Have you ever considered the most important thing a job seeker would ensure in a candidate? You guessed it right. It’s the CV design and formats an applicant adopts while applying for their dream job. If you still need to prioritize this crucial aspect, do it now. It’s the quality of your resume that a prospective employer first notices. If it’s impressive, you will be shortlisted; if not, it will go straight into a bin.
Popular Types of CV Format
Usually, three different types of CV formats are most common among job seekers.
- Chronological Resume Format
- Skills-Based Resume Format
- Hybrid Resume Format
If you intend to use the best resume format, it’s essential to understand it.
Chronological Resume Format
It’s the most popular form of resume format because it’s more convenient for the recruiter to see important information about a particular candidate in this format. Moreover, it’s also easier to use because relevant information is provided in the right place. The structure of this resume is in reverse-chronological order. The format puts more emphasis on your work experience because it’s the most crucial factor for a recruiter.
However, an applicant needs to put additional effort into catching the recruiter’s attention because it’s one of the most widely used CV design. The recruiter will immediately notice an applicant with a significant employment gap. Hence, there are better choices for those seeking a career change.
Functional/Skills-Based Resume Format
The functional resume format differs from the reverse-chronological one because it prioritizes your skills and abilities. Candidates with an employment gap in their career should choose this resume format. It also suits freshers because the focus is more on skills and projects. You should take help from Resume Buddy to create an impressive resume.
A functional resume has two critical sections:
1) Resume summary and 2) and skills summary.
While preparing your resume summary, ensure that it is short and relevant. Ideally, you should only mention the most essential skills. It’s better to provide links to your online portfolio, blogs, and websites in your resume objective. Preferably, use bullet points instead of paragraphs while making a resume format in MS Word. Such a resume format is ideal for new types of industries. However, it’s not easy to scan. Therefore, recruiters don’t prefer it.
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Hybrid Resume Format
The hybrid resume format is a perfect combination of reverse-chronological resume and functional resume format. It puts focus on your work experience and also on your skills and abilities. Anyone looking for a perfect CV design should use this resume format. It’s also very reliable and easy to create on Resume Buddy and save for download option.
You should mention relevant skills to the job post and validate them with appropriate examples. Quantifying your achievements is always better because numbers usually appear on your resume. You can use bullet points to describe your achievements and highlight skills and special abilities.
Such a format puts more focus on your transferable skills. However, candidates with a long experience can benefit from this resume format. It’s ideal for senior executive positions that require specific skills.
Which is the ideal resume format for a fresher?
The CV format of a fresher is essential because such candidates need to gain experience to impress their prospective employers. Hence, their resume format should focus more on the skills of candidates. It should highlight the projects you participated in, the internships, and the skills you learned during this time.
It’s a good idea to add your hobbies to your resume, especially if it brings value to the job you are applying for. However, both reverse chronological and functional resume format work well for freshers. However, the reverse chronological resume is relatively easier to create and more common. On the contrary, a functional resume format requires help from a tool like Resume Builder and may prove more advantageous in the long run by highlighting your skills better.
For instance, for fresh engineering graduates, the focus should be on their college internships and the projects they undertook. Moreover, they should highlight skills and certifications they have acquired because recruiters consider such qualities seriously.
Additional Tips
Ideally, you should know which resume format suits you and your job search. However, you should also know some additional tips before working on your CV format. Ensure that the text of your resume is clear and readable and leave a one-inch margin on all four sides of your content. Ideally, divide your resume into sections, and mention every relevant information with bullet points. Avoid using paragraphs, and don’t put a photograph or mention any personal detail.
Conclusion
We have discussed all things you need to know about the different resume formats and types of formats you can choose from. Hence, choose a CV format depending on the career you want to pursue. Therefore, choose the reverse-chronological resume format if you have relevant experience in the industry. Similarly, select a functional resume format if you are looking for a job where skills play a more important role than your work experience. If you are an applicant for a senior job that requires special skills and abilities, choose a combination resume format.