How to write a professional CV
A professional CV is one or two pages in this order: contact details, a two-line summary, experience from newest to oldest written as achievements with numbers, education and certificates, then skills and languages. Tailor it to each job so that it uses the words of the advert.
The sections of a CV
Name and contact details
Your name, city, phone number, an email address in your own name, and a link to your professional profile if you have one.
Professional summary
Two lines: who you are professionally, how many years of experience you have, what you are good at and the role you are looking for.
Work experience
Newest to oldest: job title, employer, dates, then three to five achievement points.
Education and certificates
Degree, major, university and graduation year, then professional certificates relevant to the job.
Skills and languages
Specific skills that can be tested, such as software, systems and tools, and your level in each language.
Write the achievement, not the duty
Whoever screens CVs reads each one in seconds. “Responsible for sales” describes anyone who ever held the job. “Grew branch sales 18% in a year by adding restaurant-sector customers” describes you.
A simple pattern for every point: a verb, what you did, then the result as a number. If you have no financial figure, use the scale of the work: the number of customers, transactions per day, the size of the team, or the time you cut. Use real numbers you can explain in the interview.
A fresh graduate writes the graduation project, internship and volunteer work the same way: what you did and what came of it.
Many companies screen CVs with automated systems that look for the words in the advert. So use the titles and skills as the advert states them, where they apply to you, and avoid complex tables, columns and images that these systems may not read.
The steps
01
Collect the raw material
All your jobs, dates, duties and certificates in one draft, with no formatting.
02
Read the job advert
Pick out its five most important requirements. Those should show up in the first half of your CV.
03
Turn duties into achievements
Ask for each role to be rewritten as points that start with a verb and end with a result, then correct the numbers yourself.
04
Write the summary last
Once your experience is clear, it is easy to sum it up in two lines aimed at the job.
05
Format simply
One font, clear headings, comfortable margins, one or two pages.
06
Create the other language version
Many employers in the Gulf ask for the CV in English or in both languages. Translate it, then check the job titles.
07
Proofread and export
Check spelling, dates and contact numbers, ask someone else to read it, then export to PDF.
Common mistakes
- One CV sent to every job without changes.
- A list of duties copied from the job description in place of achievements.
- Unexplained gaps or dates that do not add up.
- An unprofessional email address or an old phone number.
- General skills such as “works well under pressure” with no evidence.
- Personal details the advert did not ask for. Add only what the employer requests.
- Spelling mistakes, the first reason for rejection in office jobs.
- More than two pages for someone with under ten years of experience.
Ready-made prompts
Frequently asked questions
How many pages should a CV be?
One page for fresh graduates and people with little experience, two for experienced candidates. Anything longer usually goes unread.
Should I write it in Arabic or English?
In the language of the advert. If it does not say, prepare both: many employers in the Gulf recruit in English, and government entities lean towards Arabic.
Should I include a photo?
Only if the advert asks for one. Automated systems do not need it, and some employers prefer CVs without a photo.
Can AI write my whole CV?
It words, organises, translates and suggests, but the material comes from you. Do not let it invent an achievement or a number: you will be asked about everything on your CV in the interview.
Can I export it to Word?
Yes. Write it as a document in Mibyan and export to Word or PDF. Send the PDF unless the advert asks for another format, so the layout does not shift.