A CV is a marketing document that should be designed to represent the individual job seeker and his/her special assets that he brings to the prospective employer. Many job seekers agonize over which format to use for their CV -- a chronological format or a functional format? Will choosing one format over the other make a beneficial impact on the effectiveness of the CV? Yes it can, but not in the way most job seekers think it will.
The chronological CV
The chronological format is the traditional format that is organised by time (thus, "chrono"). Chronological format details the job history in reverse time order, starting with the current or more recent position and working backward in time to the least recent position. The chronological format is the most common and the format that most people picture when thinking of a CV.
Benefits of the chronological CV are numerous:
First of all, it is the format to which most agents and hiring managers are accustomed. They like it because it is clear and gives them a linear picture of the candidate's career history. A chronological CV places the achievements and results of a candidate under each job where they were performed. By doing so, the recruiter has a frame of reference for those achievements. For example, increasing annual revenues by 20% is a bigger accomplishment when performed for a Global 500 company than it is for a small business with fewer than twenty employees. The frame of reference the chronological format provides the reader is a benefit of the format.
Small gaps in employment (a year or less) are common and many job seekers have them. Redundancies, mergers, acquisitions, and personal issues such as maternity leave or care for elderly parents impact everyone's lives at some point. Gaps are often a reality, and, handled strategically, don't always show in a chronological CV or are minimised.
The functional format CV
The functional format CV (sometimes called a skills CV) is the opposite of a chronological in almost every way. A functional format CV has the content arranged according to performance type (thus, "function"). For example, a human resource professional might divide his skills into categories such as Employee Training, Benefits Management, and Workforce Development. Under each category, the relevant information would be listed or described. A brief work history listing at the end of the document that lists job title, employer, and dates. I've seen some purely functional CVs which don't have the work history section at all and no dates appear on the CV. Mistake! Mistake!
The problems associated with the functional format CV are numerous:
First of all, agents and hiring managers really dislike the functional format because it makes them hunt for the information they seek. Agents dislike the functional format, too, because it takes away all frames of reference for them to measure what skills and abilities are listed. A candidate might claim high sales abilities and track record in the functional CV, but the agent is unable to place that in context in terms of time, employer, situation, or history. Were those impressive accomplishments achieved in the last year, or were they achieved 15 years ago? The reader can't tell.
Finally, agents and hiring managers realise the functional format is used to attempt to cover up detrimental factors in a candidate's past. In-and-of itself, the functional format serves as a red flag to the hiring manager.
Which CV format is better?
When faced with the choice, the job seeker is generally better off using the chronological format. The chronological meets all the needs and wants of the reader as far as providing the necessary information to make a judgment on whether to ring the candidate for an interview. The functional format alarms the reader, does not provide the necessary information about past performance, and takes too long to decipher. Career hurdles can be overcome with a good, strategically written chronological CV and still provide the reader with the information he needs.
Alesia Benedict, Certified Professional CV Writer and Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) is the President of CVGetInterviews.co.uk, a CV writing firm that provides job seekers with customised, branded CVs and career marketing documents. Established in 1994, the firm has aided more than 95,000 job seekers to date. The firm offers a free CV critique and their services come with a wonderful guarantee -- interviews in 30 days or they'll rewrite for free!