Modern CV & Interview Tips to Get Hired

You’ve sent out dozens of CVs, but all you hear back is silence. It’s one of the most frustrating experiences. The hard truth is, in today’s competitive market, a simple Word document isn’t enough. You’re not just competing with other people; you’re competing with robots. This isn’t just another list of tips. This is your digital toolkit. We’re showing you the essential free and low-cost tools that will make your CV stand out, help you ace the interview, and give you the advantage you need to get hired.

Part 1: Your CV & Resume Toolkit (Beating the Robots)

Tool 1: Canva – For Modern Design

• The Problem It Solves: Your CV looks boring and outdated, identical to everyone else’s.
• The Solution: Use Canva’s library of free, professional, and modern CV templates. In seconds, you can create a visually clean document that immediately catches a recruiter’s eye. A well-designed CV suggests you are modern, professional, and have high attention to detail, even before they read a single word.

Tool 2: Jobscan – The ATS “Secret Weapon”

• The Problem It Solves: Most large companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These are robots that scan your CV for specific keywords from the job description. If your CV doesn’t have the right keywords, it is automatically rejected before a human ever sees it.
• The Solution: Use Jobscan’s free scanner before you apply. Copy the text from your CV and paste it in one box, then copy and paste the job description in the other. The tool shows you exactly which keywords and skills are missing. Adding these to your CV is the single best way to beat the robots and get your application seen.

Tool 3: Grammarly – The “No Excuses” Proofreader

• The Problem It Solves: Small spelling or grammar mistakes that make you look unprofessional and careless.
• The Solution: Use Grammarly’s free browser extension or its online editor. It will catch almost every error in your CV, cover letter, and application emails. A single typo can be the reason a hiring manager discards your application. In 2025, there is no excuse for a spelling mistake.

Part 2: Your Interview Toolkit (Building Confidence)

Tool 4: Glassdoor – The “Insider Info” Source

• The Problem It Solves: You go into an interview blind, with no idea what questions the company will ask.
• The Solution: A few days before your interview, go to the company’s page on Glassdoor and click on the “Interviews” section. Here you can often see the exact questions that other candidates were asked for the very same role. This gives you a massive head start and allows you to prepare your answers in advance.

Tool 5: Google Meet / Zoom – The Practice Arena

• The Problem It Solves: You feel nervous and unprepared for online video interviews, which are now standard.
• The Solution: Do not wait for the real interview to be on camera for the first time. Schedule a practice interview with a friend using Google Meet or Zoom and use the “record” feature. Watching the recording of yourself is the fastest way to spot and fix mistakes, such as looking away from the camera, fidgeting with your hands, or using filler words like “um” and “like.”

Tool 6: ChatGPT – The “Perfect Answer” Generator

• The Problem It Solves: You struggle to find the right words for tough questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What is your biggest weakness?”
• The Solution: Use ChatGPT as your personal interview coach. Give it a specific prompt. For example: “Help me answer the interview question ‘What is your biggest weakness?’ for a job as a marketing manager. My real weakness is that I get impatient with slow-moving projects, but I want to frame it positively.” The tool will provide a well-structured, professional answer that you can practice and adapt into your own words.

Conclusion

Getting hired is a game of preparation. The person who prepares the most, wins. This toolkit gives you the resources to out-prepare your competition at every step of the process.

Once you’ve landed the job, the next step is to climb the ladder. Learn about the qualifications that can take you to the top with our guide: These 5 Professional Certifications Are a Shortcut to the Highest Salaries in the Gulf.