The CV Pack

Real employers never charge candidates any fee. The moment a fee appears, leave.

The one-page Canadian CV skeleton

Delete before anything else: photograph, date of birth, marital status, state of origin, religion, gender, full house address.

[Name, large] Lagos, Nigeria · yourname@email.com · +234 XXX XXX XXXX · linkedin.com/in/yourname

Profile (2 lines): [Your job] with [X] years of experience across [3 concrete areas]. Currently completing [English test / credential assessment] for the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Skills (8 to 10 short lines): mirror the exact words of the advert you are answering. Re-tune these lines for every application; ten minutes that doubles your chances.

Experience (each role): Employer, Title, City, Dates. Then 3 to 5 result lines, every one carrying a number: how many, how often, how big, how much. "Cared for 25 to 30 patients per shift on a 40-bed ward", never "responsible for patient care".

Education: School, qualification, year. Add "credential assessment in progress" if true.

One page. PDF. File name: Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf.

The six-sentence application message

Dear Hiring Team. I'm applying for the [role] advertised on your careers page. I have [X] years of [field] experience in Lagos, Nigeria, and I'm an international candidate preparing for the Atlantic Immigration Program, under which your company is an approved employer. My one-page CV is attached. I'm available for a video interview at any time that suits you, including early mornings. Kind regards, [Name].

Never: begging language, your life story, "I can do any job", or any claim of a visa you don't hold. "Preparing for the programme" is the honest wording; keep it exactly.

The reference letter format

Forward this to your old employers this week:

Dear [HR / former manager], I'm organising my employment documents and would be grateful if you could issue my reference on your letterhead containing: my exact job title; my start and end dates; my main duties, listed; my salary; my weekly hours; and the company's address, phone number and email, signed by an authorised person. Thank you.

Why every line matters: Canadian processing checks employment, not character. A "found diligent" letter without hours, salary and contactable details stalls a file for months. Collect these now, scan, keep. The rules this format answers are on canada.ca, AIP work experience.

The application tracker

Six columns:

One application a day. Review at week six, not week three.

Interview from Nigeria: the short list

Test your network the day before. Window light on your face, phone at eye level, quiet room. Join ten minutes early. Answer with one real story and numbers, ninety seconds each. Ask two questions ("what does a typical shift look like?", "what does support look like in my first month?"). Salary: "I understand the posted range, and that works for me." And no real employer will ever ask you for money; the moment a fee appears, leave.

Where to send it: the employer-recommended routes in the offer pack at rekoja.com/go/offer. To find the companies allowed to hire your job today, put your job title into our free Atlantic Route Finder and work from the list it gives you.