senior Project Manager with 12 years of experience, moving from a traditional bank to a fintech company.

— PAGE 1 OF 2 —

BOLANLE ADEYEMI, PMP Lekki, Lagos | +234 809 876 5432 | b.adeyemi@email.com | https://www.google.com/search?q=linkedin.com/in/bolanleadeyemi

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY A certified Senior Project Manager with over 12 years of experience leading complex, cross-functional technology projects within the Nigerian financial services sector. A strategic leader with a proven track record of delivering multi-million Naira projects on time and 15% under budget. Expert in Agile methodologies, stakeholder management, and transitioning teams from traditional to digital-first project frameworks. Seeking to leverage deep expertise in financial product delivery to drive innovation in a fast-paced fintech environment.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Directed the successful launch of a flagship mobile banking application, acquiring over 500,000 users and processing ₦2 billion in transactions in its first year.
• Spearheaded a core banking platform migration project with a budget of ₦850 million, completing the project 3 weeks ahead of schedule with zero critical post-launch issues.
• Reduced project delivery timelines by an average of 25% by championing and implementing an Agile (Scrum) framework across the IT department.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior IT Project Manager | Zenith Bank Plc, Lagos | 2018 – Present

• Lead and direct a portfolio of technology projects with cumulative budgets exceeding ₦1.5 billion, focused on digital transformation and customer experience enhancement.
• Manage all aspects of the project lifecycle, from initial business case and requirements gathering to execution, UAT, and post-launch support.
• Orchestrate the activities of cross-functional teams of up to 20 members, including software developers, business analysts, QA engineers, and external vendors.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the IT department and C-suite stakeholders, presenting regular progress reports and managing expectations.
• Achievement: Championed the adoption of Jira and Confluence for project tracking, improving team transparency and reducing time spent in status update meetings by 40%.

IT Project Manager | Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, Lagos | 2013 – 2018

• Managed the implementation of a new CRM system across 50+ branches, improving customer data accuracy and providing a unified view of the customer.
• Coordinated the deployment of new security protocols for the online banking platform, successfully mitigating identified fraud risks.

— PAGE 2 OF 2 —

BOLANLE ADEYEMI, PMP | Page 2 of 2

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (Continued)

Business Analyst | Access Bank Plc, Lagos | 2010 – 2013

• Gathered and documented business requirements for new IT projects, acting as the bridge between the business units and the development team.
• Created process flow diagrams and use cases to support the development of new software features.

EDUCATION

University of Ibadan, Oyo State Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Computer Science (First Class Honours) | 2009

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

• Project Management Professional (PMP) | Project Management Institute (PMI) | 2015
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | Scrum Alliance | 2019
• ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management | 2014

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Project Management Software: Jira, Confluence, Trello, Microsoft Project, Asana
• Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, PRINCE2 (Knowledgeable)
• Software: Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced), Visio, SQL (Basic)

A Strategic Tool for the Seasoned Professional

The decision to write a 2-page CV is a declaration that your career has reached a new level of depth and substance. It is not a sign of being long-winded; it is a sign of being accomplished. For the experienced Nigerian professional, a well-structured, achievement-focused, and highly readable two-page CV is not just acceptable-it's often expected. By following the “Impact First” strategy and ensuring your first page is a powerful standalone summary of your value, you can create a document that respects the recruiter's time while fully showcasing the breadth and depth of your hard-earned career.