As a job seeker or independent professional, your CV is your ticket to getting noticed by potential employers or clients. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a CV. Depending on your career stage, industry, and goals, there are different styles of CV that can help you stand out from the competition.
In this blog, Matt Craven, career expert at The CV & Interview Advisors will discuss some of the different styles of CV that you might consider.
The 3-page CV
This type of CV is suitable for those who have extensive experience or qualifications that they want to showcase. It can include a detailed summary of your achievements, education, work history, and skills. The UK job market usually expects a 3-pages for more experienced candidates.
The 2-page CV
This type of CV is the most common and is suitable for most job seekers. It should focus on your key skills, experience, and achievements, while being concise and easy to read.
The internal application CV
When applying for a job within your current company, it is recommended to have a tailored CV that highlights your relevant skills and achievements within the company. This CV can be longer than a typical CV (because you know it is going to be read regardless) and its sole aim is to demonstrate that you tick all the boxes for the internal position you are applying for.
The executive biography
A one-page executive biography is suitable for senior job seekers or those looking to access the hidden job market. It highlights your career achievements and can be used for networking.
The aspiring NED CV
For those looking to become a Non-Executive Director with zero or limited board or trustee experience, this type of CV should resemble a typical executive CV, but the content will have a different flavour 0 for example, it might highlight your governance or strategic planning experience.
Incumbent NED CV
This type of CV should showcase your experience as a Non-Executive Director, including your governance, risk management, and strategic planning expertise. This type of CV will split out your NED and board advisory related experience from your executive career.
Inside-IR35 interim CV
This type of CV follows the chronological format and would be similar to a typical job seekers CV. It is acceptable for a contractor to have a longer CV, so 3 pages is fine and even up to 4 pages is OK for more experienced independent professionals.
Outside-IR35 interim CV
This type of CV is suitable for self-employed contractors who operate outside-IR35. The CV would be more of a business brochure than a job seeker CV, using business-appropriate terminology. For example, the headings would be different e.g., Career History might become Contract Experience.
Case study style CV
This type of CV is suitable for outside-IR35 contractors, interims and consultants. The CV becomes more of a portfolio of mini case studies than a chronological history of your career.
Freelancer CV
This type of CV is suitable for those who work on multiple projects or have a diverse range of skills. Where positions overlap, a chronological CV falls down and short-term assignments don’t lend themselves to case studies. This requires a different formula where short-term assignments and ‘lumped together’ under the freelance business’ banner.
ATS-friendly CV
An ATS-friendly CV is one that is designed to be easily read and processed by Applicant Tracking Systems used by many companies to screen job applications. It could be argued that all CVs used for online applications should be ATS friendly as 70% of CVs are rejected at source before a human ever reads them.
Career change CV
For those changing careers, this type of CV should highlight transferable skills and relevant experience. It is often referred to as a skills-based CV where 5 – 6 skills are listed on page one, with a paragraph of text underneath each skill, describing where and how you gained this experience.
Returner to work CV
This type of CV is suitable for those returning to work after a break and should focus on any relevant skills and achievements. This is often very similar to a career change CV, but there are also tactics to downplay large gaps where you may have been absent from working.
Europass CV
A Europass CV is a standardized format for CVs used in Europe, which includes a range of personal and professional information.
International CV
An international CV is designed for those applying for jobs abroad and should focus on skills that are relevant across different cultures and countries.
US Resume
A US Resume is a standardized format for CVs used in the United States, which typically includes a summary statement, work history, education, and skills. The US market is usually a stickler for a 2-page document and the style can be different to CVs in other countries.
Overall, choosing the right type of CV can depend on your industry, career stage, and goals. It is important to tailor your CV to each job you apply for and highlight your relevant skills and achievements. Most job seekers will require multiple CV for different roles.
Join our upcoming webinar on 3rd April to learn which CVs you might need and the specifics on how to put them together.
