Published in: Career Opportunities

Standards for Resumes in Egypt

Author Proresumes Team

Published on: May 4, 2026

Spotted a good opportunity to work in Egypt?

Read this guide and learn what works best for Egyptian resumes and CVs in 2026.

Document Name Used in Egypt

The job applicants in Egypt use two different terms for referring to their application documents, such as CV and resume. The word CV is an abbreviated form of the word ‘curriculum vitae’, which is derived from the Latin terminology.

The word means ‘the course of a person’s life’ as its literal translation. This is why it is used for job applications since they explain the journey of an applicant’s career.

Meanwhile, the French word ‘résumé’ is also used by the applicants, but not as much as the word CV. However, it is significant to note that the Egyptian CVs are like the UK CVs, which are used for job applications.

Regional resume standards for applicants residing in Egypt

Egypt is situated in the Middle East region. The country has marked its territories in Africa and some of the Asian regions. This explains why it follows the resume standards followed by both regions, which include the following:

Resume Length

The length of the resumes in Egypt is ideally preferred to be between one to two pages. However, many applicants also use up to three resume pages to provide all relevant career details.

Moreover, the pages for the job application are often decided according to the applicant’s experience of an applicant. One-page resumes are mostly used by applicants who don’t have much work experience, such as students or freshers.

However, experienced applicants like managers, freelancers, leaders, and more can use two or even three-page resumes. Unlike the recruiters in the US, the Egyptian hiring managers want details of the applicant’s career.

Paper Size

The standard paper size which is utilized by the African and Asian countries is the German standard A4. This paper size belongs to the German A series of paper sizes and is also standardized by ISO.

This paper size is utilized in many regions for resumes because of the following reasons:

• It is spacious to cover significant details on a single page.
• It can be shared with employers easily through digital devices.
• It can be printed at any stationery or printing store easily.

Apart from this, the resumes in Egypt should have the following dimensions according to different measurement scales:

• Pixels: 1240 x 1754 (150 DPI)
• Centimeters: 21 x 29.7
• Inches: 8.27 x 11.69
• Millimeters: 210 x 297

Resume Format

The resume formats that are used for creating CVs or resumes in Egypt are the following:

Functional: This format is rarely used by the Egyptians for resumes since it is used when the applicant has no experience. Applicants like students or entry-level professionals can use this format to highlight their key stills instead of experience.

Reverse-chronological: This is the most used format for job application documents by Egyptian applicants. However, it is used by the applicants who have relevant experience to share with the hiring manager. Moreover, this format is easy to scan for humans and automated software.

Combination: It mixes the chronological and functional formats. Moreover, it is used by those applicants who are at the middle or higher stages of their career journey. It focuses on two things of the applicants, such as the following:

• Key competencies
• Work experience

What are the primary languages for resume writing in Egypt?

The Egyptians use the following languages as their primary language for resume writing:

Arabic

This language is mostly used by the candidates when applying to the following kind of jobs:

1. Roles that demand constant interaction with the local public.
2. Jobs in the public sector of the Egyptian industry.
3. Government-level work opportunities and positions.

However, as a foreign candidate, one must avoid any kind of direct translation from other languages. Moreover, it is better to receive help from a language expert or a native Arabic speaker.

British English

The UK English is preferred by the Egyptians for writing the resume content. Moreover, it is used by applicants while creating job applications to submit in the following roles and industries:

• Tourism sector
• Business and corporate roles
• Banking and Finance
• Information technology
• Multinational corporations
• Engineering sector

The American variety of English is also preferred by some employers, but it is quite rare. Most recruiters prefer the use of UK spellings, terminology, tone, and grammar conventions in Egyptian resumes.

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Are profile pictures required in the Egyptian CV or resume?

The profile photo of an applicant in Egypt is generally required. It is especially requested by recruiters if a candidate has applied for a public or local sector job.

Moreover, the requirement for photo inclusion in the CV or resume depends on the target industry. If a candidate doesn’t work in an industry that gives preference to appearance, then they can avoid the photo.

However, many hiring managers go by the norm in some industries and require photos regardless of industry demands. The best thing an applicant can do is to confirm all the requirements for the job application before working on one.

Moreover, the applicants who are expected to include their profile picture in the resume must know the following rules:

1. The profile picture should always be added to an application instead of working against it.
2. The applicants should strictly avoid the use of glittery clothes, excessive makeup, filters, or image editing.
3. The background of the profile photo of the applicant should be decluttered and neutral.
4. The expressions of the applicant should be approachable yet formal at the same time.
5. The picture should be in passport-size format to save the resume space.
6. The applicant should always dress up in appropriate and formal clothes in dark colors.

Guidelines related to the references section in a resume in Egypt

The references section is not included directly within the resumes or CVs by Egyptian applicants. However, they mostly include the  “references available upon request” in their resumes as common practice.

However, this might not be necessary when one is applying for a job in the private sector or a multinational firm. Apart from this, the applicants should prepare a reference list along with the job application.

This document can be submitted upon the hiring manager’s request. Moreover, it should include the following details of every given reference of the job applicant:

• Full name of the referee.
• Profession of the referee.
• Phone number of the referee.
• Email address of the referee.
• Professional affiliation with applicant.

Note: It is important to ask for the permission of every referee before adding their contact details to your references list.

Main parts for creating a resume or CV in Egypt

Here’s a list of the main parts of a resume in Egypt, including the essential and additional ones:

Contact and Personal Information

The first section includes the following essential details:

• Full name of the applicant
• Contact details, including number and email address
• City of Residence

Here’s a list of some optional details that should be included in your Egyptian resume according to the recruiter’s requirements:

• Professional headshot
• Portfolio link
• LinkedIn profile
• Date of Birth
• Marital Status
• Nationality

Professional Summary

The personal statement or the professional summary of the Egyptian resumes works as the elevator pitch and includes the following:

• Key skills of the applicant
• Main achievement during work experience.
• Future goals regarding career
• Years of experience in the industry

Education

The education section of the Egyptian CVs is designed chronologically and includes the following details:

• Degree name
• Institute name
• Years attended
• GPA or percentage (Only if more than average numbers)
• Relevant coursework (for recent graduates)
• Academic awards
• Professional certifications

Work Experience

The work history section of Egyptian job applications includes the following details with every experience in reverse-chronological order:

• Company name
• Company location
• Job position or title
• Main responsibilities during each experience
• Key achievements during each experience
• Internships or volunteer work experience (optional)
• Military service experience (optional)

Additional Sections

The extra sections that are often included in CVs or resumes in Egypt are the following:

• Skills
• Language proficiency
• Hobbies
• Certifications

How to refine your resume or CV in Egypt according to current standards?

Following is a list of tips to refine your application according to current resume guidelines in Egypt:

1. The applicants should avoid the inclusion of irrelevant or outdated experience in their resumes.
2. Avoid the use of any kind of extremely creative design while applying for jobs in the corporate sector.
3. The applicants should avoid the inclusion of personal details like religion, parents’ names, or home address.
4. The irrelevant hobbies of the applicant should not be a part of the document.
5. Avoid the use of a one-size-fits-all resume template while working on your application.
6. The fonts utilized in the resume should be consistent and ATS-friendly.

Explore the standards followed by your country to craft a resume through ProResumes blogs.