Writing a resume in Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, French, Spanish or German – Page 3

Yes, some change is expected. An Arabic resume is laid out right to left, so elements that were on the left in English may now appear on the right, and text alignment changes.

What to check:

• Headings and contact details are complete and readable.
• Dates are in a consistent order.
• English items, such as emails or tool names, display correctly.
• Page breaks still fall in sensible places.

If the layout looks crowded, try a single-column template. Simple layouts usually handle right-to-left text more cleanly.

No. Keep the whole resume, including the summary, in one language. A summary repeated in two languages takes valuable space and makes the document feel cluttered.

Better options:

• Create two saved resumes, one per language.
• In a single-language resume, mention your bilingual ability within the summary. Example: "Bilingual (Arabic/English) customer relations officer with five years in banking."

This shows the skill without duplicating content.

You can try importing a PDF or Word (.docx) resume, up to 5 MB; it is read in your browser and not uploaded. With any import, and especially one in another language or script, check each imported section carefully.

After importing:

• Set the resume language on the Design tab to match the content.
• Read every section and fix anything placed in the wrong field.
• Check right-to-left text, dates and names in the preview.

Scanned image-only PDFs have no text to read, and password-protected files cannot be imported. If the import does not work well, type the content in directly.

Yes, list it in your Languages section along with English and any others, such as Hindi or Arabic. Many employers in the Gulf value staff who can communicate with a diverse workforce and customer base.

Example Languages section:

• English – fluent
• Malayalam – native
• Hindi – good spoken
• Arabic – basic spoken

Write the resume itself in English for most Gulf roles. If you have Arabic at any level, state it honestly; even basic Arabic can be useful in customer-facing roles.

Yes, if the role specifically needs those languages. Mentioning them in the summary makes the fit obvious at first glance; the Languages section then gives details.

Examples:

• "Bilingual Arabic/English receptionist with four years in five-star hotels."
• "French-speaking account manager handling clients in West Africa."

Make sure your language level is accurate, because bilingual roles often include a language check during the interview. For roles where language is not central, the Languages section alone is enough.

Follow the advert. Many international companies in France advertise in English and accept English resumes; others still expect French. Having both ready gives you flexibility.

A sensible plan:

• Keep an English resume for adverts in English.
• Keep a French version for French adverts and local employers.
• Use identical facts in both, saved as two separate resumes.

If an advert is in English but says French is required, an English resume with a clear statement of your French level is often fine. When the instructions are unclear, ask the recruiter.

No. A resume is your own document, so you do not label it as translated. Simply write it well in the target language.

Where translation does matter:

• Official documents such as degree certificates or transcripts: an employer may ask for certified translations. Follow their instructions.
• Degree names: give the original name with an explanation where helpful.

The resume itself should read naturally, as if written in that language from the start.

Write your name in the resume's script as you normally would, and keep the English spelling identical to your passport in any English documents. Many people also show the English spelling in their email address and links.

Tips:

• Choose one way of writing your name in Devanagari or Malayalam script and use it consistently.
• Keep your email address and links in Latin letters.
• Preview the header to check that your name and contact details display well together.

Employers may compare names across documents, so make sure the English spelling matches your official ID.

It should, but check the preview, since numbers inside right-to-left text can sometimes look odd. Write the number in a standard international format with the country code.

Tips:

• Use the phone field in personal details rather than typing it inside a sentence.
• Write it as "+971 50 123 4567" with spaces, which is easy to read.
• Use Western digits for phone numbers, as they are widely understood by international readers and systems.

If the plus sign or spacing appears in the wrong place, retype the number and check again.