Applying for an internship in Saudi Arabia often requires an English CV, especially for roles in multinational companies, startups, or even government entities that use English as a working language. But writing a strong English CV is not just about translating your Arabic version word-for-word. You need to adapt the format, vocabulary, and structure to meet local and international expectations.
Start with a clear professional summary that states your university, major, GPA (if strong), and what kind of internship you are seeking. Avoid generic phrases like 'I am a hardworking student.' Instead, write: 'Third-year Computer Science student at King Saud University (GPA 3.8/4.0) seeking a summer internship in software development to apply Python and data analysis skills.' This instantly tells recruiters who you are and what you want.
Use strong action verbs to describe your academic projects, volunteer work, or previous experience. For example, instead of 'I was responsible for organizing events,' write 'Coordinated three university workshops with 200+ attendees.' Quantify achievements whenever possible – numbers make your CV concrete and impressive. Even a simple term project becomes powerful when you say 'Developed a student registration system that reduced manual entry errors by 30%.'
Pay attention to ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). Many Saudi companies and HR departments use software to filter CVs before human eyes see them. To pass ATS, include keywords from the internship job description naturally in your CV. For instance, if the role requires 'data entry,' mention 'data entry' exactly as written. Also avoid complex tables, images, or fancy fonts that ATS cannot read. Stick to a clean, chronological format with standard section headings like 'Education,' 'Skills,' and 'Experience.'
A common mistake among Saudi students is directly translating Arabic expressions into English. Phrases like 'I have good communication skills with others' or 'I can work under pressure' sound awkward and cliché. Instead, say 'Collaborated with a team of five to deliver a project ahead of deadline' or 'Managed multiple assignment deadlines during exam period.' Show your skills through examples, not labels.
Another critical point is your email address and contact details. Use a professional email – preferably your university email or a simple Gmail based on your name (e.g., fahad.alqahtani@gmail.com). Avoid nicknames, numbers that look like birth years, or anything unprofessional. Also include your phone number with the correct country code (+966) and make sure your LinkedIn profile (if you have one) is updated and matches your CV.
Finally, keep your English CV to one page for internships. Saudi recruiters expect conciseness. Use 10-12 pt font, consistent spacing, and save as a PDF to preserve formatting. Before sending, test your CV against an ATS simulator or ask a friend in English to review it. Many Saudi students have successfully landed internships using the CV Builder at cv.thejundi.com, which guides you through each step and ensures your CV is optimized for both ATS and human reviewers.