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Most selection processes for the African Development Bank (AfDB) require candidates to upload their resume/CV onto an online platform. Therefore, your AfDB CV is a crucial part of the selection process that may be your entry point into a successful international career.
The recruiting team will then use this document to gain an initial impression of the candidate’s competencies, professional experience and academic qualifications, as well as to evaluate the suitability of their profile according to what is required for the job position in the organization.
Disorganized and badly-prepared resumes/CVs will definitely leave a negative mark on the recruiter, while an organized and aesthetically appealing resume/CV will, for sure, attract the recruiter’s attention.
That’s why we have prepared, in this article, a guide for you to improve your AfDB CV resume in order to catch the attention of the recruiters at the organization!
Among the different ways of selecting staff, the Young Professionals Program (YPP) is known as the AfDB’s most important and prestigious selection process. The AfDB YPP is a highly competitive selection process. Every year, more than 4,000 highly qualified young people from around the world apply for this program but only around 10-20 applicants are selected each year. Being selected for the AfDB YPP can change your life forever, but this is no easy task.
In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has developed support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in this competitive selection process. These include an Application Review and a Mock Interview – based on the Asian Development Bank YPP original model. For more information, access:
For more info, access:
Also, check out our overview of the AfDB YPP:
The structure of your CV
Most organizations do not require a defined structure when preparing your resume – it is no different in the case of your AfDB resume!
If on the one hand, this gives more flexibility and freedom for candidates to select the structure and contents of their resumes, then on the other, you might forget to include elements on it that are relevant to the recruiter.
You should remember that the aim of a resume is to provide, in a succinct way, the most relevant activities of a person’s professional and academic trajectory.
With that in mind, here’s our suggestion of the structure that your AfDB Jobs resume should have:
| Suggested Structure for your AfDB Jobs resume |
|---|
| 1. Personal information; |
| 2. Professional summary; |
| 3. Academic background; |
| 4. Professional experience; |
| 5.Qualifications. |
Tip #1: What personal information should my AfDB CV resume contain?
When it comes to personal information, it is important to have in your resume the following information at the beginning:
- Full name (in cases of long names, middle name(s) can be abbreviated);
- Date of birth;
- Contact telephone number (with the country and area code);
- Email;
- Home address;
- Nationality(ies).
As a candidate, it is crucial that you are very careful not to insert erroneous personal information. Telephone and email contacts should always be updated. If any changes occur during the process, you should inform the AfDB recruitment team.
Tip #2: What should my CV contain in terms of a professional summary?
What about your professional summary? Well, inserting a short summary of your skills and professional interests has been a new trend that is being widely used by professionals.
You should add a brief (2-6 lines) statement at the top of your resume: craft a powerful summary to highlight your accomplishments, skills and main areas of expertise!
Show the recruiters, at a glance, why you are qualified for the opportunity advertised. Try to make this description in a way that shows why your professional profile is important to the organization/area you intend to work for.
Generally, in the first round of the AfDB Young Professionals Program selection process, you must fill out an online application form and send documents (Curriculum Vitae/Resume, Cover Letter, etc.). These documents are decisive for your success in this competitive selection process! Therefore, it is of fundamental importance that they are carefully reviewed. This is exactly what our award-winning team will do for you.
That is why we are here: to provide you with step-by-step assistance to earn your place at the AfDB. We have developed the AfDB YPP Application Review for you with everything that you need to know to stand out in this stage of the selection process.
It is of fundamental importance that your documents are carefully reviewed. This is exactly what our award-winning team will do for you.
For more info, access:
Are you interested in internship opportunities at the AfDB? Then check our AfDB Internships Application Review:
AfDB Internship Application Review
Tip #3: What should my CV contain in terms of academic background?
All of the candidate’s academic qualifications should be included! The highest qualifications should come first and you do not need to include your secondary school (high school).
The academic background information should be presented in this order: name of the qualification (doctorate, Master’s and bachelor’s degree), the course area or subject (economics, engineering or nursing, etc.), university name, institution’s location and the period in which you took the course.
It is also important to include the title of your course completion work (dissertation and/or thesis). If the candidate has an academic minor and it is relevant to the selection program, it should be included on the resume!
Tip #4: What should my CV contain in terms of professional experience?
Candidates should present the most recent and relevant professional experience in the area they are applying for, including internships (with remuneration or otherwise), voluntary work, their own business, or freelance work.
Experience should be listed in descending, chronological order; in other words, from the most recent to the oldest. The organization’s name, position, location, the period worked and a brief description of the candidate’s responsibilities and achievements should be presented.
With regards to achievements, the candidate should quantify any results achieved. See the following examples:
| EXAMPLES OF ACHIEVEMENTS |
|---|
| – Led a program disseminating the brand, which resulted in a 30% increase in the company’s sales, and was promoted to senior project manager; |
| – Responsible for software planning, which helped to reduce the company’s industrial costs by 20%; |
| – Leader of the recruiting team responsible for the selection and recruitment of 300 new employees for the organization; |
| – Created an employee training and motivation program, which reduced the turnover rate by 40% and absenteeism by 20%. |
Tip #5: What should my CV contain in terms of qualifications?
This is the last section of your AfDB CV, and it should receive an equal amount of attention as the others. The candidate`s abilities and competencies should be included here, according to the vacancy. This section is often responsible for differentiating one candidate from the others.
Among the topics which may be included in this section are: languages; skills/competences; main technical or academic publications and awards/honors.
After applying these tips, you are surely going to be making your AfDB CV into a sight for the sore eyes of the recruiter! That is an essential step of the selection process and it shouldn’t be neglected, so make sure to follow our tips and start your path to an AfDB job or internship.
Among the different ways of selecting staff, the Young Professionals Program (YPP) is known as the AfDB’s most important and prestigious selection process. The AfDB YPP is a highly competitive selection process. Every year, more than 4,000 highly qualified young people from around the world apply for this program but only around 10-20 applicants are selected each year. Being selected for the AfDB YPP can change your life forever, but this is no easy task.
In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has developed support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in this competitive selection process. These include an Application Review and a Mock Interview – based on the Asian Development Bank YPP original model. For more information, access:
For more info, access:
