Reverse chronological v functional CV

Which is the best format for CV writing?

Which is best, reverse chronological v functional CV? Most CVs are ‘reverse chronological’ where the focus of the CV is on your work history, starting with the most recent occupation and working backwards from there. This works fine if you’re staying in the same  industry or environment, as your achievements will be highlighted under each job. There is less focus on the skills as it will be implicit in your achievements (in most cases) that you’ve got these.

But what if I’m looking to change career and move into something new?

This is when a functional CV may work best. A functional CV highlights particular skills or competencies rather than work history. We select (usually four) of the required skills or competencies required for the prospective job. This could be ‘sales’, ‘strategic thinking’, ‘customer focus’ etc. and then under each heading we use examples of how these have been demonstrated. The advantage to this is that it  shows clearly that you’ve got what it takes. You also don’t have to restrict yourself to work based examples. They all count.

I need to highlight both?

You can also combine both these formats in one CV. In short, there are many different ways to skin a cat (what a horrible expression, whoever invented that? Did people really used to skin cats?)  I digress.  It’s only through a thorough understanding of what you’ve got and what you’re looking for that we decide on the right CV writing format for your particular needs.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.