We communicated with some of the top UAE recruitment agencies and found that many submitted CVs are not even close to their standards. It is also why several candidates don’t make it to the interviews.
Working in Dubai will enable you to enjoy various perks, from tax-free income and items to eye-catching destinations and luxurious lifestyles. However, the competition is serious as most job seekers try to secure a position there. You can’t afford to miss any chance or mess up with your first impression, i.e. resume.
Your resume is your opportunity to impress your potential employer and recruiter in the UAE, so tailor it according to their standard. In this blog, we’ll explain how to unleash the craftsmanship of CV composition in the UAE in 2024.
Write A CV That Gets You A Job In The UAE: 2024’s Ultimate Guide
Below are the sections you must include in your CV when applying for a job in the UAE. We’ve also included instructions to consider while curating content for each section.
Contact Details
Always share your contact details at the top of your resume so the recruiters can quickly contact you. It should include:
- Your full name
- Phone number (with international country code)
- Professional email address
- Your home address (mention your local address if you’re already residing in the UAE)
- A link to your portfolio, professional website, or LinkedIn profile
Personal Information
If you’re sending a resume to a multinational firm in the UAE, avoid including this section. In many global organizations, including personal information is discouraged as it can lead to unconscious bias. According to the professional CV writers in UAE, local Emirati employers may want to know about your personal information, such as:
- Nationality (if you have a dual nationality, mention it too)
- Marital status or the number of members dependent on you (you may get sponsorship from your target company for family visas, family accommodation, medical insurance, and schooling)
- Driving license (essential for certain positions that require extensive travel)
- Visa status (mention your visa status, such as tourist, employment, or living as a dependent if you’re already in the UAE)
- Date of birth (including it will let the hiring manager know about your suitability for the job)
- Gender (specifying your gender is essential, especially if your name or appearance is gender-neutral)
Summary or Personal Statement
The summary section will also serve as your personal statement. The ideal length is around two to four sentences that should highlight:
- Your current job title or area of expertise
- The years of experience you have within this field
- Your key skills
- Your achievements
- How you can contribute to your potential company
As your personal statement is the condensed summary of your resume, we suggest you write it at the very end. Tailor this section to each open position you apply for by including the name of the job and the target company.
Highlight Your Skills
You may have various hard and soft skills, but only include the relevant ones for your target position. It will indicate to the hiring manager what you can bring to their table and how you work with other team members. Pick keywords from the job ad and include them in this section to catch the recruiter’s attention. List down your technical and soft skills in bullet form.
You can also include the transferable ones if you apply for you’re first-ever job. Make sure you possess the ones you have listed in your resume. Besides, try to quantify your skills and present them as achievements in this and experience section. Highlight how your tech and intellectual abilities have helped you perform well in your career.
Showcase Your Work Experience
Here comes the most crucial section of your vitae that communicates what you’ve done until now. It can make you appear as the most fitting candidate for the job. Therefore, outline your experiences that your hiring manager may want to see. Mention your work history in reverse chronological order while focusing on the aspects of your experience most relevant to your target position.
If you find these instructions hard to follow and still want a top-notch vitae, hire any reputable resume writing agency in Middle East. The experts will ensure that each of your job roles should contain the following elements:
- A brief overview of the company you may have worked at, including their firm’s name, size, nature, location, etc.
- Write one to two sentences that explain your role and responsibilities
- Use a star format to demonstrate your situation, task, action, and results or achievements
Certificates and licenses
After your experience section comes the one where you mention your relevant certifications and licenses. The ones obtained from internationally recognized bodies will enhance your credibility even more. Emirate employers highly value certificates or licenses issued by British or American professional bodies. Besides, some professionals, such as doctors, medical staff, and real estate agents, require a local Dubai license for employment.
List down Your Educational Qualifications
List your highest qualification by mentioning the university’s name, location, and graduation date. Including two of your most recent capabilities is more than enough. Besides, the university you graduated or mastered from may be the most reputable institute in your country. Yet, it can be anonymous or less known in the UAE. So, include a short description and your institute’s name, such as ‘XYZ University- No. 1 medical college in India.’
Additional Information
You can insert any additional information in this section that boosts your credibility in front of your target employers. This section typically includes languages, awards, volunteer experiences, or hobbies. It will be your plus point in a multicultural country like the UAE if you speak multiple languages.
- . What is the perfect format for a CV in UAE?
The format of a CV in the UAE is similar to the ones found in other parts of the world. It typically begins with your contact details, summary, work experience, academic background, and languages and ends with skills.
- Is including a photo necessary on a CV in UAE?
Whether or not you should include your photo on your CV depends on your potential recruiter’s expectations. Multinational companies usually follow anti-discrimination hiring practices; therefore, they may not want your image in your resume. In contrast, local firms expect to see your professional picture at the top of your vitae. In such a case, include a high-resolution, passport-size photograph of you dressing professionally. Avoid any selfie or a cropped shot of your group photo.
- What is the ideal length for your CV in the UAE?
Emirati recruiters expect more detailed CVs from candidates, ranging from two to three pages. If you have less than twenty years of experience, limit your vitae to only two pages. On the other hand, keep the limit to three pages if you have more than twenty years of experience.
Final Words on The Craftsmanship Of CV Composition
It is time to wrap up this informative guide! We hope you would have grasped all the instructions provided in this post and will use them to accelerate your job search. Implementing the above guidance will let you craft a job-winning, ATS-optimized, and easily scannable resume.
Contact professional CV writers if you need further assistance attracting the hiring manager’s attention and getting an interview call.
Best of luck with your resume in the UAE!