Pakistani employers, from banks and multinationals to schools and government departments, often expect a few details that are not common in Western CVs. Using the right format shows you understand local expectations and helps you get shortlisted.
The standard order
- Name, job title and contact details (with photo if requested)
- Profile or career objective
- Work experience (latest first)
- Education (latest first)
- Skills and computer skills
- Certifications and trainings
- Languages
- Personal information (optional)
- References
Fresh graduates can place Education before experience. The Graduate template does this automatically.
Personal details: what to include
| Detail | Include? |
|---|---|
| Full name, phone, email, city | Always |
| Professional photo | Common, especially for banking, sales, aviation and customer-facing roles |
| CNIC number | Only for government jobs or when the advert asks for it |
| Date of birth | Optional; often requested for government and armed-forces related posts |
| Father’s name, marital status, religion | Usually not needed; add only if the advert asks |
| Domicile | Only for government jobs with provincial quotas |
Photo tips
- Recent, clear, passport-style photo with a plain light background
- Formal or business-casual clothes
- Face centred and well lit, no filters or selfies
- Crop it to a circle or square in the builder
Education: write it clearly
Write degree names in full and add grades when they are good. Matric and Intermediate can be included for fresh graduates and for government jobs; experienced professionals can keep only their university degrees.
BS Computer Science – COMSATS University Islamabad (2019–2023), CGPA 3.4/4.0
FSc Pre-Engineering – Punjab Group of Colleges (2017–2019), 86%
Experience and skills
Pakistani recruiters increasingly look for results, not just job titles. Mention targets achieved, customers served, projects delivered and tools used (MS Excel, SAP, QuickBooks, AutoCAD, social media tools). Add computer skills and typing speed for office roles.
Languages
Mention English and Urdu with your level, plus regional languages such as Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi or Balochi. Many employers value regional languages for sales and customer roles.
References
Writing “References available on request” is acceptable for most private jobs. For government and teaching jobs, list two references with name, designation, organisation and phone number. Always ask your referees first.
Length and file
Keep it to one or two pages, use a clean template and send it as a PDF named like Ali-Khan-CV.pdf. For overseas jobs (Gulf, Europe, UK) adjust the personal details to that country’s style.
Make a Pakistan-style CV now →
Keep reading
Founder of HAYAQR, HayaConverter and HayaCV. Builds free, privacy-first tools that help people in Pakistan and beyond work smarter.