Resume Writing: Resume Formats: Choosing the Right One

Lesson 2: Resume Formats: Choosing the Right One

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Resume formats: Choosing the right one

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With hiring managers and other staffing professionals spending so little time on your resume in their first pass, it is crucial to make sure your resume makes the best initial impression. One way to do this is to choose the resume format that best highlights your experience, education, and skills.

In this lesson, we will explore the various ways key information is presented in chronological, functional, and combination resumes.

Watch the video below to learn about different resume formats.

The chronological resume

The most commonly used resume format is the chronological resume. On a chronological resume, your work history is listed by job title, beginning with your current or most recent job.

The chronological resume works best for job seekers who:

  • Want to showcase a steady employment history
  • Are looking for a position that matches or logically progresses from previous jobs
  • Are seeking a conventional position, like as an office clerk, accountant, or teacher

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the chronological resume format.

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Most Recent Job

On a chronological resume, every job in your work history is listed with dates in reverse chronological order. This means your most recent or current job is listed first, like this one.

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Previous Job in Order

On a chronological resume, each job has the employer's name and location and a job title that can be understood by anyone, like bookkeeper.

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Previous Job in Order

On a chronological resume, every job that is listed should be written in a way that makes it relevant to the position you are seeking.

Joe tailored his clerk and teller positions with cash transaction language that related to bookkeeping. Also, by including these experiences, he has shown a steady work history since 2003.

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The functional resume

A less popular resume format among recruiters and hiring staff, the functional resume highlights your skills without revealing the dates associated with your job history. The functional resume minimizes specific job titles and eliminates dates of employment while emphasizing your abilities and skills by placing them in functional skill categories.

The functional resume works well if you:

  • Have worked many different jobs or possess very diverse skills
  • Have skills that relate to the position, but not a lot of previous work experience in the field
  • Have gaps in employment history, are a recent graduate, or are changing careers
  • Are a mature worker and want to de-emphasize your age

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the functional resume format.

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Functional Skills Listed

The skills area lists specific skill sets, like contracts management and leadership. These functional skills should directly relate to the position you want.

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Description of Skills

Notice that each skill function has a short description of how rather than where each skill was demonstrated. This is good for job seekers who have had a variety of seemingly unrelated experiences to draw from.

In addition, each description provides examples of measurable responsibilities and accomplishments in each particular skill area.

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Work History

On a functional resume, the work history area lists current and previous jobs but does not include dates. This may be a good strategy for job seekers who want to minimize a long break in employment or for older job seekers who worry that age may be a limiting factor.

As always, the name and location of the employer should be listed, along with a job title that can be understood by anyone.

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Many hiring managers dislike the functional resume because they can't use it to gauge your reliability, longevity, or how recently you used certain skills. For example, someone who created sales brochures 20 years ago may not be familiar with the software technologies used to produce a sales brochure today.

The combination resume

The combination resume format combines the functional and chronological formats. It includes functional skill categories but also lists the dates of previous employment.

This format works well for job seekers who:

  • May have obtained the required skills from seemingly unrelated industries or jobs
  • Are trying to change careers and want to emphasize transferable skills
  • Have had a steady work history

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the combination resume format.

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Functional Skills List

The functional skills area includes broad categories of skills, like coaching and counseling, that are written to match the job requirement of the position you are trying to get.

Each skill has its own description that provides evidence of how the skill was used in previous jobs, as well as specific measures of performance.

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Work History with Dates

On a combination resume, the work history section lists current and previous jobs in chronological order. It differs from the functional resume because it includes dates of employment.

It should also include the name and location of the employer, in addition to a job title that can be understood by anyone.

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The combination resume works well for anyone, and employers like this format because it focuses on skills and experience but doesn’t hide employment history.

Let's review

A chronological resume:

  • Includes job titles, dates of employment, and a description of the job in terms of accomplishments and measurable tasks
  • Is most often done in reverse order, with your most recent job listed first
  • Works best for job seekers who have a steady employment history or previous employment that is related to the position being sought

A functional resume:

  • Groups applicable skills into functional skill categories
  • Highlights applicable skills and experience without revealing a lapse in employment
  • Works best for job seekers who have gaps in their employment history, little previous work experience, or recently changed careers
  • Is disliked by many hiring managers

A combination resume:

  • Highlights functional skills and experience without hiding employment dates
  • Works best for job seekers who have required skills from a variety of jobs, are trying to change careers, or have had a steady work history
  • Is a favorite among hiring managers and recruiters

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