A CV for jobs in Ethiopia is usually two pages in English. It lists personal and contact details, a short career objective, education with your degree or diploma and institution, work experience with dates, skills, languages such as Amharic, Afaan Oromo and English, and two or three referees. NGOs and international organisations expect an English CV with measurable results.
These are common practices, not legal rules, and employers differ. Every example is fictional; replace each [bracketed] detail with your own, and follow the job posting when it asks for something specific.
What a Ethiopian CV usually includes
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Personal details | Name, phone, email and city; local CVs often add date of birth, sex and nationality |
| Career objective | Two lines naming the role and what you offer |
| Education | Degree or TVET diploma, institution, year and, if strong, CGPA |
| Work experience | Title, organisation, dates and two or three achievements |
| Skills | Computer and job-specific skills |
| Languages | Amharic, Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya, English and others with honest levels |
| References | Two or three referees, usually former supervisors |
Education, CGPA and certificates
List your highest qualification first: degree or TVET certificate, institution and year. Add your CGPA only if it helps. Keep copies of certificates and the temporary or official degree ready; employers in Ethiopia often ask for them at the application or interview stage.
- Government and public-sector posts often use their own application form; complete it exactly as instructed.
- For NGO roles, describe programmes, budgets or beneficiaries you worked with.
- Write dates in the Gregorian calendar on English CVs, and be consistent if you include Ethiopian calendar dates.
Ethiopian CV template (sample to copy)
Ethiopian CV sample (fictional)
[Your Name] — [Position applied for]
Addis Ababa · [+251 phone] · [Email]
CAREER OBJECTIVE: [Degree] graduate seeking a [role] position to apply [skill].
EDUCATION: BA in [Field], [University], [Year] — CGPA [x.xx]
EXPERIENCE: [Title], [Organisation], [Month Year]–Present — [result]
SKILLS: MS Excel, [software], report writing
LANGUAGES: Amharic (native), Afaan Oromo ([level]), English ([level])
REFERENCES: [Name], [title], [organisation], [phone]
Applying to NGOs and international organisations
International organisations usually ask for an English CV and a cover letter, and some use online application systems that copy your CV into their own fields. Keep your CV in plain text-friendly PDF so the content survives that step.
- Should I include my CGPA on an Ethiopian CV?
- Include it if it is strong or the advert asks for it. Leave it out if it does not help your application.
- How many referees do Ethiopian employers expect?
- Two or three, usually former supervisors or lecturers, with phone numbers.
- Do I need a photo on my CV in Ethiopia?
- It is not required by most employers. Add one only if the advert asks for it.
Nearby markets have similar conventions: see the Kenya CV format and the Uganda CV format. Compare other countries in the CV format by country guide. Copy the template above for free, or build yours in the CV builder: creating and previewing is free, and the PDF download is part of a paid plan.
