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Putting together a good CV is no easy-feat.

LinkedIn profiles are easy as they all follow the same in-built template, whereas with CVs there’s little to no commonality.

The make-up of the UAE complicates this further. In a nation which people from over 200 different nationalities call home - there is very little consistency across templates. 

Standards and what is expected on a CV vary massively across countries. When you then factor in industry requirements it gets even more confusing. 

A Graphic Designer who needs to showcase their creativity in their profile would struggle to assemble a CV in the same way an Accountant would be encouraged.  

In my career, I’ve reviewed CVs in the tens of thousands. It’s a very unfortunate reality that there are some profiles that cross my desk that I know have a 0% chance of success. 

Poorly designed, riddled with spelling mistakes and with little structure, it’s hard to see anyone taking a punt.

 Here’s three common traits that we see among the best CVs on the market.

A CV is likely to be a hiring manager's first impression of yourself. They can make or break your job search.

Everyone has heard the statement that the average hiring manager will spend seven seconds looking at your CV before making a decision. I disagree. 

I think it’s even less.

Your CV has to be done well for you to stand a chance in the job market. This isn’t something you should put together half-heartedly. 

Is your CV really done to the level you think puts forward the best representation of yourself?

The same goes for people that apply with the LinkedIn CV template where it copies and pastes your profile into a CV. It’s lazy and in no way an accurate reflection of you or your skill sets.

My ideal template would be a blank page on Docs and then the following layout: Name and Contact Details -> Personal Statement -> Work History -> Education. 

Simple, but if done right, very effective. 

Your CV is no-longer a one-stop shop for your job search. 

They’re a multifaceted tool which can also be used to funnel interested parties towards your LinkedIn where you can have more say and control. 

More and more we are getting clients messaging us ’can you send their LinkedIn?’ instead of asking for a CV. 

That’s not a call to dump the CV - the two go hand in hand. A hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile is a modern essential. 

Unlike the CV your LinkedIn can give a client information and details in a more interactive manner. They can click on the companies and explore your background in more detail. 

It also gives you the power to see who is viewing your CV through the ‘viewed my profile’ feature. 

If a Talent Manager at one of the companies you’ve applied to views your profile, you’re in a position to follow up directly with them - a sign of how you can balance the two mediums to your advantage. 

You can have the best CV in the world but what you do with it is as important to your likelihood of landing a new role. 

Spray and pray does not work here. Applying for roles outside of your field doesn’t work in a market where there are so many people going for every role. 

My belief has always been to see your CV like a commodity. The more of it there is out there, the less valuable it is. 

From a potential Employers POV, we can see on the back-end of the LinkedIn CRM how many times someone has applied to roles within our organisation.

A candidate who has rattled off hundreds of applications to any and everything is going to be seen as less prestigious than a profile who is reaching out to something they are directly aligned with for the first time.

Senior Art Director - Arabic

MCG are partnered with a leading agency who specialise in Creative work for Government and Financial Services clients. 

They are looking for a Senior Art Director who has experience within the region and is a native Arabic speaker to join their growing team. 

An up-to-date portfolio with current work is essential in order to be considered for this position.

Please reach out to Charlie Bowsher on LinkedIn for more details.

FAQ’s

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If you’re interested in seeing more from MCG Talent and what we’re up to, please check out our company LinkedIn here or connect with me here for regular posts on life in the GCC.