Reading time: 8 minutes
Introduction
Your corporate CV is impeccable.
Polished layout. Well-presented experience. Competencies neatly listed.
You send it to MSF, ICRC, ACF.
Radio silence.
Not even an automated acknowledgement of receipt.
The problem isn't your CV. It's that it doesn't speak the right language.
Humanitarian recruiters don't read a CV the way a corporate recruiter does. They don't look for the same signals. They don't use the same evaluation frameworks.
For 30 years, I read hundreds of CVs. I rejected the majority of them. Not because the profiles were poor. But because they didn't speak our language.
After reading this article, you will know exactly how to adapt your CV so that it captures the attention of an NGO recruiter in under 30 seconds.
Part 1: The 5 Major Differences Between a Corporate CV and a Humanitarian CV
Difference 1: Format
Corporate CV: Polished design, colours, infographics, columns, icons.
Humanitarian CV: Sober, linear, black and white, easy to print and scan.
Why? Because your CV may be printed in an MSF office in Nairobi, or read on an old PC in a camp in South Sudan. Readability takes priority over aesthetics.
The right format:
Font: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, size 11–12
Margins: 2cm on all sides
No colour (or at most a discreet single line)
Format: PDF or Word (.docx)
File name: CV_LastnameFirstname_Profession.pdf
Difference 2: Order of Sections
Corporate CV:
Professional experience
Education
Skills
Languages
Humanitarian CV:
Personal information (including availability and mobility)
Languages (at the top, highly visible)
Key competencies (technical + transferable)
Professional experience
Education
Other (volunteering, short missions, certifications)
Why? Because languages and mobility are elimination criteria. If you don't speak French or English, there's no point reading further.
Difference 3: Vocabulary
❌ Corporate vocabulary → ✅ Humanitarian vocabulary
Managing a team → Supervising a field team
Managing a project → Coordinating a programme
Optimising processes → Adapting procedures to the local context
Developing revenue → Managing a programme budget (amount in €)
Building client loyalty → Ensuring accountability to beneficiaries
Tip: Read 5 NGO job postings in your field. Note the recurring words. Use them in your CV.
Difference 4: Soft Skills
Corporate CV: Leadership, innovation, team spirit.
Humanitarian CV: Adaptability, resilience, autonomy, stress management, multicultural teamwork.
How to integrate them? Don't list them. Show them.
Example:
❌ "Skills: adaptability, autonomy"
✅ "Coordination of a team of 12 people (8 nationalities) in a context of daily power cuts and security tensions, with constant adaptation of schedules."
Difference 5: Mission Duration
Corporate CV: Stability is valued (5 years at the same company = a good sign).
Humanitarian CV: The ability to move through short missions (6–12 months) in varied contexts is valued.
What to show:
You held up across several missions
You worked in different contexts (conflict zones, refugee camps, natural disasters)
You are capable of adapting quickly
Part 2: The Ideal Structure of a Humanitarian CV (Annotated Model)
Section 1: Personal Information
FIRST NAME LAST NAME Address (city, country) Phone: +XX X XX XX XX XX Email: firstname.lastname@gmail.com Nationality: XXX Date of birth: DD/MM/YYYY (optional but often requested by NGOs)
Availability: Immediate (or from DD/MM/YYYY) Mobility: International, all regions
Why this matters: NGO recruiters want to know immediately whether you are available and mobile. If not, they move on to the next CV.
Section 2: Languages
LANGUAGES
English: Mother tongue French: Fluent (C1) – DELF B2 Arabic: Intermediate (B1) Spanish: Basic (A2)
Tip: Use the European framework (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) or indicate a recognised test (TOEIC, TOEFL, DELE, DELF, etc.).
Priority languages for humanitarian work:
French (almost mandatory for Francophone Africa and many major NGOs)
English (working language in most international contexts)
Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish (major assets)
Section 3: Key Competencies
KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical competencies:
Budget management: development and monitoring of programme budgets (€500K to €2M)
Financial audit: compliance with institutional donors (EU, ECHO, USAID)
Software proficiency: SAP, advanced Excel, QuickBooks
Transferable competencies:
Coordination of multicultural teams (up to 15 people, 6 nationalities)
Project management in contexts of uncertainty and significant constraints
Capacity to adapt to unstable environments (power cuts, security tensions)
Why this section is crucial: It allows the recruiter to understand in 10 seconds what you know how to do. And whether it matches the position.
Section 4: Professional Experience
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Financial Controller – ABC Consulting, London | 2021–2024
Compliance auditing for institutional clients (budgets €1–5M)
Management of 8 simultaneous audits with coordination of international teams
Development of internal control procedures adapted to multi-country structures
Proficiency in donor requirements: ECHO reporting, narrative and financial justification
Management Assistant – XYZ Company, Manchester | 2019–2021
Budget monitoring for 12 projects (total value: €3M)
Coordination with international suppliers (Europe, Africa, Asia)
Management of unforeseen events and rapid adaptation to shifting priorities
The 3 golden rules:
Start with an action verb: Coordinate, Manage, Supervise, Develop, Train, Analyse
Quantify: How many people? What budget? How many projects?
Show the impact: What changed because of you?
Section 5: Education
EDUCATION
Master's in Management Control and Audit – University of Edinburgh | 2019 Bachelor's in Economics and Management – University of Bristol | 2017
Simple and factual. NGO recruiters are less interested in your degrees than in your operational competencies.
Section 6: Other
OTHER
Volunteering:
Volunteer Treasurer, Refugee Solidarity Association | 2022–2024
Accounting management (annual budget €50K), donor reporting
Certifications:
Positive Intelligence® Training (stress management in challenging contexts) | 2024
MOOC "Introduction to International Humanitarian Law" (ICRC) | 2023
Interests:
Documentary photography (field reportage in West Africa)
Running (half-marathons, managing sustained effort over distance)
Why this section matters: It shows that you have a life outside of work. That you are capable of managing stress. That you have interests compatible with field life.
Part 3: The 7 Mistakes That Kill a Humanitarian CV
Mistake 1: A 4-Page CV
Rule: 2 pages maximum. If you have 20 years of experience, 3 pages maximum.
Why? Because an NGO recruiter reads your CV in 30 seconds. If they can't grasp the essentials immediately, they move on to the next one.
Mistake 2: No Mention of Mobility
If you don't specify your mobility, the recruiter assumes you are not mobile.
What to write:
"International mobility, all regions"
"Mobility: sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East"
"Limited mobility: Europe and Latin America only"
Mistake 3: Vague Competencies
❌ "Project management"
✅ "Coordination of WASH programmes (water, sanitation, hygiene) with budget management of €500K and supervision of 8 local teams"
Mistake 4: Forgetting Soft Skills
NGO recruiters want to know whether you will hold up in the field.
How to show them:
Adaptability: "Daily adaptation of schedules in response to power cuts and security constraints"
Resilience: "Maintaining operations despite 3 temporary evacuations in 6 months"
Autonomy: "Independent decision-making in the absence of direct supervision for 4 months"
Mistake 5: An Unprofessional Email Address
✅ firstname.lastname@gmail.com
Mistake 6: No Precise Dates
❌ "2020–2023"
✅ "January 2020 – December 2023"
Why? Because recruiters want to know whether you lasted 3 years or 3 months.
Mistake 7: No Trace of Commitment
If you have NO volunteering, association, or short field experience, this raises questions.
What to do:
Become a volunteer in a local association
Complete an ICRC MOOC
Attend humanitarian events
Part 4: Final Checklist Before Sending Your CV
Format and presentation
✅ PDF or Word (.docx)
✅ File name: CV_LastnameFirstname_Profession.pdf
✅ Sober font (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
✅ 2 pages maximum
✅ No photo (unless explicitly requested)
Content
✅ Availability and mobility at the top
✅ Languages clearly visible with precise levels
✅ Technical competencies quantified
✅ Soft skills integrated into descriptions
✅ Experience with action verbs + measured impact
✅ Humanitarian vocabulary (not corporate)
Proofreading
✅ Zero spelling mistakes
✅ Consistent dates
✅ Professional email address
✅ Correct international phone number
Conclusion
A good humanitarian CV does not look like a corporate CV.
It is more sober. More factual. More direct.
It speaks the language of NGO recruiters.
It shows that you understand the codes of the sector.
And above all, it answers in 30 seconds THE question: "Will this person hold up in the field?"
If your CV doesn't answer that question, rework it.
Need help reworking your CV and application?
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✍️ Clémentine Olivier
Humanitarian Coach | 30 years MSF & ICRC