🇪🇬How to Write a CV for Jobs in Egypt

In-depth guide

Whether you are applying in Cairo, Alexandria or anywhere else in Egypt, your CV is the first thing an employer sees. The Egyptian market shares most international CV conventions, but there are a few local details that can make a real difference. Get them right and your CV feels familiar to recruiters; miss them and it may be set aside without a call.

Arabic or English CV?

The short answer: English, in most cases. Multinationals, banks, telecoms, IT companies and many large Egyptian firms expect an English CV even when the daily work is in Arabic. An Arabic CV is mainly useful for some government bodies, Arabic-language schools, or smaller companies that explicitly ask for one in the job ad.

Keep a strong English version as your main CV. If you need an Arabic version, make it an accurate translation of the same content, adding and removing nothing. Our CV translator can help you switch between the two, but always review the result yourself.

Personal details Egyptian employers ask about

An Egyptian CV often includes a few details you would not see on a European or American one. That is normal:

• Military status: for male candidates this is one of the first things many employers check. Common wording is Completed, Exempted or Postponed. State your actual status exactly.
• City: list your city and district only (for example, Nasr City, Cairo). Commute distance matters to many employers, but a full street address is unnecessary.
• Phone number with country code: +20 followed by your number, ideally one that also works on WhatsApp.
• Photo: optional. If you include one, use a professional headshot on a plain background. For multinationals and ATS-based applications, leaving it out is usually safer.
• Date of birth and marital status: not required and increasingly omitted. Include them only if the ad asks.

A section order that works in Egypt

1. Name, target job title and contact details.
2. Professional summary of two or three lines.
3. Experience, most recent first.
4. Education: university, faculty, major, graduation year, and grade if it helps you.
5. Skills and languages.
6. Courses and certifications.
7. Personal details: military status and anything else the employer requests.

Fresh graduates should move education, internships and the graduation project above experience. See our fresh graduate CV example for this layout in practice.

Write a summary aimed at the job

Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. Keep it focused on the role you are applying for: years of experience, your field and your strongest selling point. An example for an accountant in Cairo:

The second version could belong to anyone, so it tells the employer nothing about you.

The same applies to experience bullets: start each with a strong verb and add a real result when you have a number you can back up. Instead of "Responsible for invoices", write something like "Processed supplier invoices and reconciled vendor accounts monthly". If there is no number, a clear, specific task beats an invented figure every time.

Egyptian job sites and how to use them

• Wuzzuf: one of the best-known job boards in Egypt. Complete your profile fully and upload your CV as a PDF.
• LinkedIn: essential for large companies and multinationals. Make sure job titles and dates match your CV exactly.
• Forasna: useful for sales, customer service and entry-level roles.
• Company career pages: many employers post openings on their own websites with an online application system.

One important habit: do not send an identical CV to every job. Adjust your summary and skills to each ad.

ATS at large employers

Large companies in Egypt, especially banks and multinationals, use applicant tracking systems that filter CVs before a person reads them. To get through:

• Use a single-column layout with no complex tables or text inside images.
• Use standard section headings such as Experience, Education and Skills.
• Include the important keywords from the ad, but only for skills you genuinely have.
• Send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Run your file through the CV checker to catch layout and section problems, and use the job matcher to compare your CV with a specific ad and spot missing keywords.

Common mistakes on Egyptian CVs

• Do not list skills you do not have just because the ad mentions them. You will be asked about them in the interview.
• Skip "References available upon request"; it is assumed and wastes space.
• Proofread your English carefully. Spelling mistakes suggest a lack of attention to detail.

Start now

The easiest way to begin is with a ready template that you fill in step by step. Open the free CV builder, or browse CV examples by job and pick the one closest to your field. If you are also applying abroad, read our guides to CVs for Saudi Arabia and CVs for the UAE.