Personal details on a resume – Page 2

Write it in the Latin alphabet in the same way as on your passport, and keep the same spelling across all your applications.

Tips:

• Use your passport spelling to avoid confusion during visa or background checks.
• If you also apply in Arabic, Hindi or another script, keep both versions consistent.
• Add a preferred short name in brackets if people often struggle with your full name.

Example: "Abdulrahman Al Qasimi" in an English resume, and the Arabic spelling in an Arabic resume. ResumeBuilder.ae supports resumes in Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam, among other languages, if you need a version in that script.

Gulf resumes often include more personal details than Western ones, but you should still share only what helps the employer and never include ID numbers.

Common on Gulf resumes:

• Full name, phone with country code, email, city and country.
• Nationality, because it relates to visa processes.
• Visa status and whether it is transferable.
• Notice period or availability to join.
• Driving licence, if relevant.

Optional or less needed today:

• Date of birth, marital status and photo. Some candidates include them by habit, but many employers do not require them.

Never include:

• Passport, Emirates ID, Iqama or visa numbers.
• Bank details.

If a job advert asks for specific details, follow it. ResumeBuilder.ae includes optional fields for nationality, work authorisation or visa status, driving licence and notice period, and no date-of-birth field.

Name, phone number, email, city and province, and optional professional links. Canada's Job Bank advises leaving out age, height, weight, marital status, religion and political views, and not adding a photo.

Never include:

• Your Social Insurance Number.
• Passport or ID numbers.
• Bank details.

If you are new to Canada, you may want to state your work authorisation briefly, for example "Open work permit holder" or "Permanent resident", if it helps employers. Keep the rest of the header simple.

Your name, phone, email, suburb or city and state, and optional links. Personal details such as age, marital status, religion and nationality are not expected.

In Australia, discrimination in employment is covered on grounds including age, disability, marital status, nationality, political opinion, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation. Leaving those details off your resume keeps the focus on your skills.

If your visa status affects your eligibility, add a short line such as "Full working rights in Australia" or "Temporary Graduate visa holder". Never include passport or tax file numbers.

Traditionally, many German CVs (Lebenslauf) included a photo, date of birth and other personal details, and some candidates still include them. They are not required.

Germany's General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) prohibits discrimination on grounds such as age, gender, religion, ethnic origin, disability and sexual orientation in recruitment and selection. Because of this, many employers no longer expect a photo or age, and some encourage applications without them.

Practical approach:

• Include name, contact details and city.
• Decide for yourself whether to add a photo or date of birth.
• Follow any instructions in the job advert.

Indian resumes traditionally included a "Personal Details" section with date of birth, gender, marital status, father's name, languages and address. Many modern Indian resumes now keep this short.

A sensible modern approach:

• Header: name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn.
• Optional at the end: languages known, and notice period.
• Leave out: father's name, caste, religion, marital status and ID numbers such as Aadhaar or PAN.

Some employers and government jobs have their own forms that ask for more details; complete those as instructed. Your resume itself does not need them.

Only if you have useful details that do not fit in the header, such as languages, driving licence, visa status or notice period. Keep it short.

Example:
"Additional Information
Visa status: UAE residence visa (transferable)
Driving licence: UAE light vehicle
Notice period: 30 days"

Avoid filling this section with date of birth, marital status, religion or ID numbers. In many countries, a resume with only contact details in the header and no separate personal section is completely normal.

No. A resume is not the place to disclose criminal records. If an employer asks about convictions, answer honestly on the application form or in the process they use.

Points to know:

• Rules about which convictions must be disclosed, and when, differ by country and type of job.
• Some roles, such as those involving children or finance, involve formal background checks.
• In Australia, criminal record is among the grounds of workplace discrimination the human rights body covers.

If you are unsure what you must disclose, check official guidance in your country or speak to a legal adviser. Do not lie if asked directly.

Be careful. Genuine employers sometimes need passport details for visa processing, but usually after an offer. A request at the very start, especially with pressure or fees, can be a scam.

Check before sharing:

• Is the company real, with a working website and official email domain?
• Did you apply for a real job advert?
• Are they asking for money, bank details or payment for a visa?

If you decide to share a copy, add a watermark such as "For [Company name] job application only" and send it through a secure route. Never send passport details to personal email addresses or messaging accounts that cannot be verified.

Share only the contact details you need, and remove anything sensitive before uploading your resume to public or semi-public sites.

Steps:

• Use your city instead of your full address.
• Use a job-search email address.
• Remove date of birth, ID numbers and other unnecessary personal data.
• Check privacy settings on each job board; some let you hide contact details from public search.
• Delete old resumes from sites you no longer use.

Be wary of anyone who contacts you asking for money or sensitive documents. Your resume should help employers contact you, not expose you to fraud.

Yes. In ResumeBuilder.ae, resumes are private: they are not public web pages, they are blocked from search engines and resume content is not sold.

Things to know:

• Guest resumes are saved against a private key in that browser. Clearing site data or switching device loses access unless you log in or download a backup ("Download all my resumes (JSON)" in My resumes).
• You can delete one or all resumes in My resumes, or email support@jobb.ae.
• The PDF is generated in your browser.

Whatever tool you use, keep sensitive details such as ID or passport numbers off your resume, because the PDF will be shared with employers.

Put them at the top of the page in the main body, not inside a document header or footer area. Some applicant tracking systems may not read text placed in headers and footers reliably.

Good practice:

• Name in larger text at the top.
• Contact details on one or two lines below it.
• Plain text, not inside images, icons only or text boxes.

Example:
"Aisha Rahman
Marketing Coordinator
Abu Dhabi, UAE | +971 50 123 4567 | aisha.rahman@example.com | linkedin.com/in/aisharahman"

Resume builders usually place contact details correctly by default; check the copied text of your PDF to be sure.

Show your current location and add your plan to move, so employers understand your situation.

Examples:

• "Mumbai, India (relocating to Dubai, April 2027)"
• "Cairo, Egypt | Open to relocation to the GCC"
• "London, UK | Available to relocate for the right role"

Only mention a move date if it is realistic. If you will need a visa to work in the new country, it is fair to say so later in the process, or to note it if the employer asks. Being clear upfront avoids wasted time on both sides.

Yes, at least your city and country, or your time zone. Remote employers often have rules about where they can hire, and time zones affect collaboration.

Examples:

• "Remote, based in Lahore, Pakistan (GMT+5)"
• "Manila, Philippines | Available for UK and EU hours"

Leaving location out entirely can make employers suspicious or cause them to skip your application if they cannot tell whether you are eligible. Be honest about where you live and the hours you can work.

Only where it is commonly expected or relevant. In some countries, such as Egypt, employers often ask male applicants about military service status, so candidates there may include a short line.

Example: "Military status: Completed" or "Exempted".

In most other countries, military service is not a personal detail but can be listed as experience if relevant, for example as a veteran with leadership or logistics skills. If you include it, describe it like a job with relevant achievements.

No. Use your personal contact details. Your current employer may have access to your work email and phone, and you will lose access if you leave.

Also avoid:

• Applying during working hours from a work computer, if your employer monitors it.
• Using a company phone that may be returned or reassigned.

A dedicated personal email for job hunting keeps everything organised and private.

Use your current name on your resume. If your references, certificates or past employers know you by your previous name, mention it where it helps verification.

Options:

• "Priya Sharma (formerly Priya Iyer)" in your header, if useful.
• Note your previous name on your reference list or application form instead.

Employers may need your previous name for background checks or to match certificates. Many application forms have a field for previous names. Keep the information accurate and consistent.

Only if employers in your region commonly use them and you are comfortable being contacted that way. In some markets, recruiters often message candidates on WhatsApp.

Examples:

• "+971 50 123 4567 (call or WhatsApp)"

Avoid listing several messaging apps or usernames that look informal. Your phone number and email are enough for most applications. Make sure any profile name and photo on messaging apps look professional.

Yes, if your profile is up to date and consistent with your resume. It gives employers more detail and recommendations.

Tips:

• Use a short custom URL, such as "linkedin.com/in/yourname".
• Make sure job titles and dates match your resume.
• Remove any personal information from your profile that you would not put on your resume.

If your profile is incomplete or outdated, update it first or leave the link out. Other professional links, such as a portfolio or GitHub, can also go in your contact line when relevant.

Yes. You can complete the form as the employer requests and still keep your resume free of unnecessary personal details.

Points to know:

• Forms sometimes collect data separately from the selection process, such as for monitoring or HR records.
• If you are unsure why personal information is requested, you can ask the employer.

Your resume is often shared more widely than form data, so keeping it lean protects your privacy. ResumeBuilder.ae has no date-of-birth field, so your PDF will not include one unless you add it in a custom section.

Leave out your date of birth, consider removing old graduation dates, and focus your resume on recent, relevant experience.

Practical steps:

• Do not include age, date of birth or a photo.
• Show the last 10 to 15 years of experience in detail and summarise earlier roles.
• Remove graduation years for degrees completed long ago.
• Use a modern email provider and keep links current.

In the US, hiring decisions must not be based on age for people 40 and over. In the UK, age is a protected characteristic. These steps simply keep the focus on what you can do now.

It can help in some cases, because certain jobs have minimum age rules, but it is not required. Many young applicants simply list their school and expected graduation year, which shows their stage.

Options:

• Leave age out and let your education section show you are a student.
• Mention availability that fits your situation, such as "Available weekends and school holidays".

If an employer needs to confirm your age for legal reasons, they will ask. Never include ID numbers to prove age on a resume.

You can leave it out. Nationality is rarely needed on a resume, except where employers commonly use it to understand visa needs, such as in the Gulf.

Alternatives:

• State work authorisation instead: "UAE residence visa, transferable" or "Eligible to work in the UK".
• Mention languages, which may be more useful than nationality.

In the UK, nationality is part of the protected characteristic of race, and in the US, national origin is protected. Leaving it off where it is not required keeps attention on your skills.

In ResumeBuilder.ae, fill in the personal details: full name, professional title, email, phone (with country code), city, region and country, and any links. Optional fields cover nationality, work authorisation or visa status, driving licence and notice period.

Tips:

• Fill in only the optional fields that help with the job you want.
• There is no date-of-birth field, and photos are not supported in the PDF.
• Before payment, a checklist flags missing contact details, leftover sample text and bracketed prompts. It warns but does not block.

Never add ID, passport or bank numbers in a custom section; employers do not need them on a resume.

Usually no. Your city and country are enough. A PO Box can be useful in places where it is the normal postal address, but employers rarely send post during hiring.

When to include more detail:

• An application form asks for a full address.
• The role is very local and the employer wants to know which area you live in.

Otherwise, keep it short: "Dubai, UAE" is clearer and protects your privacy.