Your CV isn't getting you interviews for Dubai, Singapore or Sydney jobs. Here's why.

The CV you used to apply for UK graduate schemes is almost certainly the wrong CV for international applications. Not slightly wrong, but structurally wrong in ways that signal to international hiring managers that you haven't thought seriously about the move.

The good news: every problem is fixable, and fixing them changes your response rate materially. Here is what the problems actually are.

Problem 1: the format is wrong for international markets

UK graduate CVs are one page. International CVs, particularly for Dubai, Singapore, and Australia, are typically two pages with more contextual detail per role. A one-page CV sent to a Dubai bank or Singapore consulting firm reads as rushed, not concise. The expectation is different, and sending a document that violates local norms is an early signal that you haven't done your research.

Specific format differences by market:

• Dubai: two pages standard for professional roles. Some Gulf employers also expect a passport-style photo on the CV (though this is changing in more internationally-facing DIFC firms).
• Singapore: two pages, formal layout, qualifications and education given more prominence than in UK CVs.
• Australia: two to three pages expected. Australians tend to be more narrative in their CVs, using short paragraphs explaining roles rather than bullet-only formats.