How Dubai schools help students build university-ready CVs

Some schools in Dubai are training their senior-year students to document their experiences — in what is often known as ‘brag sheets' — to craft impressive CVs by the time they finish school.

This is done to eliminate the guesswork involved in reflecting on past internships when applying for university in Grade 12. As they approach high school or apply for internships, scholarships, or college, having a well-organised summary of their activities, achievements, and skills can be advantageous.

Matthew James, vice-principal and head of Post-16 atGEMS Wellington Academy -- Silicon Oasis (WSO), told Khaleej Times: “Through individual and class workshops, all students are provided guidance on CV writing, careers, and university applications. While careers education is available in various forms throughout the school, it definitely becomes a key part when accessing our Post-16 offering. We have two guidance counsellors on site who work with students on careers, university, applications, and personal statements – and CV writing is certainly part of that.”

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Highlight achievements

The exercise starts early in Year 12 as part of students’ Post-16 induction where they are shown good examples of CVs and encouraged to begin drafting their own.

James noted: “As students mature, and their experiences multiply, the CV naturally becomes a fuller document and a key skill then becomes refining what goes into a CV. We encourage students to keep ‘brag sheets’ that students complete during their time at school.

"These sheets include all the highlights and successes that students achieve throughout their time with us. They are great for helping students build content for their CVs and personal statements, but they also double up as a useful aid for teachers writing references,” he added.

Educators also stressed that documenting skills and experiences help children recognize their strengths and interests.

They pointed out by documenting their experiences as they occur students ensure the accuracy and completeness of their CVs, making their applications more robust.

Document experiences

Secondary IB Digital Design Teacher at Swiss International School Dubai (SISD), Abdulaziz Ahmed said, “We encourage our students to document all their experiences from grade 9 onwards. This includes achievements in school, internships, sporting accomplishments, and any work experience. Utilising the Unifrog online platform, students can log each experience in real-time.”

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