Writing a resume in Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, French, Spanish or German – Page 2

Add the language as an input method in your phone or computer settings, then switch between keyboards while typing. Most devices offer these keyboards for free.

General steps:

• On a computer, add the language in your system's keyboard or input settings.
• On a phone, add the keyboard in the keyboard settings.
• Use the keyboard shortcut or globe key to switch languages while typing in the builder.

Some keyboards offer phonetic typing, where you type the sound in Latin letters and choose the matching word. This is often easier for Hindi and Malayalam. Proofread carefully, because suggestions can pick the wrong word.

Urdu is not one of the resume languages in ResumeBuilder.ae. The supported resume languages are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam.

For most professional jobs in Pakistan and for jobs abroad, an English resume is the usual choice, so this rarely holds people back. You can show your Urdu ability in the Languages section with your proficiency level.

If an employer specifically asks for a resume in Urdu, you will need a tool that supports it. The builder warns before payment if any character cannot be included in the PDF, so you will know if something in your text cannot be printed.

Write your resume in English, or in another supported language your employer accepts, and list your own language in the Languages section. The supported resume languages are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam.

Options:

• Use English for international and many national employers.
• Use French, Spanish or German if your target country works in one of those.
• For a language the builder does not support, use another tool for that version.

If you are applying within the European Union, the official Europass tool lets you create CVs in many EU languages. The builder will warn before payment if any character in your text cannot be included in the PDF.

English is the usual choice for most professional jobs in the Philippines and for jobs abroad, as English is widely used in business there. Filipino is not one of ResumeBuilder.ae's resume languages, so build your resume in English.

Tips:

• List English and Filipino, plus any regional languages, in your Languages section with proficiency levels.
• Use clear, simple English with consistent tense.
• If you are applying to the Gulf, keep the format to the norms employers there expect, such as including notice period where relevant.

Follow the language of the advert and any instructions in it.

English is the usual choice for most professional jobs across India, including in those regions. Tamil, Telugu and Bengali are not among ResumeBuilder.ae's resume languages, which are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam.

What to do:

• Write your resume in English.
• List your regional languages in the Languages section with how well you speak, read and write them.
• Mention the language in a bullet if you used it at work. Example: "Handled customer calls in Tamil and English for a regional telecom provider."

If a local employer asks for a resume in a regional language, you will need another tool for that version.

Write it in French when the job advert is in French or the employer works mainly in French, for example many employers in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, and parts of North and West Africa. ResumeBuilder.ae supports French as a resume language; choose it on the Design tab.

Tips for a French resume:

• Use French section headings throughout.
• Translate job titles to the closest French equivalent, keeping seniority accurate.
• Keep company, software and certification names in their official form.
• Have a native French speaker proofread it.

If the advert is in English, for example at an international company in Paris, an English resume is usually fine. Follow the advert's language and instructions.

Often yes, if the advert is in German or the role uses German day to day. Many international companies, especially in tech and research, accept English resumes when the advert is in English.

How to decide:

• Advert in German: send a German resume unless it says English is acceptable.
• Advert in English: an English resume is usually fine.
• Role requires German at work: a German resume also shows your language ability.

ResumeBuilder.ae supports German as a resume language. If your German is not fluent, have a native speaker check it, since errors in a German resume can undermine a claim of fluency.

Yes, when the job advert is in Spanish or the employer works mainly in Spanish, for example in Spain and Latin America. ResumeBuilder.ae supports Spanish as a resume language on the Design tab.

Points to watch:

• Use one variety of Spanish consistently, matching the country if you can.
• Translate job titles to the local equivalent without changing seniority.
• Keep software and certification names in their original form.
• Ask a native speaker from that country to proofread.

For international roles where the advert is in English, an English resume with Spanish listed in your Languages section is usually the better choice.

Use English for US applications unless the advert is written in Spanish or asks for a Spanish resume. Show your Spanish clearly so employers looking for bilingual staff can see it.

Ways to show it:

• Languages section: "Spanish – fluent (spoken and written)".
• Summary, if it matters for the role: "Bilingual customer service lead (English/Spanish)".
• Bullets that show you used it: "Assisted Spanish-speaking patients with appointment scheduling and forms."

If a role is specifically for Spanish speakers, a short line in Spanish in your cover letter can also demonstrate the skill, as long as it is well written.

It depends on where and with whom you will work. For roles in Quebec, or bilingual roles elsewhere, a French resume is often expected or useful. For most roles in English-speaking provinces, an English resume is enough.

A practical approach:

• Read the advert's language and stated requirements.
• If it asks for bilingual candidates, consider sending the resume in the advert's language and showing both languages clearly in your Languages section.
• Keep two saved resumes, one English and one French, with identical facts.

Canada's official Job Bank resume guidance also covers what to leave out, such as personal details like age and marital status.

Some public-sector employers and roles may prefer or ask for Arabic, but practice varies by organisation and role. Do not assume; read the advert and any instructions on the application portal.

Prepare for both cases:

• Keep a polished English resume, which many employers in the region accept.
• Prepare a matching Arabic version, laid out right to left, if you target public-sector roles.
• Use exactly the same facts in both.

If you are unsure which to send, follow the language of the advert, or ask the recruiter. Clear, accurate content matters more than having both languages ready for every application.

Use the English spelling in your passport, and use it exactly the same way everywhere. Arabic names can be romanised in many ways, so consistency avoids confusion with visa, background and HR records.

Tips:

• Match your passport spelling, including spacing and hyphens.
• Use the same spelling on your email signature, LinkedIn and application forms.
• In your Arabic resume, write the name in Arabic as you normally do.

Example: if your passport says "Mohamed Abdelrahman Al Mansoori", do not switch to "Mohammad Abdul Rahman Almansouri" in another document.

Yes. ResumeBuilder.ae's PDF is text-based, so the text can be selected and copied, with standard headings. This applies to resumes in all the supported languages, including Arabic and Hindi.

You can test it after downloading:

• Open the PDF and select a paragraph.
• Copy it and paste into a plain text editor.
• Check that the words appear in a sensible order.

Right-to-left and complex scripts can sometimes paste in an unusual order in certain programs, so the test is mainly to confirm the text is real text and not an image.

Do not rely on it to translate your content. Choosing the resume language on the Design tab sets the language your resume is in, but the descriptions, bullets and summary you type are your own words, and you should write or translate them yourself.

So when you create a version in a new language:

• Save it as a separate resume.
• Translate every section, including your summary, bullets and skills.
• Check any Custom Section heading you typed yourself.
• Preview the whole resume to find anything left in the old language.

A resume that mixes two languages by accident looks careless, so give the preview a full read before downloading.

Use the language the employer expects, which is often English. If your English is limited, write simply and get help checking it rather than switching to a language the employer does not use.

Ways to make it easier:

• Use the builder screens in a language you are comfortable with, such as Arabic, Hindi or Malayalam, while writing the resume in English.
• Use the ready-made English example phrases as models, editing them to be true for you.
• Write short, clear bullets: action, task, result.
• Ask a friend or mentor with strong English to proofread.

Simple, correct English is better than complex sentences with errors.

Get a fluent speaker to review it, preferably someone who works in your field. Spelling and grammar tools help, but they will not catch wrong job titles or unnatural phrases.

A practical review process:

• Ask your reviewer to mark anything that sounds odd, not just mistakes.
• Check each job title and degree name against how they appear in local adverts.
• Read it aloud yourself to catch missing words.
• Keep a short list of corrections to reuse in future versions.

If you claim fluency in that language, the resume must reflect it, because the employer will judge your language level from it.

English is usually fine when the advert is published in both languages, unless the employer says otherwise. If you have a good Arabic version and the role involves Arabic, mention that you can provide it.

Ways to decide:

• Check the application instructions for a preferred language.
• Consider who will read it: an international HR team or an Arabic-speaking department.
• If the role requires Arabic, make your Arabic ability visible in your English resume's Languages section and summary.

Do not send two different files unless asked; one clear resume is easier for the employer.

No. Use each company's official name, as it appears on its website or registration. Translated names can make your employers hard to recognise or verify.

When to add a translation:

• If the name gives no clue what the company does, add a short description. Example: "Al Noor Trading LLC (building materials distributor)".
• If the company is known by an English name abroad, use that name.

In an Arabic resume, use the company's Arabic name if it has an official one; otherwise keep the original name.

Either can work, as long as you use one style consistently. Many readers in the region understand both, so consistency matters more than the choice.

Practical tips:

• Use the same numeral style for dates, numbers and results throughout.
• For phone numbers and email addresses, Western digits are commonly used and are easier for international readers and systems.
• Check the preview, since mixing numeral styles can make dates look disordered.

If you are unsure, look at job adverts from your target employers and follow the style they use.

Use the common Arabic title for your role as used in local adverts, and keep it accurate to your level. Avoid word-for-word translations that sound unusual.

Tips:

• Search Arabic job adverts for similar roles and use the title they use.
• For technical roles, it is common to keep a well-known English term alongside the Arabic.
• Make sure the title matches the one in your English version in meaning and seniority.

Preview the header to check the title displays correctly right to left, especially if it includes English words or abbreviations.

Yes. Send the cover letter in the same language as your resume and the job advert. A French resume with an English cover letter, for example, looks inconsistent.

You can write a matching cover letter in ResumeBuilder.ae for free. When writing it in a language other than English:

• Use the formal greeting and sign-off customary in that language.
• Keep it short and clear.
• Have a fluent speaker check it, especially the opening and closing lines, which follow strong conventions in some languages.

Yes, for software, tools, certifications and technical terms that are commonly used in English at work. Many professionals in India use these terms in English even when speaking Hindi.

Tips:

• Keep tool names such as "Excel", "Tally" or "AutoCAD" in English.
• Write descriptions and headings in Hindi so the resume reads as a Hindi document.
• Preview the resume to check that English words sit correctly within Devanagari text.

Avoid mixing languages in casual ways, such as switching mid-sentence for ordinary words. A resume should read formally in one main language.

Use the spelling in your official documents. In a German resume, write umlauts normally (ä, ö, ü); German is a supported resume language and these characters are part of it.

Points to remember:

• Email addresses usually avoid umlauts, so "mueller" may appear in the email even when the name is "Müller".
• Keep the same spelling of your name on all application documents.
• If your passport spells your name without umlauts, follow the passport in official forms.

Check the preview to confirm everything displays as expected before downloading.

These are not among ResumeBuilder.ae's resume languages, which are English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Hindi and Malayalam. For a resume in Dutch, Portuguese or Italian, you would need another tool.

Options:

• Use English if the employer accepts it, which many international employers do.
• List your Dutch, Portuguese or Italian ability in the Languages section.
• For EU applications, the official Europass tool lets you create a CV in many European languages.

Always check the language of the advert and follow the employer's instructions.

Russian and other Cyrillic-script languages are not among ResumeBuilder.ae's resume languages. The builder warns you before payment if any character cannot be included in the PDF, so you will be told if Cyrillic text cannot be printed.

What to do:

• Write your resume in English, or another supported language your employer uses.
• Use the Latin spelling of your name that appears in your passport.
• List Russian or your Cyrillic-script language in the Languages section.

If an employer requires a resume in that language, use a tool that supports the script.