How to write a CV in Algeria in 2026: structure, template and examples

You found a job that fits, you open your old CV… and you no longer know where to start. Photo or no photo? Military service? French or Arabic? This guide answers all of it with what Algerian recruiters actually do in 2026, then gives you a complete example to adapt.

What a recruiter looks at first

When a job receives 80 applications, the first screening is fast. The recruiters we work with always describe the same eye path: the title (is it the right role?), the latest experience (sector, duration, responsibilities), the city (can they commute?), then education and languages. Anything that slows that read works against you: busy layouts, fancy fonts, 10-line paragraphs.

Two local specifics. First, many Algerian companies still screen by hand, often on a phone: a PDF that reads well on a 6-inch screen is a real advantage. Second, large companies and recruitment agencies use CV databases with keyword filters: if “cost accounting” is not written in your CV, you do not appear in their search.

The structure of an Algerian CV that works

The order below is what recruiters expect. Move education before experience if you are a student or a recent graduate.

1. Header: first and last name, phone as +213 5 50 12 34 56, a professional e-mail (firstname.lastname@…), wilaya and commune, LinkedIn or portfolio link if you have one. No full postal address: the commune is enough.
2. Job title: write the role you are targeting, with the same wording as the ad. “Senior accountant” or “Flutter mobile developer” beat “Curriculum vitae”.
3. Summary: 3 lines, no more. Years of experience, field, two concrete strengths, what you are looking for. Example: “Accountant with 4 years in an industrial SME (Rouiba). Monthly closings, G50 and CNAS filings, PC Compta. Looking for a senior accountant role in Algiers.”
4. Experience: most recent first. For each role: title, company, city, dates (month/year). Then 3 to 5 bullets of results, not duties: “Cut filing delays by 30%” says more than “In charge of filings”.
5. Education: degree, institution, year. For a recent degree, mention the thesis or final project if it relates to the role. Short courses (CFPA vocational training, online certificates) belong here when relevant.
6. Skills and languages: the tools and methods of the trade (advanced Excel, PC Compta, AutoCAD, Flutter…), then languages with an honest level: Arabic (native), French (fluent), English (intermediate — B1).
7. Additional information: driving licence, availability, mobility, military-service status. Optional but often read.

Photo, age, marital status, military service: what to include?

This is the most asked question, because advice written for France or Canada does not apply as is in Algeria.

French, Arabic or English?

The simple rule: the language of the ad. A French ad calls for a French CV; an Arabic ad (civil service, local authorities, some national companies) calls for an Arabic CV. Multinationals, tech startups and export-facing roles often ask for an English CV as well.

• Private sector (industry, services, retail, banking): French in the vast majority of cases.
• Civil service and competitive exams: Arabic, with the official names of your degrees. Prepare a French version too for mixed files.
• Tech, oil and gas, pharma, multinationals: English or bilingual French-English.
• Whatever the sector: state your languages with a precise level. “English: read, written, spoken” says nothing; “English B2 — daily meetings and e-mails” says everything.

Prepare one version per language rather than a bilingual CV: two-column language CVs are unreadable on a phone and confuse CV-database filters. With the Chghol CV builder you write once and get all three versions.

Student or recent graduate: what to write without experience?

You have more experience than you think. A final-year internship, a graduation project, a summer job, volunteering, a published personal project: all of it is experience, with a result.

1. 1

   Put education first

   Degree, specialisation, institution, year, honours if good. Add a line about your thesis or graduation project: topic, tools, result.

2. 2

   Turn the internship into experience

   “Graduation internship — Accounting department, Tassili Pharma, Algiers (4 months): bank reconciliations for 3 accounts, preparation of the G50 filing, automation of a tracking sheet in Excel.”

3. 3

   Show proof

   A GitHub repository, a Behance portfolio, a Facebook page you ran, a ranking in a competition: one link is worth ten adjectives.

4. 4

   Be precise about availability

   “Available immediately”, “from September”, “6-month internship with agreement”: the recruiter knows at once whether they can move forward.

The keywords that get you found

A recruiter searching a CV database types precise words: a trade, a software, a certification, a wilaya. Your CV must contain those words as they are written in job ads, not their synonyms.

• Reuse the exact job title in your title and summary.
• List tools by their commercial name: PC Compta, Sage, SAP, AutoCAD, Revit, Figma, Flutter, Excel (pivot tables, Power Query).
• Write acronyms and their expansion: “CNAS filings (national social-insurance fund)”, “G50”.
• State the wilaya and the cities where you can work: searches are also by place.
• Avoid images and tables for important text: some software cannot read them.

The 10 mistakes that get a CV rejected

1. A Word file or a photo of your CV: always send a PDF named Firstname-LASTNAME-CV.pdf.
2. A fanciful e-mail address: create a firstname.lastname@… address.
3. A phone number that does not answer or a full voicemail.
4. No title, or a generic one (“CV”, “Curriculum vitae”).
5. Duties instead of results (“in charge of…”, “responsible for…”).
6. Unexplained gaps: a line “2024 — Exam preparation / CFPA training / Personal project” beats silence.
7. Spelling mistakes in the first lines. Have someone proofread.
8. The same CV for every job: adapt at least the title and the summary.
9. Too long: beyond two pages, nobody reads.
10. Lying about a degree or a language: checks are easy and disqualifying.

Full example: “Senior accountant”

A fictional one-page CV for an accounting role in Algiers. The figures show the method; replace them with yours.

AMINE B. — Senior accountant · Algiers (Bab Ezzouar) · +213 5 50 12 34 56 · amine.b@example.dz Accountant with 4 years in an industrial SME. Monthly closings, G50 and CNAS filings, cash monitoring. Looking for a senior accountant role in Algiers, available within one month. EXPERIENCE Accountant — Atlas Agro, Rouiba (03/2023 – present) • Monthly closings for 2 companies (combined revenue DZD 400 M) delivered at D+5 instead of D+12 • G50, CNAS and IRG filings with zero penalties over 3 fiscal years • Built a weekly cash-tracking workbook in Excel (Power Query) Junior accountant — Benali & Co., Algiers (09/2021 – 02/2023) • Posted and reconciled 1,200 entries/month for 15 clients • Prepared annual statements with the chartered accountant EDUCATION Bachelor in Finance and Accounting — University of Algiers 3 (2021) SKILLS PC Compta, Sage 100, advanced Excel (pivot tables, Power Query) · SME taxation (G50, IBS, TAP) · Payroll and CNAS Arabic (native) · French (fluent, C1) · English (B1) OTHER Driving licence B · Military service completed · Mobile across Algiers and Blida

What about the cover letter?

It is requested less and less in the private sector, but remains useful in two cases: unsolicited applications and roles where writing matters (assistant, communication, legal). Keep it to half a page: why this company, what you concretely bring, when you are available. For civil-service exams, follow the exact list of documents in the notice: the letter there is often a standardised handwritten request.

Frequently asked questions