There are many different types of CV you can choose between. There are many different reasons you would choose a particular type. This could range to your work history to you wanting to highlight your skills. Below we will go through all the different types when you should use it and the advantages of each.
Performance or Chronological CV
This is the most common type of CV made, highlighting job titles and company names. Your employment history should be set out in reverse chronological order. Remember to list your responsibilities for a role under that job title. This type of CV also includes education and qualifications. There should also be a brief personal statement at the front which sets out the key skills you possess.
Advantages:
- Used when applying for many varied roles in the same industry.
- Favored by most employers, who need to see at a glance see who you are and what you have done
- You can show seperately your achievements separately
Disadvantages:
- Shows clearly if you have huge gaps in your employment history
- Not helpful if your changing into a different industry
Skills Based or Functional CV
This CV covers your career history, so it is important to highlight the skills you have attained from the jobs you have had. Remember there are always transferable skills that will be used in any industry like numeracy or computer skills.
You will use this CV if you have many unexplained gaps, but expect these gaps to be mentioned and make sure you have practised answers for this.
Try to match up the skills you possess with the skills needed for the job. If the job is one that needs the skills of using a computer then make sure you mention this skills as one of the first ones in your employment history.
Advantages
- If you have large unexplained gaps in your work history.
- If you have changed jobs frequently and have lots of unrelated work experience.
- You can promote skills obtained in voluntary jobs.
- You are changing careers or re-entering the job market after a break.
- Your recent work experience is not connected to the job you’re applying for.
- You’re a freelance worker or often in temporary employment
Disadvantages
- If you have little or no work experience.
- If you no career history.
Targeted CV
This CV is skills based and very useful if you’re looking to change or changing your career and going to go into an altogether different industry. This CV heavily focuses on your transferable skiills and takes the emphasis off job titles and work experience.
You should only include details that are relevant for the job you’re applying for. With this CV you can also include 2 extra sections: abilities and achievements.
Abilities
These are natural or acquired skills or talents. This is where you can highlight the abilities you have. For example, writing is a skill but it does not tell the employer about your skill. If you said Highly competent at writing documented reports, then your directly telling the employer a lot more about your skills especially if one of the skills needed for the job is writing reports.
Achievements
An achievement is when you have accomplished something. This can be anything from Level I in Computing Skills to Producing a newsletter in your last job. Try to tie in an achievemtn with a skill needed for the job.
Advantages
- Useful if you’re changing career.
- If you had a varied career or lots of jobs where you can describe the experience you’ve gained
- When you’re targeting your CV towards a specific job.
- If you have had large gaps in your employment.
- When you want to emphasis the skills you have gained in previous jobs but have not used in the workplace recently
Disadvantages
- It’s an unusual format and not all employers will expect it.
- The skills you have used in the workplace will not be emphasised.
- Employers will get suspicious and they may think your trying to hide a gap in your employment.