A functional CV is skills based and is written, focused and places more emphasis on showing your work experience, knowledge and expertise. It is developed and organized by your individual skills rather than your previous job titles or chronology.
This is different from say a chronological CV which is laid out according to your job titles and your employment dates and how long you have worked for particular employers etc.
A functional CV draws attention to and places a emphasis on your career achievements.
It is a ideal well structured format for you to show your work experience, knowledge and potential that is related to the job you are applying for.
As with most professional CV’s it should start with a career statement or personal profile, which gives a overview of your career to date and also your objectives.
Advantages of a functional CV
It is ideal if you want to show off a particular skill, previous responsibilities and abilities that you have.
You can group your strengths, skills and career experiences into categories.
If you have changed jobs frequently or have gaps in your career, then a functional CV format means you can move the spotlight away from these points and instead focus on your expertise.
If you are looking to make a significant career change then it can work well as it will draw the employers attention to your ‘transferable’ skills.
You can mention skills that you have acquired in voluntary work as well as paid work.
Disadvantages of a functional CV
If you have been in the same industry for a long time then a functional CV template will not be able to highlight points like loyalty to your employer etc.
If you do not have much work experience then you will be limited by how much information you can put in your CV.
As it is not a commonly used CV format, some inexperienced recruiters may not be familiar with it. In extreme cases they may feel you are trying to hide something form them.
User Comments
8/22/2011 I think the functional cv is the right one for me as I have been ill a long time however the templates are missing.