Choosing between a chronological CV and a functional CV can shape how recruiters interpret your experience, from career progression and stability to the skills you want to emphasise. The best format depends on your work history, any employment gaps, industry expectations and the role you’re targeting, and many employers still prefer clear timelines. This guide breaks down both formats (plus a hybrid option), explains the pros and cons, and helps you choose a structure that presents your qualifications clearly whether you’re starting out, changing direction or returning after a break.
What is a chronological CV?
A chronological CV (often called a reverse chronological CV) is the format most recruiters expect to see. It tells your work story in a simple timeline: your most recent job first, then you work backwards.
How it’s normally laid out
Most chronological CVs follow a predictable structure that’s easy to scan on screen:
- Contact details and a short personal statement at the top
- Work experience in reverse date order, with job title, employer, location, dates, and bullet points
- Education and any training or certifications
- Extra sections like skills, volunteering, languages, or relevant interests (only if they help your application)
Because the layout is standard, it’s also easier for applicant tracking systems to read and sort. If you want a ready-to-use CV, use the Indeed Flex CV builder.
Why employers like it
A chronological CV makes it straightforward to understand:
- what you did most recently
- how long you stayed in each role
- how your responsibilities grew over time
That clear “career progression” is especially valued in more traditional sectors, where hiring teams often want to see steady growth and consistent experience.
Advantages of chronological CVs
A chronological CV works best when your timeline is one of your strengths. It doesn’t just list jobs; it quietly answers questions recruiters are already asking.
It makes your career story easy to trust
When your roles line up neatly, the format does a lot of work for you. It shows:
- Progression (bigger scope, more responsibility, promotions)
- Stability (you stuck around long enough to make an impact)
- Relevance (your latest experience sits front and centre)
Disadvantages of chronological CVs
The biggest strength of a chronological CV — its timeline — can also become its biggest drawback.
Gaps and short stays stand out immediately
If you’ve had time out for caring responsibilities, illness, redundancy, or you’ve moved through several short-term roles, a chronological CV can make recruiters focus on dates before they’ve even noticed your skills.
Career changers can look “off target” on paper
If your work history is mostly in a different field, a chronological CV may push the wrong message to the top: “experienced, but not in this area.” Your transferable skills might be there, but they can get buried inside job descriptions.
New starters may feel they have “nothing to show”
Graduates and people with limited experience often find the work history section looks thin — even when they have plenty of relevant skills from projects, volunteering, or placements.
What is a functional CV?
A functional CV is a skills-based CV. Instead of leading with job titles and dates, it leads with what you can do well— then backs it up with examples.
How it’s normally laid out
A typical functional CV includes:
- Contact details and a professional summary
- Skills sections with clear headings (for example: “Customer service”, “Team leadership”, “Stock control”, “Technical support”)
- Evidence under each skill using bullet points (results, tasks, wins, tools used)
- Employment history near the bottom, usually brief: job title, employer, dates
What it’s trying to achieve
The functional format shifts the reader’s attention away from “where and when” and onto “what you can deliver”. That can be useful if your background isn’t a neat, linear story.
Advantages of functional CVs
A functional CV can be a smart choice when your skills are stronger than your timeline.
It puts transferable skills front and centre
If you’re changing careers, this format lets you lead with the parts of your experience that match the job you want now — without making the reader wade through roles that feel unrelated.
It helps you tell a more joined-up story
Maybe you’ve built the same skill across different settings — retail, volunteering, a part-time job, and a course. A functional CV lets you group those wins together so they look like a clear strength, not scattered fragments.
It can work well when you’re early in your career
With limited paid experience, you can still show capability by drawing examples from education, projects, volunteering, internships, and other responsibilities—provided you describe them clearly and honestly.
Disadvantages of functional CVs
Functional CVs can help you control the focus — but they can also make recruiters cautious.
Some recruiters worry it’s hiding something
Even when you have a good reason (like a career break), a skills-only approach can make a reader wonder what they’re not seeing. That means you may need to work harder to build trust quickly.
They can be harder for applicant tracking systems to read
Because the format is less standard, some applicant tracking systems may struggle to pull out your job titles, employers, and dates correctly — especially if your CV uses unusual headings or layout.
It can remove the sense of progression
Many hiring decisions rely on “level” as well as skill. Without a clear timeline, it can be harder for an employer to judge how your responsibility increased over time.
When to use a chronological CV
If your recent experience matches the job you’re applying for, chronological is often the simplest and strongest option.
Chronological tends to fit if you:
- have a steady work history with clear progression
- want your most recent role to do the heavy lifting in your application
- are applying to more traditional sectors where conventional CV formats are expected
- are applying through online portals where a clean, predictable structure helps applicant tracking systems
When to use a functional CV
Functional CVs work best when you need the reader to notice your skills before they notice your job titles or dates.
A functional CV may suit you if you:
- are changing careers and want to spotlight transferable skills
- have employment gaps you’d rather explain briefly, not centre
- are a recent graduate or returning to work and want to show capability fast
- have a varied background (short-term contracts, freelance work, seasonal roles) and want to pull it together by skill
In sectors where practical ability and reliability matter as much as a “perfect” timeline, recent experience can make a real difference. For example, finding flexible shifts through the Indeed Flex app can help you build up current, relevant work while you search for something longer term.
The combination (hybrid) CV format
If you like the skills-first feel of a functional CV but don’t want to sacrifice a clear timeline, a hybrid CV often hits the sweet spot.
What a hybrid CV looks like
You’ll usually see:
- Professional summary at the top
- Key skills section (often 3–5 skill headings, each with proof)
- Work history in reverse chronological order with dates, employers, and achievements
- Education and any extras
Why it’s popular
It gives recruiters what they want (clarity and timeline) while giving you what you need (space to shape the story around your strengths). Done well, it’s also easier for applicant tracking systems to process than a purely functional CV.
What recruiters and employers prefer
Preferences vary, but most recruiters lean towards chronological or hybrid CVs, mainly for one reason: they can understand them quickly.
Clarity beats clever formatting
Recruiters want to know, fast:
- what you did
- where you did it
- how long you did it for
A chronological or hybrid format answers those questions without effort. A functional CV can still work, but it may raise follow-up questions earlier in the process.
Tailoring matters more than the “perfect” format
Whatever format you choose, relevance is what keeps a recruiter reading. That means reflecting the job description in your skills, using the same wording where it fits naturally, and prioritising the experience that matches the role.
Fast-moving sectors often focus on readiness
In areas like retail and hospitality, employers may care more about availability, practical skills, and reliability than whether your CV follows a textbook structure. If you’re picking up flexible work, you can also point employers to your recent performance and consistency.
How to choose the right CV format for your situation
The best format is the one that makes your “yes” most obvious.
Start with an honest snapshot of your background
Ask yourself:
- Is my recent work experience a clear match for what I’m applying for?
- Do I have gaps or frequent moves that will distract from my strengths?
- Is my best evidence in job history, or in skills I’ve built across different places?
Match the format to the hiring process
If you’re applying online to larger organisations, an applicant tracking system is likely involved. That pushes the decision towards chronological or hybrid because they’re easier to parse.
Keep more than one version (and use them intentionally)
You don’t need one “forever CV”. You can keep:
- a chronological version for roles where your experience lines up neatly
- a hybrid version for roles where you need to lead with skills
Practical tips for writing an effective chronological CV
A chronological CV should read like a clean timeline with clear proof you can do the job.
Make your top third count
Recruiters often skim first. Use a short summary (a few lines) to make your target clear and highlight a handful of relevant skills.
Write experience in a way that shows impact
Instead of listing duties, focus on outcomes and responsibility. Keep bullets tight and start with strong verbs. If you can quantify results, do—but only when it’s accurate.
- Lead with the parts of the role that match the job you want.
- Keep formatting consistent: dates, job titles, bullet style.
- Make sure your most recent roles have the most detail.
Practical tips for writing an effective functional CV
The difference between a strong functional CV and a vague one is evidence.
Pick skill headings that mirror the job
Aim for 3–5 skill categories that match what the employer asks for. Then back each one up with examples that show you’ve done it—not just that you “have” it.
Use proof from more places than you think
Functional CVs give you permission to draw from:
- paid work
- volunteering
- education projects
- freelance work
- significant caring responsibilities (if it built relevant skills)
Don’t delete your work history — keep it visible
Even in a functional CV, include a simple work history section with job titles, employers, and dates. It reassures recruiters you’re not trying to dodge the timeline.
Addressing employment gaps and career changes
Gaps and changes are common. The goal isn’t to “hide” them—it’s to stop them becoming the main story.
When you should explain a gap
Short gaps may not need any comment. But if a break is likely to raise questions, a brief, calm explanation in your personal statement or cover letter can help. Keep it factual and forward-looking.
Ways to show you stayed active
If you did any of the following during time out, include it where it supports your application:
- courses or training
- volunteering
- freelance projects
- refreshing tools or tech skills
Career change? Translate, don’t rewrite your past
You don’t need to pretend your previous experience “doesn’t count”. Instead, pull out the skills that travel well—communication, problem-solving, planning, handling customers, managing workloads—and put them near the top (often via a hybrid CV).
Why flexible work is increasingly normal
Many people in retail, hospitality, and industrial work have mixed patterns because of seasonal demand, temporary contracts, or changes in business needs. UK hiring is also seeing more flexible staffing as companies respond to shifting demand, discussed in this overview of flexible staffing trends in the UK. In practice, that means a varied work history is often understood — especially if your CV makes it easy to follow.
Common CV mistakes to avoid regardless of format
A good CV is easy to read, easy to trust, and clearly aimed at the job.
These issues trip candidates up again and again
- Not tailoring: a generic CV often looks like you’ve applied to everything. Use our job-specific CV tool.
- Vague statements: “responsible for” doesn’t tell the reader much—show what you did and what happened as a result.
- Walls of text: use white space and bullets so the key points stand out.
- Messy formatting: inconsistent dates, random fonts, and complex layouts can confuse both recruiters and applicant tracking systems.
- Unhelpful personal details: skip age, marital status, photos (unless asked), and national insurance numbers.
- Typos: they’re easy to miss when you’ve reread your own CV too many times—proofread slowly, then ask someone else to check.
Key takeaways on choosing your CV format
Selecting the right CV format means weighing your work history, skills, and the expectations of your target sector. By understanding the strengths and limitations of chronological, functional, and hybrid CVs, you can present your experience in a way that aligns with employer preferences and increases your chances of progressing in the recruitment process. Regularly updating and tailoring your CV ensures you remain ready to showcase your value as the job market and your career develop.
Ready to put your best CV forward?
Whether you’re building experience, changing direction or returning to work, Indeed Flex can connect you with flexible roles that fit your goals and boost your CV with recent, relevant experience. Download the app to start finding shifts and opportunities that work for you through Indeed Flex.
