Photos and personal details in the design – Page 2

You can add a small QR code linking to your portfolio or LinkedIn profile, but it should not replace text information. Many people read resumes on screen, where a QR code is less useful than a clickable link, and applicant tracking systems cannot read QR codes.

If you add one:

• Keep it small, in the header or near your contact details.
• Also include the link as text.
• Test that it works and points to a professional page.

For most resumes, a short text link is simpler and just as effective.

Yes. Your contact details and any personal information that matters for the job, such as visa status in the Gulf, should be on page one, near the top. Readers should not have to search page two to find out how to contact you or whether you are eligible to work.

Page two can carry a small footer with your name and page number, but not your full details.

Keep personal details compact so they do not push your summary and recent experience too far down page one.

Generally only if the employer or region expects it. In the UK, US, Canada and Australia, healthcare resumes usually do not include photos. In parts of the Gulf and Asia, some hospitals and recruiters ask for one, often for administrative or ID purposes.

Focus your healthcare resume on:

• Licences and registrations, with numbers and expiry dates as required by the regulator.
• Clinical experience, specialities and settings.
• Certifications such as BLS or ACLS, where relevant.

If a photo is requested, provide a professional one separately or in the application form.

Either works, as long as the photo is small, neatly aligned and consistent with the rest of the design. Circles feel softer and more modern; squares or rectangles look traditional and formal.

Tips:

• Make sure the crop does not cut off the top of your head or your chin awkwardly.
• Keep a little space around your face so it does not look cramped.
• Avoid thick coloured borders, shadows or decorative frames.

For conservative fields, a simple square or rectangular crop is the safest choice. Whatever shape you use, keep your name and contact details as real text beside the photo.

Not necessarily. Customer-facing employers care most about your results, communication skills and customer experience. A photo may be common or requested in some regions, such as parts of the Gulf and Asia, but in many countries it is not expected even for sales and service roles.

Better ways to show you are good with people:

• Achievements with customers, such as satisfaction scores, repeat business or targets met.
• Languages you speak.
• Examples of handling complaints or building relationships.

Example: "Handled 60 to 80 customer enquiries a day in English and Arabic, with consistently positive feedback in mystery-shopper visits."

Include a photo only where the employer or local practice expects it.

Use small, deliberate design choices and, above all, your content. A resume can feel personal and memorable without any image.

Design choices that add character:

• One accent colour you like, used for your name and headings.
• A clean font that suits your field, such as a classic serif or a modern sans serif.
• A clear professional title under your name.
• Thoughtful spacing that makes the page calm and easy to read.

Content that shows who you are:

• A summary written in your own natural voice.
• Specific achievements that reveal how you work.
• Relevant volunteer work, projects or interests.

Example summary: "Event coordinator who loves solving last-minute problems; delivered 40 corporate events in Dubai with no missed deadlines."

Not necessarily. Many job portals ask for a profile photo for your online account, but that does not mean the employer wants a photo on the CV file itself. Keep the two separate.

Practical approach:

• Upload a professional headshot to the portal if it asks, or leave it blank if optional.
• Keep your CV file photo-free unless the job advert specifically asks for a photo on the CV.
• Use the same professional photo across portals and LinkedIn for consistency.

This way, employers who want to see you can, while your CV stays clean and easy for software to read.

A plain, light, neutral background, such as white, light grey or soft blue. It keeps attention on your face and looks professional.

Avoid:

• Busy rooms, shelves or posters.
• Outdoor scenes, cars or holiday locations.
• Strong colours that clash with your clothing or the resume design.
• Blurred backgrounds created by phone filters, which can look artificial.

If you take the photo at home, stand about a metre in front of a plain wall, facing a window for even light, so there are no harsh shadows behind you.

A natural, relaxed smile usually works best. It makes you look approachable and confident, which suits most roles, especially customer-facing ones.

Tips:

• Aim for a gentle smile rather than a wide laugh or a serious stare.
• Look directly at the camera.
• Relax your shoulders and keep your head straight.

For very formal roles, a calm, pleasant expression is fine. Take several shots and choose the one that looks most like you on a good day at work.

Light editing is fine; heavy retouching is not. You can adjust brightness, contrast, cropping and remove a small blemish, but the photo should still look like you as you would appear at an interview.

Avoid:

• Beauty filters that smooth skin or change face shape.
• Changing hair colour, eye colour or body shape.
• Artistic effects, frames or stickers.

An interviewer who meets someone different from the photo may feel misled. A natural, well-lit photo is more professional than a heavily edited one.

Start with a clear, well-focused photo and resize it properly. Pixelation happens when a small image is stretched to a larger size, or when a photo is compressed too heavily.

Steps:

• Take the photo in good light with a decent camera or phone.
• Crop it to head and shoulders before inserting it.
• Resize it to roughly the size it will appear, rather than stretching a tiny image.
• Save it as a JPG with good quality settings, balancing sharpness and file size.

Check the final PDF at normal zoom and in print preview. If your face looks blurry, use a larger original image.

Use a head-and-shoulders headshot for almost every job. It is the standard for CVs where photos are used and keeps the photo small.

A full-length photo is only appropriate when the employer specifically asks for one, which happens occasionally for roles such as modelling, some cabin crew recruitment or performing arts. In those cases, send it separately as instructed rather than placing it on the CV page.

A large or full-length photo on the CV itself takes space from your experience and can look out of place in most industries.

No. Modern resume design is about clean layout, clear typography, white space and focused content, not photos. In fact, many current international resume styles leave photos out entirely.

If you want a modern look without a photo:

• Choose a simple single-column template with a contemporary font.
• Use one accent colour for your name and headings.
• Keep bullets short and results-focused.
• Leave generous margins.

Add a photo only if the employer or local practice expects it, not to make the design look fresher.

Usually not. Executive resumes in most international markets do not include photos; senior readers and executive search firms focus on leadership scope, results and strategic experience.

In regions where photos are customary, some executives include a small, high-quality professional headshot, often because executive profiles and board papers use one. If so:

• Use a professionally taken photo.
• Keep it small and discreet in the header.
• Make sure the rest of the design remains restrained.

A strong online profile, such as LinkedIn with a professional photo, often serves this purpose better.

As little as possible: usually two to four lines at the top of page one. The rest of the page should be used for your summary, experience and skills.

Ways to keep personal details compact:

• Put phone, email, location and LinkedIn on one line, separated by vertical bars.
• Add any regional details, such as visa status or notice period, on a second short line if you include them.
• Avoid separate lines with labels like "Phone:" for each item.

Example:
"Dubai, UAE | +971 55 123 4567 | omar.k@email.com | linkedin.com/in/omark"

If personal details take a quarter of the page, your experience starts too low.

Send your photo separately, or add it in the place the employer specifies. Many employers in regions where photos are common accept a photo uploaded through the application form or attached to an email.

Options:

• Upload the photo in the application form's photo field.
• Attach a separate, clearly named photo file to your email.
• Ask the recruiter how they prefer to receive it.
• If the employer insists on a photo on the CV page itself, copy your text from the builder into a word processor, add the photo there and save as PDF.

ResumeBuilder.ae does not support photos in the PDF, which keeps the text easy for ATS software to read. There is no Word export, but you can copy the text from the builder into a word processor.

Usually not, if your CV is clear and professional. Many Gulf employers are used to CVs from candidates of many nationalities with different styles. A CV without a photo or date of birth is common and acceptable.

That said, some details are useful to Gulf employers, such as your current location, visa status, nationality and notice period, so consider including those that help your application. Leave out details that are not needed, such as religion or family information.

If an employer needs more, they will ask in the application form or interview.

It is best not to for most jobs. An avatar or cartoon can look informal or gimmicky and does not serve the purpose of a photo, which is to show a professional image of you when one is requested.

It might work in a few creative fields, such as illustration, animation or game design, where your own artwork shows your skills. Even then, put it in your portfolio rather than on the resume, or keep it very small.

If no photo is required, simply leave the space out and use a strong typographic header.

Yes, if the employer wants a photo and you have a recent passport-style photo. Passport photos are plain, front-facing and on a neutral background, which suits a CV.

Tips:

• Use a clear digital copy, not a scan of the passport page itself.
• Never include your passport page, number or other document details.
• Check that the photo is recent and looks like you.

A passport-style photo can look stiff, so if you have time, a slightly more relaxed professional headshot with a natural smile is often better.

It can. Photos often print darker, grainier or with odd colours on office printers, especially in black and white. A photo that looks great on screen may look muddy on paper.

To check:

• Print a test copy in black and white.
• Make sure your face is still clear and not too dark.
• Brighten the photo slightly if it prints dark.

If you are bringing printed copies to an interview, use a good printer or leave the photo off the printed version. The interviewer will see you in person anyway.

Not always. Many recruitment agencies reformat CVs into their own template before sending them to clients, and they may remove photos and some personal details. Practices vary between agencies and clients.

What this means for you:

• Make sure your CV is complete and convincing without a photo.
• If a client requires a photo, the agency will usually ask for one separately.
• Keep your contact details and experience in plain text so they transfer easily.

Ask the recruiter if you are unsure how they present candidate CVs.

No. If you include a photo at all, it belongs only on page one, next to your name. Repeating it on page two wastes space and looks odd.

Page two only needs a small footer or header with your name and page number, so pages can be matched if printed. Keep the design of page two the same as page one in fonts and headings, just without the photo and full contact block.

No. Remote employers, who may be based in any country, generally follow the same practices as on-site employers in their home market, which in many cases means no photo. Remote roles focus heavily on skills, communication and results.

What helps more for remote applications:

• Evidence of remote or distributed teamwork.
• Tools you use, such as collaboration and project management software.
• Clear time zone and availability information.

Example: "Coordinated a five-person support team across three time zones using Slack and Jira."

A professional LinkedIn profile with a photo is enough if employers want to put a face to your name.

If a photo is mandatory, you usually have to provide one to complete that application. If it is optional, you can leave it out without penalty in most cases.

Options:

• Check whether the field is truly required or only suggested.
• Contact the recruiter and ask whether the application can proceed without a photo.
• Provide a professional headshot if you decide to continue.

Your decision is personal. In some countries, anti-discrimination rules mean employers should not make decisions based on appearance-related characteristics, but rules and practices differ. Focus on employers whose processes you are comfortable with.