Common CV Mistakes to Avoid (20+ Biggest Blunders)
When writing a CV, it’s easy to forget about some important details or include something you’re not supposed to. But that won’t happen to you ever again—if you read this study.
Skills-Based CV: See a Functional CV Template + Examples
A functional CV: a blessing and a curse. A skills-based CV, as it’s often referred to, can do more damage than good unless you know exactly when to use it, and what for.
So, you think a functional CV is the way to go—
It literally serves the recruiter your best skills on a silver platter. And skills are what every employer is badly looking for, aren’t they?
Well, not exactly.
The truth is that by sending a skills-based CV inadequately you may be shooting yourself in the foot, rather than getting a foot in the door.
Luckily, we’re here to help.
In this guide:
- You’ll learn what a functional CV is, and get to see some great templates.
- We’ll show you why using the skills-based CV may not be your safest bet.
- You’ll find out how to write a job-winning functional CV section by section.
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What Is a Functional CV?
A skills-based CV, also known as a functional CV, is a CV style that focuses on displaying your skills, rather than previous work history. Functional CVs may help you mask employment gaps and they come in handy when your experience isn’t directly relevant to the position.
Here’s how the functional CV format differs from the other two most popular ones:
- Functional CV—highlights your skills
- Chronological CV—highlights your work experience
- Combination CV—highlights your skills and ties them to your experience
If you’re looking for more information on each of these, read our detailed comparison of the three most popular CV formats.
2. Functional CV Template: Is It a Good Idea to Use This CV Format?
This is what a typical functional CV template consists of:
- Personal Information
- CV Objective
- Skills Summary
- Work Experience
- Education
And here come two functional CV examples:
Skills-Based CV—Example
Personal Information
Mary J. Elliot
PR Specialist
937-247-5611
mary.j.elliot@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/mjelliot
Objective
Results-driven UCLA graduate in English Literature seeking to leverage over two years of professional experience as a freelance writer and brand ambassador. Experienced in developing various types of online and offline marketing content (my portfolio here). Eager to join Pivot Media as a PR specialist to assist in developing digital PR solutions.
Skills Summary
- Writing
Experienced in writing various types of PR and marketing content, including press releases, long-form articles, blog posts, reviews, brochures, and emails. Can deliver up to 16 full-length articles of ca. 3K words monthly.
- Research
Proficient at conducting effective and efficient in-depth research into brands, market trends, etc. Able to cooperate with clients from various industries.
- Social media
Familiar with all major social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Google+. Managed and optimised ad campaigns on each of these.
- Creativity
Able to devise innovative solutions to various types of challenges. Collaborated with creative directors and graphic designers on producing and implementing several ATL and BTL campaigns.
- Time management
Outstanding at coordinating multiple responsibilities at the same time. Able to effectively plan and prioritise tasks to deliver results within tight deadlines.
Experience
Brand Ambassador
Nike Inc., Los Angeles, CA
2018-01–
Freelance Writer
Self-employed, Los Angeles, CA
2016-09–2017-12
Education
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
MA in English Literature
Sample Functional CV
Personal Information
Shelby Delacruz
206-699-5518
s.delacruz@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/shelby-delacruz
www.delacruz-creative.com
Objective
Communicative and collaborative digital artist and illustrator with a BA in Fine Arts from the University of California, Berkeley. Experienced in creating a large variety of creative online and offline projects, including visual presentations, publications, and communications (go to my portfolio). Would love to join University of California staff in the role of Art Director to execute and oversee the design and creation of digital and print collateral.
Skills Summary
- Design concepts and software
Proficient at developing effective and engaging visual communication campaigns. Delivered 10+ end-to-end projects that required planning, designing (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat), as well as contacts with vendors.
- Communication and mentoring
Advanced interpersonal communication skills including active listening and teamwork skills, as well as the ability to effectively provide advanced design advice and consultation to clients on all aspects of visual communications.
- Presentation and organisation
Excellent at devising broad design ideas, presenting them to clients and stakeholders, as well as producing results on time and within budget.
- Creativity and practical design skills
Able to deliver imaginative and efficient solutions to a variety of design challenges. Exceptionally knowledgable about production processes for various types of media and vendor requirements for different products. Expert knowledge of design principles and practises, including typography, colour palettes, layout, and materials.
- Adaptability
Quick learner, able to swiftly gain comprehensive insights about the company, including its vision, mission, goals, as well as objectives. Thrives in a fast-paced, challenge-driven environment.
Experience
Digital Artist
Explainer Inc., Santa Cruz, CA
Freelance Illustrator
Fiverr
Education
2015
University of California, Berkeley, CA
BA in Fine Arts
Apparently, each of the examples above has everything a recruiter needs: a nice CV objective, comprehensive summary of key skills, as well as the experience and education sections.
Well, there’s a big problem.
There’s no evidence of any of these skills in the entire document.
In fact, each skill description is so vague that with some minor modifications it could be used by just about anybody else.
Plus—
Recruiters dislike the functional CV template.
Why?
First off, it’s difficult for them to skim.
According to the latest study by The Ladders, recruiters spend only about 7 seconds scanning a CV, and they look for job titles first.
A skills-based CV, as the name rightly suggests, doesn’t focus on job titles but… skills. And this isn’t exactly what recruiters want to focus on initially.
More than that—
For 62% of the recruiters surveyed in Jobvite’s Recruiter Nation Report, it’s the candidate’s previous job experience that’s the number one hiring factor.
Well, the functional CV template does its best to conceal career history, and draw the recruiter’s attention to the candidate’s skills.
Again, it’s not what recruiters appreciate.
Last but not least—
More than 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software to initially scan candidates’ CVs.
The sad truth is that the functional CV format is very likely to fail the initial scan, so at the end of the day no human reader will ever have a chance to even see your CV.
Why’s that so?
ATS software assesses your aptitude by looking for information about your job experience in very specific places on your CV.
Just go back to any of the functional CV examples above and look at the work experience section.
Well… that’s exactly what the ATS sees—
Nothing.
So, remember:
Avoid using the functional CV format if you’re applying for corporate openings. A traditional chronological CV will work much better in such cases.
If you decide to write a functional CV, use it as a “networking CV,” or make sure you send it directly to the recruiter’s inbox.
The question is:
Who might benefit from using a functional CV?
The functional CV template may work for:
- Creatives who treat a CV as an addition to their portfolio
- Candidates applying to small companies where no ATS has been implemented
- Military transitioners who want to show how their skills are of use in the civilian context
- Career changers whose work history may not be entirely relevant to the job
- People who don’t want to come across as overqualified for some reason
So, unless you fall into one of the four categories above, don’t use a functional CV template.
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3. How to Write a Skills-Based CV
Finally—
Here’s how to write each section of your functional CV to make the most of it:
Personal Information
This section of your functional CV is to let the recruiter get in touch with you.
So—
Put your name, phone number, and email address.
If you have a personal website or an online portfolio, you can put the URL here as well. It’s also a good place to add a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Expert Hint: Before you put a link to your LinkedIn profile, learn how to use LinkedIn like a pro.
If you don’t know how to go about writing this section, follow the structure you see in the samples above.
CV Objective
A CV objective is a short paragraph that comes up top and tells the recruiter what skills you can offer and how they’ll benefit the company.
Look at the samples above to see what it should look like.
Your CV objective is also a good place for a link to your portfolio if you haven’t included it in the personal information section.
Expert Hint: Don’t write a CV summary for your functional CV. CV summaries focus on your previous experience, not skills.
Skills Summary
Obviously, the most important section of any skills-based CV.
The key to getting it right is to focus on the skills relevant to the job offer. If you don't know how to identify such skills, read our guide on how to choose the best skills for your CV. The functional CV samples above show you how you can describe your skills.
Expert Hint: It’s not enough to simply list your skills. Tell the recruiter how proficient you are, and in what circumstances you have used a given skill. Also, try to express them in numbers.
Experience
The experience section on a skills-based CV is very short. All you might want to put here are the company names, job titles, and dates worked.
That said—
You’re under no obligation to put any dates here.
This is one of the reasons why the functional CV format is often used by people with gaps in employment. And, truth be told, the recruiters are aware of this and that’s why this CV format might become an instant red flag to some of them.
The skills-based CV templates above show you what the work history section with and without dates looks like.
Expert Hint: Remember, the chronological CV’s experience section is its central part. Functional CV brings your skills in the limelight.
Education
Just like the job experience section, it’s not the most important part of a functional CV.
It’s enough to list the university name and location, and the degree earned. Putting dates is advisable but optional.
Again, the skills-based CV examples show you how the education section with and without dates could look.
Expert Hint: The education CV section may give a boost to your chronological CV. Especially if you’re preparing a student CV or an entry-level CV.
Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Key Points
When making a functional CV, remember:
- A skills-based CV focuses on your skills, not your career history.
- It usually consists of the following sections: personal information, objective, skills summary, work experience, and education.
- Functional CVs are suitable for creatives, military transitioners, career changers, and those who don’t want to look overqualified.
- The safest way to submit a functional CV is by sending it directly to the recruiter.
- Hit the ground running by downloading one of these free MS Word CV templates or Google Docs CV templates. If you have no idea about what to put in your CV, check out these CV examples for every profession.
Do you have any questions about how to make a functional CV? Or maybe you’d like to share your advice on when you should write a functional CV? Give us a shout out in the comments below. We’re always happy to help!
