You just carefully crafted your dissertation or resignation letter, and now you have more grammar headaches, fonts, and sentences to wrestle with by creating a CV that will land you a dream job. Making a CV is notoriously tough because everyone seems to have an opinion on them, and to be honest, some aspects can be rather subjective.
One of the most difficult parts of making a CV is in the beginning when you come up with a structure, otherwise known as a format, for your CV. There are three main types of format that you should be using. Read on to learn about them and help you pick the best one for your profession.
If you want to create a well-made CV for the best jobs in Leeds, Liverpool, London or any other UK city, then follow the advice below. For jobs outside of the UK, the tips below may not always be applicable.
Use the right format to give you the edge on your job search!
Read next: Here Are the Most Important Phrases to Say in a Job Interview (According to Research)
One of the most difficult parts of making a CV is in the beginning when you come up with a structure, otherwise known as a format, for your CV. There are three main types of format that you should be using. Read on to learn about them and help you pick the best one for your profession.
What About Sending CVs Outside of the UK?
Before you go on to read about the most effective CV formats, you should know one crucial thing. Different countries have different expectations of what a CV should include and how it should be formatted. For example, in the UK and other Anglo-speaking countries nobody expects to see a passport photo attached to the CV, but in Germany and UAE pictures are commonly used.If you want to create a well-made CV for the best jobs in Leeds, Liverpool, London or any other UK city, then follow the advice below. For jobs outside of the UK, the tips below may not always be applicable.
The Three Best CV Formats
Although there are more formats than the three below, most HR professionals and employers seem to agree that these are the best of the best:1. (Reverse) Chronological
Reverse chronological CV formats are the most common as they list the individual’s working experience in reverse order, starting with the most recent position. These are effective when the candidate wants to demonstrate that they have achieved impressive career progression or if they want to match their experience with the role they are applying for. They should be avoided if the candidate has big career gaps as they will stand out and make employers question what you did for those unexplained months/years.2. Functional
If you do have career gaps or a lack of identical experience, a functional CV may be the way to turn. These CVs list the individual’s skills (with evidence when applicable) rather than their past employers. A section can be devoted to working experiences but that is inserted lower down. With employers spending an average of fewer than seven seconds looking at a CV, you need to sell your best attributes early. It is unlikely that these types of CVs will help students or those with limited workplace experiences because they will not have evidence to back up any claims about skills.3. Hybrid/Combination
The hybrid CV format is a mixture of the above. It begins with a summary statement of qualifications and a profile of the individual. This is then followed with a section on workplace experience and a section on skills and achievements. The order of these two sections is down to the individual but they should choose the section that highlights their abilities stronger to go first.Use the right format to give you the edge on your job search!
Read next: Here Are the Most Important Phrases to Say in a Job Interview (According to Research)
