CV Format & Writing Guide For the UAE

Tips on how to write your resume for the UAE job market

Dubai offers numerous employment opportunities across various industries. To grasp these amazing opportunities, many candidates from around the world apply for numerous positions to secure employment in one of these industries. Dubai’s life is known to be luxurious, high standard of living, tax-free salaries, exposure, and several tourism spots. Even though UAE itself is considered a luxurious place, but Dubai in particular serves to act as a magnet for international job candidates.

Writing a resume can be a tricky task no matter where you are in your professional life. However, it is easy enough to find guidance and help when it comes to CV writing. For someone seeking a job in the UAE, the problem is that a general resume format does not make the cut. This region requires its own unique style of resume writing and has certain restriction and necessities. Being unaware of these can lead to you losing an opportunity to landing a great job. If your resume does not have the necessary information or an aesthetic unappeal in the UAE, then you could very well miss out on a great deal of interview calls. This article will help you in adjusting your resume according to a more acceptable format for the UAE.

Header Section:

There are some local CV-related norms that are needed to be followed while preparing a CV for a position in Dubai. Some of the following elements might be the same as the ones people follow in their home country, but there are a few additions are needed to be taken care of. However, going through the job description before creating a CV is also considered critical, as the need for the following elements heavily depends on the job requirement or job description.

Add your Photo to your Resume: resume for a job in the UAE will only go into effect if you include a recent photo of yourself in it. For most employers, a photograph of you can be something they gain a good amount of necessary information from. For some, conventional attractiveness can score a point or two just like being neat and presentable matters a great deal. Your ethnic group is of critical importance especially if your employer is in favor of it or against it. Either way, adding a photo of yourself gives your resume a visually appealing look. It also gives it an organized look that shows that you are not some sort of scam.

Nationality: Sometimes it can be hard to guess what your ethnicity is just by looking at your photo. A lot of people can be of mixed race which is why it is always a good idea to mention your nationality on your resume. If you have dual citizenship then include the nationality that you believe will go in your favor. However, if your name gives away your nationality this may not be such a good idea. Your nationality can be a revelation when it comes to you which is why you should clearly mention it at the beginning of your resume.

Date of Birth: Different positions require candidates of a certain age range. Sometimes recruiters clearly mention the age range that they accept. This is why most candidates in the UAE mention their age or date of birth clearly on their resume. This makes it easy for the employer to single you out as a potential employee.

Gender: Jobs in the UAE often ask for a specific gender. If you have a gender-neutral appearance and name, then make sure that you specify it clearly on your resume. If your gender does not align with what the employer requires, do not bother applying.

Visa Status: Stating the visa status is considered an important part when constructing a CV for Dubai. If you are already residing in Dubai when applying for the job, then you should state your visa status, whether you are on a visit visa, employment visa, or a dependent.

Contact Info: The contact info basically goes at the top section of your CV, so that it is easily recognizable, and the recruiter can contact you easily. The contact info includes your full name, mobile number (including international country code), email address, and home address (if you are currently residing in UAE, then mention your local address). If you want to, you can also include links to your online professional accounts, such as LinkedIn or a personal website, that would create a good impression on the recruiter.

Summary:

Experts say that a recruiter spends around 6 seconds deciding whether a candidate is suitable for a job or not. The best way to impress the employer is through the summary section. The Summary section provides an overview of your personality, experience, skills, and achievements. The purpose of this part is to exhibit that you are the right candidate for the job and to convince the employer to read the rest of the CV. You have to be clear and concise; no long stories or anecdotes should be involved.

Achievements & Qualifications

No matter what position or job type you are going for, write your resume in a way that feels like you are applying for the position of a CEO. No matter where you have worked and no matter what your position was, write it down as if it was the most progressive and high level experience. Be clever with your words and exaggerate as much as you can without going overboard. Instead of lying (which never turns out well) figure out a way to dramatize your achievements in a way that is honest but glorified as much as you think is possible.

Work & Experience Summary

Undoubtedly, the work experience section of a CV is the most important one. Employers are looking for those candidates that have relevant work experience which makes them qualified enough for the position. For a CV for Dubai, you should consider using reverse chronological order, which means that you need to show your latest work experience at the top. Other than this, you should also consider the following elements to include in your CV:
Company Overview – Briefly describe the company’s industry and size. If you don’t have any work experience in UAE, and you have worked for a company in your home company, then it might not add much weight to your CV. However, you can highlight the company’s core competencies such as leading IT Company, Best Retailers, etc.
Job Overview – In a concise manner, outline your role and responsibilities.
Use Bullet Points – Provide detailed information about your duties and responsibilities while you were working under that particular role. Use bullet points so that the content looks engaging to be read by the employer

Education

To write the educational details as well, you need to use reverse chronological order. Mention your highest qualification (such as MBA or Post Graduate Diploma), then add your university’s name, then the location, and finally the graduation date. Usually, we use this format only to fill up the educational background section, but there are two things that should be taken care of while writing the educational details.

Firstly, always include the university’s location when writing a CV for a Dubai recruiter. Your university might be famous in your home country, but there is a high chance that it is still unknown in UAE, so, in that case, mentioning your university’s location might help the recruiter understand things more easily.

Secondly, it is advisable to mention the latest two qualifications. While mentioning the educational qualifications, do not use paragraphs and detailed sentences. Be concise and relevant.

Other Factors To Consider When Writing CV For Dubai & UAE Market

The Length of your Resume

A popular misconception is that your resume should not be longer than a single page. This is wrong particularly in the UAE. Many candidates have turned in single page documents and the employers have inquired if the rest of the document has been misplaced! This is why you must add concise and relevant detail to your resume and you’ll be getting interview calls in no time.

Resume Design & Format

The general resume format tends to be quite conservative and there is no styling or fancy layouts needed. However, in the UAE job market, a decorative resume can make a great impression on the employer. If you have a good understanding of how to edit your resume in an expressive way without making it look immature or unreadable, then go for it. An ornate resume shows that you have put in a considerable amount of effort and can greatly appeal to a recruiter.

Cover Letters – Are They a Must ?

Writing a cover letter is tricky as they are not always relevant to your position. When you are writing a cover letter then you’ll probably get a positive response if you have addressed the letter directly to the person who read it. A cover letter should be brief and concise so that the reader is tempted to give your resume a proper look and go through it thoroughly.

No Anti-Discrimination Rules

In a place like the UAE, unprivileged people are not protected by anti-discriminatory laws. Employers can look for whatever they want in an employee and reject whatever they dislike. They can interrogate you on whatever they please and judge on whatever they believe is important. This is why you should have the necessary know-how about what goes down well and what does not for whichever organization you have applied in.

Professional CV Writing Services Benefits

You can find many professional CV writing services that will help you nail your resume in order to land a job in the UAE. These services will help you in getting the perfect resume and get rid of the mistakes in your existing resume. With their help you can get a resume that is properly tailored for the UAE job market so that there is no material in your resume that could potentially end up with you losing a job opportunity. With a professionally written resume you will be able to get your resume written in a way that will definitely impress the employer as these are written by HR specialists and recruiters who have experience in the job market and have a good understanding on what should and shouldn’t be on a resume. With this help you can be free from the worry that your resume is not up to par.

CV writing services also know how to manipulate data and your skills in the best way that is bound to score points with the employer. They choose the right fonts that are readable and look good too, they give the resume a layout that has an aesthetic appeal, present your details in a brief but relevant way that is organized and give an overall impression that you have a good grasp on achieving things they have demanded.

These services are also relatively inexpensive, so that you do not have to worry about the cost being too far out of reach. You can also get your cover letter and LinkedIn edited by the writers so that all of the platforms of recruitment are presentable and secure. Your resume is what gets you an interview, and if it is not up to par then you could miss out on availing an exciting job opportunity.

Conclusion

Dubai is filled with opportunities; you just need to identify the right opportunity for you and start working on it!

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