Different CV Design Formats for Different Job Roles

After earning degree from a college or university, entering the professional world of work is the next step everyone takes. First of all, you need to have a powerful tool in the form of a well-drafted CV to successfully land a dream job. Writing Curriculum Vitae or CV is the beginning of your struggle to land a good job. As an initial introduction about yourself to the company, a single sheet of CV plays a crucial role to get you the most-awaited interview call, and eventually a job offer.

Given the significance of a CV, no wonder that preparing a well-written CV could be a challenge to get the words right and format for certain critical job roles. Hacking upon employer interests towards your candidature, you should be able to present an attractive, relevant and meaningful CV. Most people mince resume and CV as the very same thing. No, they are different. A detailed CV usually contains more information about your background, qualifications, expertise, and working experience, the resume on the contrary provides a concise gist.

One of the most common mistakes made by applicants in job hunting, is that most think they can use one CV design format to apply for many different job roles. Hence, they just send CVs without further consideration about the company and the position they apply.

While in fact, there are times when candidates have to customise their CVs to match the job qualifications required by the company. As a job seeker, one should not be indolent to invest some time in customising CVs as this could prove beneficial to help them secure the job they desire.

If you want an eligible CV format that works effectively to help land your dream job, then here are the three most popular CV design formats for different job roles:

1.       Traditional or chronological CV

Traditional format is suitable for people who already have strong working experiences and seek for new opportunities. As the name suggests, this format is effective for the employer to immediately identify potential candidates by matching their qualifications with the requirements for certain job roles. The main structure of this CV is reverse chronological order, where you should write the most recent working experience and qualifications at the top of the page.

There are reasons why this traditional CV design format is popular, not only because it is simplified to present facts and not difficult to write, but also most importantly, it works well with recruiters.

This design allows you to highlight your previous job history and working experiences, as well as responsibilities and accomplishments. Through this approach, employers can easily search for candidates with suitable proficiencies to meet the job demands. Several things you should include in this format are:

• Career objectives. State what you want to achieve from the job, for both short and long term.

• Dates. State month and year of your employment. Make sure to not leave any gaps within the dates, as this could leave questions for the employer.

• Working experience. Make sure that you only write relevant qualifications to meet your  job requirements.

• Additional skills. As an added value to complement the qualification and experience, enlist additional skills and knowledge that can be used to contribute to the job role.

2.       Functional or skills-based CV

Different from the traditional CV format, this format is suitable for fresh graduates with limited working experiences or for those who frequently switch careers for various reasons. Functional CV is also helpful for people, who are re-entering the workforce after a sabbatical or significant gaps in their careers. Even, if you want to apply for a job which has nothing to do with your degree, you can use this format as well.

In a functional CV, you are required to write the skills and knowledge at the top of the first page. Only then, you need to specify the details of your work experiences such as company names, job titles or positions held, dates of employment, as well as the address. This way, you can focus on what you can offer to the company, despite inadequacy of experience.  

3.       Combination or hybrid CV

Probably combination or hybrid CV format is the most popular one that people use, since you can combine the advantages of both traditional and functional CV. In this format, you need to emphasise on your strongest skills and support the idea by enlisting related job history. Hence, employers would immediately know that you have great potential for a particular job role.

Combination CV is most suited for people who tend to switch career frequently, and are also experienced professionals. Several points you should include in this format are summary, job description and accomplishments, as well as basic information such as educational background and personal data.

Read also: Why and How You Should Customise CV