CV/Resume – Chronological or Skills Based?

Everyone knows that a good CV is an important tool to securing job interviews. There is no shortage of articles on the Internet about this subject; for Israel specific information you can read this article: http://www.israemploy.net/CVs_and_Resumes/, listen to my radio appearance on Rusty Mike: http://rmr.sharp-stream.com/nettie_jobmarket_19-11-09%28dl%29.mp3, and/or watch my video conference: http://oujobs.projectsinai.org/event/3201.

One of the most basic considerations when designing your CV is whether it should follow a chronological format or a skills-based structure. Let’s take a look at these two options:

• Chronological – This is the appropriate layout when you are seeking work in a profession for which you have appropriate and recent work experience that fits the jobs you are applying for. This is the type of CV that most people are familiar with; the job candidate starts with their most recent job/education and works backwards in chronological order, describing the pertinent details as related to the employment opportunity.
• Skills-Based – This style is useful when you are changing careers, have an erratic work history or large time gaps, have a small amount of work experience, your work experience in the sector was gained many years ago, or you suspect you may be judged as overqualified for the job. The objective with this format is to highlight the skills that you have which relate to the jobs you are targeting instead of the main emphasis being your previous work experience. If you are applying for different jobs that require vastly different skills, you will need to make more than one version of your CV. These skills can come from previous work experience, education, volunteering, or any other means. Some would even say that people applying for their first job in Israel should also take this approach, so the fact that you are a new immigrant is not so obvious.

Your CV is oftentimes your initial foot-in-the-door. Make sure you put your best foot forward!