1.2: Types of Résumés
In this section, we examine two different résumé styles: chronological and functional. If you have not been in the job market for several years, you may notice some significant changes in writing effective résumés using traditional formats.
For example, the power of the summary section in the chronological format is to use your accomplishments to explain how you can benefit the potential employer. However, you may need to use another type of format to present your qualifications to convince your reader to bring you in for an interview.
If you have a sporadic work history, are just entering the workforce, are overqualified for the position, or are older in years and concerned about age discrimination, your challenge is to write about your accomplishments and how your skills are transferable to the position for which you are applying. A functional résumé format may suit this situation well.
In this article, we learn that a chronological résumé is the most popular résumé format because most online job search sites prefer it. The author describes the résumé components and advises us that times have changed. Today, few job candidates use the objective line. Much of the power of your résumé comes from your summary statement, which briefly describes your skills, talents, and successes. The challenge of writing an impressive chronological résumé is not the format, but the "quality of the writing and the use of engaging text".
Here the author gives advice for what to include in each component of a chronological résumé. Click on the links for more information on each topic. Again, your challenge is not the format, but how you are able to convince an employer that you fulfill the overall requirements of the position and deserve an interview.
Use a functional résumé format to package your skills, talents, and abilities in a way that showcases your strengths as required for a specific type of job. The information you plug into a chronological format regarding your education and experience may not reflect the type of job you are now seeking. The objective section of a functional résumé should have a narrow focus: tell the reader how your various skills and accomplishments make you a competitive candidate. Read this article to learn more about this type of résumé.
In this article, we learn that one of the most challenging aspects of a functional résumé format is deciding what information to include and where to present it. Should you minimize your work history, or even omit it completely? How can you present your background in a way that convinces your reader that your skills are transferable? This article gives several examples of functional résumés, but keep in mind that your story is unique. You need to decide which aspects of your background are your most powerful selling points for your stated job objective.
Read this chapter to learn more about functional résumé and curriculum vitae (CV) formats. It offers several categories for the functional format, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership, which you can use to emphasize your skills and accomplishments in an impactful way. If you are applying for an academic or research-oriented position, you may want to use a CV format, which is considerably longer than a traditional résumé and includes published material and conference information.
Read this article to learn why a functional résumé may be best if you are just out of school, have been a stay-at-home parent, or will only discuss your volunteer work during an interview. You can use this type of format to present your functions, skills, training, and volunteer work in an effective way. A well-thought-out functional résumé can cure the challenge of having too much or too little experience for the job for which you are applying.