Writing a CV

Writing a CV - Dubai FAQs

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Writing a CV or Resumé


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Note that on this page, Curriculum Vitae (CV) means the same as Resumé.

What is the point of a CV? To get a job interview, not to get a job. Remember that.

First things first - The letter accompanying the CV

Any job application should include a letter. It is almost always going to be the first document that gets read (or perhaps just glanced at) so make it a good one. If it's not, then your CV probably won't get read. The job application letter should:

Be short.
Be polite.
Be to the point.
Be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Include your most important attributes that are relevant to the job application. Not all of them, just 1 or 2.
Include your phone number.
Say what it is that you want at the end (a job interview) - "please contact me at +971-04-0000000 to discuss this opportunity further" or something similar.
Be signed "Yours sincerely," if you know the name of the person you are writing to. The correct ending for letters starting with Dear Sir/Madam is "Yours faithfully" but don't spend too much time on your application if you do that, it is likely to get binned. Find out the name of the person you are writing to (phone the company and ask them is one way).

If you're responding to a job advertisement, use the advertisement to help you write the letter, referring specifically to the candidate requirements.

Writing your CV

There are numerous books around that will offer Curriculum Vitae (CV) writing advice. One useful book we like (for job-hunting rather than CV writing but has some good advice anyway) is "What Color is my Parachute" (more American in style than British). For English speakers, USA CV style tends to be more sales oriented than UK style (some would say aggressive). Try and find out whether a company is US or UK oriented. Note that due to the multinational nature of companies and employees in Dubai and the UAE, a US company may have UK personnel reading your CV and vice versa. For companies based in Dubai and the UAE but originating from another country, try and find out if there are any formats or items specific to that country which you should use.

Remember that usually the point of a CV is to supply enough information and market yourself sufficiently to get a job interview, not a job - that's the point of the interview. There are many styles and formats for writing CVs. Whatever you decide to follow, it's pointless if the company you apply to doesn't like it. Here's our brief list of suggestions for writing a CV.

A CV is a personal document so although you should write it with the company and job in mind, you also need to be happy with it. Ignore or adapt any CV advice you read to suit your personal taste. But if you get no interview offers, then change something.

Write your name as a heading. Writing CV or Resumé is redundant - it should be obvious what it is.
Start with a one paragraph summary of relevant experience, qualifications, abilities. Use positive adjectives like excellent, motivated, dedicated, reliable, etc - you are trying to sell yourself.
Include personal details such as birthdate (not age), gender, address, telephone number (with international code), website (if relevant - not your facebook page with party photos), email, driving license (if relevant). Some details could go at the end if they're less important, or you want to reduce emphasis. For example if you think age might be a problem (whether young or old), put birthdate at end.
Nationality is a factor in jobs in Dubai and the UAE. Pay differs depending on passport (and where qualifications came from), preference is given to certain nationalities. For the same job, usually Emiratis and Westerners get paid the most, then other Arabs, while Eastern Europeans, Asians and African nationalities get paid the least. If you have a choice of nationality (more than one passport, or DNA is different from passport nationality) then you may as well highlight the one that could benefit you the most. Or put nationality at the end if you don't want to highlight it. Don't put more than one nationality on your CV. You can clarify things at an interview if necessary.
Don't say things like "Health: Good". It implies there's a problem. Either say "excellent" or nothing.
Next section can be either Experience, Qualifications, or Skills / Abilities. The first one should be the one that shows you in the best light. A university graduate is likely to put Qualifications first. A recently released convict would more likely put Abilities first. An experienced professional with little in the way of formal qualifications might put Experience first.
Job Experience should be chronological. Start with the most recent job. Highlight dates if you have been in steady employment. Make dates more discreet if you have been job hopping and highlight job titles instead. Don't leave gaps, don't say unemployed. If you have been unemployed, put a heading that says Study or Skills Development for that period. Include contact details for the company you worked at. Don't include salary details or reasons for leaving.
After the first section, add remaining sections (Experience, Abilities, Qualifications) in whichever order you think is most suitable - relevant to the job you are applying for.
The last section can be miscellaneous information such as hobbies and interests. Don't include high-risk injury-prone activites (or ones that are perceived as such, such as base-jumping). Do include activities that are charitable in nature, and/or indicate teamwork. Try and give the impression of a well-balanced person. Remember that this section is probably not going to get your CV into the "accepted pile" if it isn't there already, but could easily get it rejected if it's borderline.
Some CVs include details of references that can be contacted. Put these at the end.

Chronological CV

Some CVs are written in a chronological style with an emphasis on the sequential nature of employment, and incorporating Experience, Qualifications, Abilities, Employment all in historical order based on jobs. This is quite common and you may prefer that style.

Remember the following when writing your CV

Use a word processor and spell checker. Don't hand-write your CV unless it is specifically asked for.
Use A4 or US letter sized white paper (A4 is the more common format in the UAE).
Use Times New Roman 12 point font for printed CVs, or at least a serif font. If your CV is available online, use Verdana or Tahoma 12 point, or at least a sans-serif font but edit your page so that the printed version uses a serif font (print this page to see an example).
CV should be 1 or 2 sides only (unless there is something extra specifically requested - a long list of publications for a senior university professor for example, and even then, consider submitting that as an appendix with only the most relevant 2 or 3 included in the CV).
Don't reduce the font size to squash more stuff on your CV, remove less relevant information.
Get someone competent to check your grammar.
Companies use CVs as a filtering mechanism. Not to find good job candidates, but to filter out unsuitable candidates. That's the goal. What happens though is that unsuitable CVs, not candidates, get binned.
Large companies with Human Resource (HR) departments often have people with very little direct experience of the jobs they're screening for. They're more likely to be operating from a checklist. Try and figure out what is likely to be on the checklist (a job advertisement, or employment requirements, will provide clues) and make sure your CV has lots of items that fit, so you can get past the screeners.
If you're responding to a job advertisement, the list of candidate requirements provides you with a handy checklist so make sure they're covered, and easy to find on your CV.
The best CVs and accompanying letters, not the best candidates, get interview offers. Did we say that already? Ah, it must be important then.
Long CVs don't get read, and usually get tossed out.
CVs that stand out because of color, font, style, size are more likely to get binned than read. Exceptions perhaps for jobs in advertising, or art-related jobs.

An example CV

Note, this is not a comprehensive example, just one idea to get you started. There are many many resources out there with better examples - go to a library and look at a few books, or buy one or two.

Gisa Jobmate
A dedicated and capable guard dog with extensive experience of protecting homes and commercial properties in a wide variety of climates. Qualifications include BARC Level 3.
PO Box 00000 Dubai United Arab Emirates		Tel +971-4-0000000 Mob +971-50-0000000 Email gisajobmate@example.com
Experience
King Fido, Baskerville, Upper Doggone, tel +971-4-0000000. From 2004-present Protection of King Fido's beach house with additional responsibilites for security checks of visiting fleas. Successfully implemented a new automated intruder alert system which resulted in a 100% elimination of unwanted guests. Canine Protection Systems, Baskerville, tel +971-4-0000000. From 2002-2004. Part time evening employment (while studying at BSI), patrolling suburban residential areas. Reliable member of CRU (Cat Response Unit) with special responsibility for water cannon operation. Winner of dog of the month award 4 times.
Qualifications
Baskerville Security Insititute, Baskerville, tel +971-4-0000000. From 2001-2004. BARC (Bachelor of Advanced Rebuffals for Canines) study, graduated with 3 woofs and a bone.
Interests and hobbies
Muttball, chess. Board member of K9 Friends since 2005.
Other information
Full Bite license from the Doggone Ministry of Dog Licensing (valid 2005-2010). Nationality: Mongrel Date of Birth: 01-01-1999