What is the correct UAE CV format?

Do companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) require applicants to submit a specific curriculum CV format? Actually, no. However, before sending your CV, make sure it follows specific guidelines that recruiters in this part of the world find sensible. Not only that, but your CV also shouldn't waste any space on unnecessary details, while possessing a clear, concise and appealing look.

Your CV is a document that lets you show off your qualifications, skills, education, and experiences to prospective employers. Suffice to say, it is a document that serves as your 'advertisement' to YOUR brand which is YOU, and as such, it must not only be eye-catching but also make an immediate impact on the reader. Of course, it should also contain the following sections:

  1. Personal details
  2. Summary
  3. Skills
  4. Work experience
  5. Education & Training
  6. Other relevant information

How to Write a Dubai CV Format for 2022

When writing a professional CV format for the UAE, expect the style, length, and content of your document to differ a bit from a standard CV used in the US, Canada, or Europe. Depending on where you're from, it may not be allowed in your country to submit a CV or resume that contains sensitive information such as age, gender, race, and even a photo.

Experts from Resumeble have a lot of experience with a CV writing for the UAE, good customer reviews and amazing success stories:

However, a CV that includes these highly personal details won't be out of place in the UAE. In fact, some employers might even require such inclusion (though this is becoming increasingly rare). With this in mind, here are some of the tips for preparing a UAE CV that's guaranteed to make your document popular with the regional recruiters.

Have a strong summary

Studies show that recruiters spend around six seconds to decide whether an applicant is suitable for the job or not. With such a small window for error, you need to start your CV convincingly, and this is best done by opening your CV with a compelling summary of your core skills and accomplishments. Think of this summary as a teaser for the rest of your CV. Here's an example:

"Enthusiastic, hardworking, and committed IT manager with five years of experience in Oil & Gas, Logistics, and Telco industries. Possesses excellent technical and communication skills to match. Able to quickly comprehend and learn new trends, and deliver consistently good results working with cross-functional teams. Has achieved 24 % MoM improvement in customer ticket management and has decreased operational downtime by 15% though equipment inventory and upgrades."

Get straight to the point

You don't want to waste your CV on irrelevant information and a confusing structure. CV format for Dubai should be logical and consistent throughout, and never exceed beyond two, maximum of three pages. Even if you have a decade or more of work experience, you need to keep it brief. It's a good idea to limit your work experience to the last 10 years to save valuable CV space. Use formal fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Palatino Linotype, or Times New Roman (though it is increasingly seen as boring and old-school), at a size between 10 pt. and 12 pt. Aside from keeping your CV short, make sure it's easy to read. Don't try to cram all the information into those two pages by making your font very small.

Focus on results, not responsibilities

Instead of merely listing your responsibilities, write quantifiable results to make your CV stand out in the eyes of the recruiter. For instance, if you're an IT specialist, don't just say that you are responsible for fixing system errors—provide specific details on the errors you've corrected and how your work has helped the company in terms of saved money or labor costs.

Tailor the CV according to the job posting

Address the requirements of the job description and elaborate on what makes you the right candidate for the role. Do this by making your accomplishments 'relate' to the information provided in the job posting. This requires you to develop a better understanding of the role you're applying for. It may take you longer to write your CV, but the more you can demonstrate this, the more the recruiter will see that you are ideal for the job.

Likewise, go over and proofread your CV multiple times until you're sure that it doesn't contain any spelling or grammatical errors. Some mistakes make it obvious that you're applying at multiple companies, and that's something you don't want recruiters to discover in your CV, as this implies that you're not serious with your application.

Additional Ingredients for an Effective CV

Like a good dish, your CV application needs a few unique ingredients to spice things up. These are:

1. A well-crafted cover letter

A cover letter serves as the introduction to your CV, and so you should never send your CV without one. Use your cover letter to introduce yourself, show your interest in the job position and/or the company, draw attention to your CV's highlights, and convince the reader to interview you. In your cover letter, you should describe:

  • Why you are interested in working for the company
  • Why they should be interested in you
  • When and how you will follow up with them and schedule an interview

Like your CV, keep your cover letter concise, focused, and up to three paragraphs in length, which should consist of the introduction, body, and closing. Format your cover letter like a professional business letter, and use the same font and size you used in your CV. Remember to proofread before sending it.

2. A compelling profile snapshot

At the top of your CV, just before your summary of skills and achievements, is your profile section where you display your photo, name, and contact details. Have a professional-looking photo taken (do not use a stiff passport shot or a casual iPhone photo), and place it at the side of your personal info for easy viewing. You may add a short blurb of one to two sentences under your contact details that summarize your skills/knowledge/experience/education. Always begin your blurb with action verbs to make it more lively and compelling. Examples of phrases not to use are: "Experienced in," "Adept at," "Driven to," or "Responsible in" - avoid passive voice if possible.

When it comes to the photo, more and more often we see that companies in the UAE are not really making this a requirement, and even though it might help, it no longer creates an issue if for some reason you don't feel like attaching your photo.

Top Reasons to Hire a Professional CV Writing Service in the UAE

Stop worrying about how to write a UAE CV format by entrusting the task to a professional UAE CV writing service like Resumeble. Here are six reasons why a professional Dubai CV format writer like ours can do wonders for your application.

CV Writing Service in the UAE

1. Your CV will be tailored for the job

One of the biggest mistakes that applicants make is submitting the same generic UAE CV format to numerous employers. Unfortunately, doing this only increases your chances of getting passed over for someone with a better-written application. Generic CVs offer nothing, and are therefore boring. For fairly obvious reasons, no recruiter wants to read a boring CV that reads like any other application that comes through their table.

You need a UAE CV format that’s unique and speaks directly to recruiters and hiring managers, and this is only possible when your UAE CV format and content are specifically written for the job you’re applying for. An experienced UAE CV format writer will know exactly how to achieve this.

2. Your CV will be completely free of any error

Writing mistakes—whether relating to spelling, grammar, or formatting—should have no place on your UAE CV. Quite simply, these mistakes give the impression that you are careless and don’t review your work. You definitely don’t want your potential employer to think that.

When you work with a professional CV writer, what you get is an easy-to-read and eye-catching CV that is completely free of any error. With Resumeble, you can be proud to send your CV to even the most demanding UAE employers.

3. Recruiters will want to read your CV

What are the skills, experiences, and achievements that deserve to be included in your resume? How do you write them in a way that will engage recruiters and hiring managers? Should you include information about your hobbies, volunteer work, internship, and the like?

You won’t have to worry about the answers to these questions when you have a professional CV writer. Their in-depth knowledge of industrial and recruitment needs ensures that you will have the best CV format for UAE—one that wows recruiters and hiring managers who read it.

4. Your Dubai CV format will pass ATS screening

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are automated artificial intelligence systems in wide use by companies today. These systems screen CVs for specific keywords and phrases that match the requirements of the job. Needless to say, if you don’t know what these keywords are, an ATS will ignore your CV format for Dubai, and you will lose out on the chance of your CV getting read by human eyes, no matter how qualified you are.

A professional Dubai CV format writer possesses the techniques necessary to research what keywords ATS are looking for, and knows how to include them in a Dubai CV format organically and meaningfully. This makes it all the more necessary for you to partner with a bona fide Dubai CV format writer when crafting your job application.

5. You will have expert guidance

When you work with one of our Dubai resume format writers here at Resumeble, you will have someone who will work with you from start to finish. After your initial discussion, your writer will communicate with you constantly and adjust your CV’s contents accordingly until you are happy with the result, fulfilling UAE’s most stringent Dubai resume format requirements.

6. Your job interview is guaranteed

Resumeble’s CV writing services come with a job interview guarantee. Once your resume is finalized, you can expect a call from your potential employer scheduling an interview with you within 60 days, or we will rewrite your CV, completely free of charge. We are with you until you make it, and you can trust us to do everything in our power to help you get one foot in the door when you choose us as your CV writer.

Need to Craft a UAE CV Format?

Let Resumeble do the hard work for you while you focus on making sure you're ready for the interview. Not only can we help you build your professional CV format for UAE, but our resume services also come with an interview guarantee. Find your writer today and get started on your dream career in the UAE.

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  • 7 seconds: this is how long your resume has either to impress or be ignored by the recruiter
  • 300+: average number of applications one corporate job opening posted online receives
  • 3%: number of sent resumes that result in interviews

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