Last week, we covered the rules of a global remote CV: no photos, no full addresses, and keeping it concise. (If you missed Part 1, [read it here]).
But knowing the rules is different from playing the game.
This month, I looked at dozens of CVs from talented Egyptian developers, marketers, and support pros. The sad truth? Most of you are underselling yourselves.
You have the skills. You have the experience. But your document is telling a boring story.
Here are the 3 most common “deal-breakers” I see in Egyptian CVs, and exactly how to fix them.
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This is the #1 mistake. Most CVs I review look like this:
Senior Developer | EgyTalent
Responsible for writing code in React.
Attended daily meetings.
Fixed bugs.
The Problem:
This tells me what you were assigned to do, not what you actually achieved. A recruiter in the US doesn’t care that you “attended meetings.” They care about the value you added.
The Fix:
Switch from Responsibilities to Impact.
Senior Developer | EgyTalent
Reduced page load time by 40% by refactoring legacy React code.
Led a team of 4 juniors to deliver the project 2 weeks ahead of schedule.
Solved a critical database bug that was costing the company $1,000/day.
See the difference? One sounds like an employee; the other sounds like an asset.
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I see so many beautiful, colorful CVs with two columns, skill bars (e.g., “90% English”), and fancy icons.
The Problem:
ATS Robots Hate It: Those fancy layouts confuse the automated scanners used by big remote companies. They often can’t read the text inside the columns. I will cover more about ATS limitations in future posts.
It Looks Junior: Senior professionals usually have clean, text-based, black-and-white CVs. Over-designing can sometimes signal that you are compensating for a lack of experience.
The Fix:
Boring is better (keep your wow factors for the interview). Use a standard, single-column layout. Let your words do the heavy lifting, not the colors.
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Egyptian culture is humble. We don’t like to brag. But in the remote job market, humility is invisible.
The Problem:
I see too many phrases like:
“Helped with…”
“Was part of a team that…”
“Worked on…”
The Fix:
Own your success. Use “Power Verbs.”
“Helped with marketing,” > “Executed marketing campaigns…”
“Was part of the sales team,” > “Generated $10k in sales…”
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I often see candidates who have diverse skills. Maybe you do Customer Support, but you also know some Graphic Design, and you dabbled in Social Media.
So, you put everything on one CV and apply to all three types of jobs.
The Problem:
When you try to speak to everyone, you talk to no one. If a recruiter is hiring a Customer Support Specialist, they want to see “Tickets Resolved,” “CSAT Scores,” and “Zendesk experience.” If they see “Logo Design” and “Facebook Ads” at the top of your CV, they get confused. They think, “Is this person a designer who is just settling for support?”
Confusion leads to rejection.
The Fix:
Create specific versions of your CV for specific roles.
Version A (The Support Pro): Highlights only your communication skills and support history. Mentions design only as a “bonus” soft skill at the bottom.
Version B (The Designer): Highlights your portfolio and tools. Hides the irrelevant call center experience or minimizes it.
Do not be a “Jack of all trades” on paper. Be the specialist they are looking for.
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You can read all the blog posts in the world, but spotting these mistakes in your own writing is incredibly hard. We are often “blind” to our own errors.
If you have applied to 20+ jobs and haven’t heard back, the problem isn’t your skill; it’s your translation of that skill onto paper. Maybe you have an HR friend who can audit your CV, but if you don’t, then hiring professional help is the way to go.
