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There are two basic formats to choose for your CV – chronological and functional. The chronological CV is all about demonstration of your previous work experience in the reversed chronological order, while functional CV is focused on your functions or specific roles you performed at your previous occupations. Obviously, each of those CV formats may have specific advantages and disadvantages. So, let us compare these two major CV formats and find out which one has better chances to draw employer’s attention and become a ticket to a job interview for a job seeker.
Chronological CV and Its Advantages
If you are thinking about a traditional British style CV, then a chronological format should be chosen. Such CVs are organized on the time (chrono) basis, so that the most recent activities, employers, educational institutions are listed first and then followed by previous ones. Chronological format is the most traditional approach to CV building, so the majority of employers will expect to see a CV in chronological format.
The key benefit of the chronological CV is its clear structure and categorization of the information. An employer can view your work history on a timeline, so that he can understand your career growth and evaluate your personal development. Besides, in chronological CV you can mention your particular achievements for every job you did, so that an employer can easily evaluate your skills and practical results.
Functional CV and Its Advantages
Functional CV is an absolutely different way of building a resume. Instead of chronological order, this format has one’s functions or duties as the center piece of the resume. For example, functional CV of a web developer may include such key categories, as PHP Programming, CSS Design, C+ and Java Applications, etc, with the detailed transcripts of a candidate’s skills in each of the mentioned areas. While the names of previous employers and particular positions usually go into the shadow in functional resume, it is still recommended to include a short list of previous employers at the end of the document to make it more informative for a hiring manager.
Generally, functional CV allows you to draw potential employer’s attention to your personal skills, abilities, and expertise instead of giving an overview of your career history, which may not always be bright enough.
Consequently, functional CV is a recommended option, when it is needed to de-emphasize gaps in one’s work history or unrelated work experience. This type of CV can also be used by self-employed people or freelancers, who actually do not have previous employers to list, but can demonstrate particular skills and abilities.
Finally, functional CV allows more space to make it tailored for a particular position you are applying to. Here you can highlight those skills, which are requested in a particular job opening.
Choosing the One
Basically, there is no an answer for question on which format is best: chronological or functional. Though chronological CV is widely considered to be a golden standard of CV writing with vivid benefits and no known weak points, there are still many situations, where functional CV format may create better chances for a job seeker to persuade an employer that its author is the perfect candidate for the job.
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