Skills Based CV Template and Writing Guide with Examples

Just graduated? Still studying? Considering a career change? You’ll often be advised to write a skills based CV to overcome your lack of relevant work experience. But there’s a catch.

Few job seekers will actually benefit from using this CV format.

A skills based CV (also known as a functional CV) showcases your key skills rather than a neatly laid out work history as in a traditional chronological CV. Skills based CVs can work well for career-changers, candidates who have limited experience like graduates or students, or candidates in industries with lots of freelancing or project-based experience.

They can also work for ex-military personnel transitioning to a life on civvy street. But if you don’t fall into one of those few categories, don’t even try to write a functional CV. Problem is they’ve become synonymous with candidates who are trying to hide gaps in their employment history.

And ironically, that’s a type of candidate that this format doesn’t work for. If you’re going to venture into the choppy waters of a skills-based/functional CV then proceed with caution. Just follow this guide to safely navigate the hazards.

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For general tips on CV formatting see our guide: Best CV Format for Job Hunting Success

And for a comprehensive guide to writing a CV, read more here: How to Write a Professional CV for the UK

Every good CV needs to be divided into sections and arranged in the right order. Here’s how to do it for a functional CV.

Skills Based CV Template

• Header with contact information
• Personal statement
• Skills summary
• Work experience
• Education
• Additional sections (optional)

That structure gives you a solid CV layout that lets your skills take centre stage, without neglecting all of the essential information that recruiters demand. Here’s an example of a skills-based CV that follows that structure to the letter.

Skills Based CV Text Example

Now, let’s go through each section and look at skills-based CV examples to show you how they should be written. 

How to Write a Skills-Based CV Section by Section

1. Start with a Header in Your Skills-Based CV

This is the section right at the top of the page where you write your contact information. Here’s what to include.

• Your full name. For emphasis, use a CV font 4–6 points larger than the other header text.
• Phone number.
• Email address. Use a sensible one based on your name.
• LinkedIn profile as a clickable link.

Your home address? That’s optional, but in all honesty it’s just a waste of valuable page space.

2. Write a Compelling Personal Statement

This is the first bit of content the hiring manager will see. The human eye is hardwired to place more focus at the top of the page. Make a strong first impression so you grab their attention and keep hold of it.

Your personal profile should be 3–4 sentences long and targeted to the job you’re applying for. Introduce yourself, offer value to the employer with relevant achievements and skills, and include your career goals. Show some passion for the job and the industry too.

Skills Based CV Example—Personal Statement

Read more: How to Write a CV Personal Statement [CV Profile Examples]

3. Use the Skills Summary to Include Your Key Skills 

Take note. This is the most crucial section of a skills-based CV. It's the equivalent of your work experience section in a traditional chronological CV. Here’s how to get it right. 

How to Write a Functional CV Skills Summary

• Write a master list of all the skills you have. Include soft skills, hard skills and technical skills.
• Read the job advert and make a list of what skills are needed for the role. 
• Compare the two lists and see what matches up.
• Select 3–4 of the skills that match and include them in this section as sub-headings, e.g. “Data Analysis.”
• Under each sub-heading write 2–4 bullet points that demonstrate your mastery of this skill. 
• Start each bullet point off with an action word and structure them as accomplishment statements where possible.

Now let’s have a look at some examples. First up, a skills summary written by a UI developer whose career has mostly been freelance and project-based work.

Functional CV Skills Summary Sample—Freelancer

Every skill is backed up with impressive accomplishments. This candidate may not have a conventional work history, but this skills summary provides ample proof that’ll they’ll be a great fit for the job.

Now for a skills summary written for a graduate CV.

Functional CV Skills Summary Sample—Graduate

This candidate has to write their skills summary a little differently. They’ve not got many impressive professional accomplishments to draw upon, but they’ve still provided solid examples that back up each skill. 

Need some skills section inspiration? Read more here: Key CV Skills [Best Top Skills & Examples]

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

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

4. List Your Work History

You’re writing a CV based on your skills, so there’s no need to go into detail here. However, you do need to include the basics. 

Here’s how to do it:

• List your employers, starting with the most recent position and work back from there.
• For each role include job titles, the company name and the dates you worked there.

Optionally, you could add 2–3 bullet points that list key responsibilities and accomplishments. 

Try out your functional CV in different templates: 20+ Free CV Templates to Download Now

5. Include Your Education in Your Skills Based CV

If you’re an experienced candidate, such as a career changer or freelancer, then you only need include some brief details in your functional CV.

List:

• Your degree.
• The name of your university.
• The dates you studied there.

If you’re still studying, or you’ve graduated within the past year and have limited work experience, you’ll need a bit more detail. So—

You need to:

• Put your education section above your work experience section.
• Include any impressive academic achievements.
• List any courses relevant to the job/career you’re targeting.
• If you graduated with honours then include this too. But only if it’s a first or a 2:1.

6. Level Up Your Functional CV with Additional Sections

I’ve already mentioned that this CV format has its problems. To be honest, many recruiters hate it. So it’s a good idea to keep them on side by including as much job-winning content as possible. Additional sections are a great way to impress hiring managers.

Examples of additional CV sections for a skills-based CV:

• Languages
• Volunteer work
• Professional certifications and licenses
• Projects
• Hobbies and interests
• Conference participation
• Publications
• Additional training
• Extracurricular activities

7. Write a Cover Letter to Complement Your Skills Based CV

Cover letters? Who has time for that?

You do! Around half of employers still say they'll reject applications without cover letters.

This is how to write a cover letter to accompany your skills-based CV.

• Write a compelling introduction. Show passion for the job and the employer and include an impressive achievement to catch their attention.
• Prove your experience and skills will enable you to excel in the role.
• End your cover letter with a call to action asking to meet to discuss the role further.
• Target your cover letter to the job you’re applying for.
• Choose the right cover letter length. It should be around 200-400 words long and no longer than one page.

And that’s it, now you know how to play an absolute blinder of a skills-based CV. Once more though, you do need to think carefully before using this format. Here’s a handy cheat sheet to help you decide.

Want some more CV tips? Read more: 20+ Job Winning CV Tips & Advice

Should You Use a Functional CV—Pros and Cons

If you’re in doubt, we’ve made a table to help you decide.

Skills Based CV Summary

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume 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.

Key Takeaway

Here’s what you need to remember to write an effective skills-based CV:

• The candidates who benefit from this format are career changers, students/graduates with limited experience, freelancers without a conventional work history and military transitioners. Don’t use it to hide career gaps.
• Write your skills summary with care. List your skills that are most relevant to the job and back them up with evidence and accomplishments.
• Give a brief overview of your work experience and education.
• Finish off with some additional sections to impress the hiring manager.

Got more questions about writing a skills-based CV? Not sure if a functional CV will work for you? Ask away in the comments. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.