Best CV Formats to win a Job in 2024 | Daily Jobs

Table of Contents

• Chronological CV Format 
• Functional CV Format
• Combination CV Format
• Creative CV Format
• Academic CV Format

Regardless of your work experience, education level, or area of specialization, a well-structured CV is key. I will take you back to when I was looking for a job immediately after school, as we were doing our final qualifying exam, I sat down picked my old school HP laptop opened the Bill Gates innovated Microsoft Word, and drafted my first ever Curriculum Vitae thinking it would be the best CV for me. Afterward, I printed several copies of my CV packaged them in brown envelopes, and waited for the last day of my Final Qualifying Exams. 

The last day was here with me, as an early morning bird, the following day I dropped my CV in several organizations as I looked for open vacancies, and to my surprise I was still waiting for a call for an interview schedule. Until I met one of my former school mate who was working as an HR Director in a Pharmaceutical company, I gave him my CV and my first impression of him seemed to be a mockery laugh as he was going through my CV, he paused and asked 

Where is your CV?, is this what you call a CV? Will it secure you a job? No HR director would have time to go through this old CV format, the World is evolving and we are no longer wasting time hiring candidates in the old century. we have evolved to Hiring softwares that do automatic shortlisting depending with how you present yourself in the CV, and your CV has to be compatible with the software inorder to get into the short list.

The HR Director hesitated and looked at me surprised, he then showed me a Wooden box labeled "Rejected" full of CV and Application Letters, and said, "This is where your CV belongs" He took his pen and a notebook book and taught me something that saved my time in a job application, he trained me how to write an ATS Compliant/Compatible CV, Job winning CV format/style something that I don't regret up to this point. 

In this article, I will take you through crafting a job-winning CV format for your next job, and train you how to write a CV in 2024. 

1. Chronological CV

This is a format commonly used in the world and is the best format for candidates who are on career progression. In other terms, you will hear people call it a reverse chronological CV as it outlines your work experience starting from the recent roles to the old roles, putting the duties and responsibilities in point form.

A reverse chronological CV highlights your duties and responsibilities as well as achievements in a manner that is easily detectable by the ATS bots. Signaling the ATS that the candidate has a clear professional path which is a plus for you.

When to Use;

• A chronological CV is suitable when applying for jobs in; Healthcare Jobs, Finance, Law, Engineering, Business jobs, Remote Jobs, etc.

Template Example

 

2. Functional CV 

This CV format tries to highlight your skills and capabilities rather than your work history or experience as the Chronological CV format does, This format is the best for those changing careers, for example, you might be a Registered Nurse but you want to change to become a Lecturer or you are in another sector as an entrepreneur. This is the ideal format for you, The Applicant Tracking System will be able to connect the gaps in your CV without confusion.

When to Use;

• A functional CV is used when someone is changing a career, you have limited work experience or you have gaps in your experience.

3. Combination CV

As the word combination says, it is a combination of Chronological and functional CV format, this format brings forward your skills as well as the experience. The format provides a balance of your Skills and Experience. it is a perfect format if you want to showcase your skills, achievements, and deeper experience.

When to Use;

• A Combination CV format is best used when you have specific skills to showcase,
• It is also used when tailoring your job application to a specific role.
• Also used when applying for specialized positions eg Nurse specialist, 

4. Creative CV

This format is ideal for designers, be it Graphic designers, web designers, interior designers, content creators, etc. This type of CV incorporates colors, icons, and graphics to make look like a designer himself/herself. The format enhances creativity by the use of eye-catching designs.

When to Use;

• When you are applying for designer roles and you want to stand out your creativity.
• When directly submitting to the employer.

5. Academic CV 

This format is best for researchers or those applying for academic roles. An academic CV provides detailed information about your achievements. publications and professional affiliations. provides a section of teaching experience, conferences attended, research done, and professional memberships. 

An academic CV can be longer than 2 pages. 

When to Use;

• When applying for academic or research roles or if you have longer academic credentials.