Skills Based CV Template & Functional CV Examples

Changing careers? No traditional, linear work history? Long spells of past unemployment? Or perhaps you don’t have much work experience at all? You might feel tempted to write a skills based CV, instead of a traditional, reverse-chronological one.

Not so fast.

Skills based CVs, though advantageous to some, are suitable for very few groups of jobseekers.

A skills based CV (also known as a functional CV or simply a “skills CV”) highlights your skills and qualifications rather than work experience. Skills based CVs are a good choice for career-changers, candidates applying to highly specialized positions, or candidates in creative industries with lots of freelancing experience.

Contrary to popular belief, functional CVs are not ideal for people with major employment gaps. Why?

Mostly because, for years, they have been recommended as a perfect means to camouflage imperfect work histories. The effect? The skills-based CV format has become an instant flashy neon screaming “I’m trying to hide something!”

If you’re entertaining a thought of writing a functional/skills-based CV, you need to be very careful to avoid some typical rookie mistakes. Luckily, you’ve come across this guide.

Read on and you’ll see:

• A sample skills based CV better than 9 out of 10 others.
• Skills based CV template you can tweak, adjust to your needs, and use to land that big interview.
• How to write a functional CV step by step.
• When a skills based curriculum vitae is a good idea and when best to avoid it.

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Sample skills-based CV made with our builder—See more CV examples and create your CV here.

For general tips on CV formatting, see our dedicated guide: CV Format and Structure: Examples and Templates

Find a CV example for your profession in our repository. See: CV Examples for All Jobs

The first thing you have to do when writing a skills based CV is divide it into proper sections in the correct order. Here’s how:

Skills Based CV Template

• Contact Information
• Personal Statement/CV Profile
• Skills Summary
• Work Experience
• Education
• Additional Skills
• (Optional) Additional Sections

This way, a CV in a skills based format emphasizes your abilities and qualifications, taking some pressure off of the work history. That, however, doesn’t mean you can just list all the skills you think you have in whatever order you deem right. You still have to validate your skills—ideally, by providing real examples of how you put them to use in the workplace.

Read on to see skills based CV examples that illustrate how to do it. Plus, step-by-step guidelines to help you create your CV in no time.

How to Write a Skills Based CV Step by Step

1. List your contact information at the top

List:

• Your full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• LinkedIn profile
• (Optional) Home address

2. Include a brief personal statement or a CV profile

This section works like a trailer for the rest of your CV. It’s the first thing the hiring manager will see.

Make the CV profile short (up to 80 words) and relevant. Give an outline of who you are, what skills you’ve mastered and, most importantly, what you have to offer. If you’re working in a creative industry, include links to your professional websites or portfolio.

Functional/Skills Based CV Example: Personal Profile/Statement

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Learn more here: CV Personal Statement/Personal Profile Examples & a Writing Guide

3. Showcase your most relevant skills in the skills summary

This is the most crucial part of a functional CV. Meat and potatoes, if you will. Here’s how to turn it into chateaubriand with dauphinoise.

How to Write a Functional CV Skills Summary

• Read the job ad carefully and identify key skills expected by the employer.
• Pick 3 to 6 skills and list them in your summary.
• Under each skill, include a short paragraph or 3–5 bullet points that demonstrate your expertise.
• If you can, try to pick quantified, measurable results achievements to back up each skill. Be as specific as possible.

Have a look at these CV summary examples:

Functional CV Skills Summary Sample: Specialized Positions

 Notice how each of these core skills is supported by substantial evidence.

Functional CV Skills Summary Sample: Creative Industries

This candidate doesn’t have as many quantifiable achievements as the previous one, but he still manages to provide very precise examples of his expertise. It makes this CV skills section much more believable to employers.

Curious about the most relevant skills for employment in today's trends? Find out here: Crucial Skill Sets to Land Better Jobs.

4. List your work experience

Even though in a “skills” CV, you don’t need to be particularly elaborate about your work history, you still have to include a list of your past employers.

Enter:

• You position
• Company name
• Dates worked

Optionally, you can add 2–3 bullet points that outline your key responsibilities and accomplishments.

5. Include basic details about your education

The same goes for your education. Don’t drone on about relevant coursework, thesis title, or extracurricular activities.

Limit yourself to:

• Your degree
• The name of the institution
• Graduation date

The only exception is if you’ve graduated within a year and have little work experience. In such case, put your education section above the work experience on your skills based CV, include academic achievements, list a few relevant courses. If you’ve graduated with a first or a 2:1, include your honours too. Otherwise—omit them.

6. Add a list of additional skills

All key skills on a skills based CV should appear in the Skills Summary. At the bottom of your functional CV, add a short, bulleted list of extra skills such as:

• Computer skills
• Languages
• Less relevant job-specific skills

7. Optionally, add extra sections to buff up your CV

These might include:

• Certifications
• Awards
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteer Experience
• Freelance Work
• Conference Participation
• Additional Training
• Publications and Blogs

Also, while not a section of your CV as such, do write a cover letter. As many as half of recruiters still expect those!

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

And presto! There you have it—a comprehensive template of all sections you need to include on your skills based CV. Time for a quick recap.

Pros & Cons of a Functional CV—Should You Use It or Avoid It?

Still not sure whether writing a skills based CV is a good idea? Consult with our handy table!

Skills Based CV in a Nutshell

Key Takeaway

To write a functional/skills based CV that gets you the job, follow these 6 key steps:

1. Open with a personal statement or a CV profile: outline who you are and how you’ll benefit the employer.
2. In the central part of your CV, put a skills summary: list your most relevant skills and back them up with evidence of your proficiency.
3. Include a succinct overview of your work history: positions, companies, dates worked.
4. Be brief about your education: list your degree, institution, graduation date.
5. At the bottom, put a bulleted list of your additional skills.
6. Finish off with extra sections: certifications, awards, publications, or conferences.

Do you have any questions about our skills based CV examples? Facing obstacles writing your functional CV? Let me know in the comments, I’ll do my best to help!