Writing a resume in Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, French, Spanish or German

You can create your resume in English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi or Malayalam. Arabic is laid out right to left, and Hindi uses the Devanagari script. You choose the resume language on the Design tab.

A few points to know:

• Chinese, Japanese and Korean are not supported in the PDF yet.
• If your resume contains any character the PDF cannot include, the builder warns you before payment, so you can fix it first.
• The ready-made writing help (example summaries, bullets and skills for 42 job roles) is in English for now.
• The builder screens can also be switched between these seven languages from the language menu in the top bar; this is separate from the resume language.

Choose the language your target employer works in, which is usually the language of the job advert. If you apply in more than one language, keep a separate saved resume for each, with the same facts in both.

Open the Design tab in the builder and choose the resume language there. The available languages are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam.

After changing it:

• Preview the resume to check the layout, especially if you switched to or from Arabic, which runs right to left.
• Make sure your content is actually written in that language; plan to write or translate the text yourself rather than relying on the setting to do it.
• Check names, dates and email addresses display correctly.

If you need versions in two languages, it is cleaner to keep two saved resumes, one per language, rather than switching one resume back and forth.

The builder language controls the screens you work in: menus, buttons and labels. The resume language is the language of the resume you are creating. They are separate settings.

Where to find them:

• Builder screens: the language menu in the top bar. Options are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam.
• Resume language: the Design tab.

This means you can, for example, use the builder in Arabic or Hindi because it is more comfortable for you, while writing an English resume for an international employer. Choose each setting for its own purpose. Changing the screen language does not change your resume's language setting, but it is still good practice to preview your resume before downloading.

Yes. Set the builder screens to Arabic using the language menu in the top bar, and leave the resume language set to English on the Design tab. The two settings are separate.

This is helpful if you are more comfortable reading instructions in Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam or another available language, but your target employers expect an English resume.

Tips:

• Check the preview regularly, since the resume itself will be laid out left to right in English.
• Write the content carefully in English, and ask someone fluent to proofread it.
• The ready-made example phrases are in English, which can help you with wording.

Yes. When you choose Arabic as the resume language on the Design tab, the resume is laid out right to left, as Arabic readers expect.

To get a clean result:

• Write your content in Arabic throughout, including headings and descriptions.
• Preview carefully where you include English items, such as email addresses, website links or software names, because mixed-direction text needs checking.
• Keep date formats consistent across every entry.

If you also need an English version, create a separate saved resume in English rather than mixing both languages in one document.

English is the safer default for most private-sector roles in the UAE, because English is widely used as the working language in business and recruitment there. An Arabic version can be useful in addition when the employer or role calls for it.

When an Arabic version may help:

• The job advert is written in Arabic.
• The role involves mainly Arabic-speaking clients, documents or government contact.
• The employer asks for an Arabic CV or bilingual applications.

Practical approach:

• Prepare a strong English resume first.
• If needed, create a separate Arabic resume with the same facts, laid out right to left.
• Always follow the language of the advert and any instructions in it.

Mention your Arabic and English proficiency in your Languages section either way, since bilingual ability is valued in many roles in the region.

Yes. Save them as two separate resumes, one with the resume language set to English and the other to Arabic. ResumeBuilder.ae lets you save up to 10 resumes, so there is room for both.

Keep them in step:

• Use the same employers, titles, dates and qualifications in both.
• When you update one, update the other straight away.
• Name them clearly, for example "Sales Manager - EN" and "Sales Manager - AR".

Ask a fluent Arabic speaker to check the Arabic version, especially job titles and technical terms, which are easy to mistranslate.

It is possible to mix some words, but a full bilingual resume in one document is usually harder to read and lay out well. Two separate versions are clearer for readers and easier for software to handle.

Why separate versions work better:

• Arabic runs right to left and English left to right, so mixed paragraphs can display awkwardly.
• Readers usually want to read in one language, not scan both.
• Each version can be checked and proofread on its own.

Small amounts of English in an Arabic resume are normal, such as email addresses, links or software names. Preview them carefully to make sure they show correctly.

Type them as normal in Latin letters within your Arabic text, then preview the resume to check they display correctly. Email addresses, website links, product names and many technical terms are commonly kept in their original English form.

Tips:

• Put an email address or link on its own line or field where possible, so it is not mixed into a sentence.
• Keep tool names such as "Excel", "SAP" or "AutoCAD" in English, since that is how employers search for them.
• Check punctuation near English words, because mixing directions can move commas or brackets.

If something looks out of place in the preview, simplify the sentence or move the English term to the end.

Not in the PDF at the moment. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are not yet supported in ResumeBuilder.ae's PDF. The builder warns you before payment if any character cannot be included, so you will not pay for a file with missing text by accident.

What you can do:

• Write your resume in English, which many international employers accept.
• Write any names of institutions or companies in their official English form.
• Mention your Chinese, Japanese or Korean proficiency in the Languages section, in English.

If an employer requires a resume in one of these languages, you will need to create it with another tool that supports that script.

Find the characters it flags and replace them with ones the PDF can print. The warning appears before payment so you can fix the problem first.

Common causes and fixes:

• Emojis or decorative symbols: delete them or use a plain hyphen.
• Characters from an unsupported script, such as Chinese, Japanese or Korean: write that item in English instead.
• Special quote marks or unusual dashes pasted from another program: retype them.
• Text copied from a web page with hidden formatting: paste it again as plain text.

After changing them, preview the resume and check that the warning has gone. The checklist warns but never blocks, so it is up to you to make sure nothing is missing.

Use the Latin-letter spelling of your name that matches your passport or official documents. That spelling is what employers, visa processes and background checks usually work with.

Tips:

• Use exactly the same spelling on your resume, LinkedIn, email signature and application forms.
• If your name is commonly romanised in different ways, choose the one in your passport and stick to it.
• You can mention a preferred name in brackets if people call you something different. Example: "Wei (David) Zhang".

Keeping one consistent spelling avoids confusion when an employer matches your resume to your documents.

For most private-sector and corporate jobs in India, an English resume is the usual choice. A Hindi resume can make sense when the employer, advert or role works mainly in Hindi.

Situations where Hindi may help:

• The job advert is written in Hindi.
• The role involves mainly Hindi-speaking customers or communities.
• The employer asks for a Hindi resume.

ResumeBuilder.ae supports Hindi in Devanagari script; set it on the Design tab. Keep an English version as well, with the same facts, and follow the language each advert uses.

Mainly for local employers or roles in Kerala where Malayalam is the working language, or when an advert is written in Malayalam. For most corporate jobs, and for Gulf jobs, English is the usual choice.

Good uses for a Malayalam resume:

• Local businesses, institutions or community organisations that work in Malayalam.
• Roles serving mainly Malayalam-speaking customers.
• When the employer specifically asks for it.

ResumeBuilder.ae supports Malayalam as a resume language and as a builder screen language. Keep an English version too, and list Malayalam with your proficiency level in the Languages section of your English resume.

Usually, yes. The language of the advert is a strong signal of the language the employer works in and expects applications in. If the advert says otherwise, follow its instructions.

Examples:

• Advert in English in Dubai: send an English resume.
• Advert in German in Germany: send a German resume, unless it says English is fine.
• Advert in French in Morocco or Canada: a French resume is usually expected.

If the advert is in one language but says the working language is another, follow what it says about the working language. When in doubt, a short question to the recruiter is reasonable.

Not yet. The example summaries, bullet points and skills grouped by 42 job roles are in English for now.

If you are writing a resume in another language:

• Use the English examples as ideas for what to say, then write your own sentences in your language.
• Avoid word-for-word translation of the examples, which can sound unnatural.
• Ask a fluent speaker in your field to check job-specific terms.

The examples are meant to be edited so they are true for you in any case, with [brackets] to replace, so treat them as prompts rather than finished text.

Translate it carefully yourself or with a fluent speaker, then have it checked by someone who knows your field in that language. A resume needs natural, professional wording, not a word-for-word copy.

Steps:

• Start from your finished resume in the language you write best.
• Translate section by section, adapting phrases rather than copying structure exactly.
• Check job titles, qualifications and technical terms with care.
• Keep names of companies, software and certifications in their official form.
• Ask a native speaker to proofread.

Save the translation as a separate resume in the builder with the correct resume language selected, so you can update both versions later.

It can help with a first draft, but do not send a machine translation without careful human checking. Automatic tools often get job titles, technical terms and tone wrong, and errors in a resume stand out.

If you use a translation tool:

• Translate short sections rather than the whole document at once.
• Check every job title and qualification against how they are normally named in that country.
• Read the result aloud; stiff or strange sentences need rewriting.
• Ask a fluent speaker to review the final version.

Make sure the translated text still says only what is true. Tools sometimes add or exaggerate meaning.

Use the title that a local employer would recognise for the same work, and keep it close to your real title. Literal translation can produce titles that sound strange or overstate your role.

Tips:

• Look at job adverts in that language for similar roles and see what titles they use.
• If your exact title has no clear equivalent, use the closest common title and add the original in brackets.
• Never upgrade the seniority in translation. "Assistant Manager" should not become "Manager".

Example in a French resume: "Responsable des achats (Procurement Lead)".

Give the degree as it is officially named, and add a short translation or equivalent if readers may not recognise it. Do not claim a local qualification you do not hold.

Examples:

• In an English resume: "Licence en Économie (Bachelor's-level degree in Economics), Université de Tunis".
• In a French resume: "Bachelor of Commerce (équivalent Licence en commerce), University of Mumbai".

If you have had your degree formally recognised or evaluated in a country, you can mention that. Otherwise, describe it plainly and let employers ask for documents if needed.

Yes. Use headings in the resume's language throughout, so the document reads as one piece. A French resume with English headings, or the reverse, looks unfinished.

Use the standard, familiar heading for each section in that language. Examples:

• French: "Expérience professionnelle", "Formation", "Compétences".
• Spanish: "Experiencia laboral", "Formación", "Habilidades".
• German: "Berufserfahrung", "Ausbildung", "Kenntnisse".

After setting the resume language on the Design tab, check the preview to confirm all headings, including any Custom Section heading you typed yourself, are in the right language.

No. Keep software, tools, programming languages and most certification names in their original form. Employers search for them by those names, and translations can make them unrecognisable.

Examples in a Spanish resume:

• "Dominio de Microsoft Excel, Power BI y SAP FI."
• "Certificación PMP (Project Management Professional)."

You can translate the surrounding sentence normally. If a certification has a well-known local name, you can give both. The aim is that a recruiter in that country can recognise every skill at a glance.

They should for French, Spanish and German, which are supported resume languages. Still, check the preview, and watch for the warning before payment that flags any character the PDF cannot include.

Tips:

• Type accents using your keyboard's language settings rather than copying them from websites.
• Make sure names with accents are spelled the same way on all your documents.
• In email addresses, accents are not normally used, so use the plain letter there.

If a character is flagged, retype it directly rather than pasting it from another program.

Some can, but it depends on the employer's system and how it is set up, and nobody outside the employer can be sure. If you are unsure, follow the application instructions and consider sending an English version when the advert is in English.

Practical tips:

• Use a single-column layout and standard headings.
• Keep contact details clear, including phone with country code.
• Use a text-based PDF, not a scanned image.
• If the portal shows a preview of the parsed fields, check it carefully.

For employers in the Gulf, an English resume is often the safest main document, with an Arabic version ready when asked for.

Mixed-direction text, such as Western numerals and dashes inside Arabic, can sometimes appear in an unexpected order. Simplify the date format and preview again.

Things to try:

• Use one consistent date format for every entry.
• Type the dash between dates directly instead of pasting it.
• Avoid adding extra English words next to the dates.
• Confirm the resume language is set to Arabic on the Design tab, so the layout is right to left.

If one entry still looks odd, retype that date field from scratch. Check the final preview before downloading.