Your Resume Type

Your resume is a carefully crafted summary of qualifications that are relevant to the job that you are applying for. It is also a brochure marketing you and your individual skill sets to potential employers.

The only purpose of your resume is to let employers know what it is that you can offer them and to attain job interviews.

There are two main types of resumes: chronological and functional. The type of resume that you create will depend on your individual circumstances.

Chronological Resume
The most common type of resume is the chronological resume. With this resume you will list your employers and job titles from most recent to the least recent. The chronological resume highlights the companies you’ve worked for, the job titles you’ve attained, your skills, job responsibilities and your accomplishments.

You can use a chronological resume if you have a strong employment history and are looking for employment in the same field you’ve held in the past. Since a chronological resume emphasizes work history, you will not want to use a chronological resume if you have large gaps in your employment record.

I’ve added a free Chronological Resume Template in the resources section of this site.

Functional Resume
A functional resume emphasizes your skills and knowledge. If you have gaps of time where you have been unemployed, you will want to consider using a functional resume.

A functional resume will also be more beneficial if you are applying for jobs that are in a different career or industry than other jobs you have held in the past. The functional resume will allow you to highlight your skills and knowledge that will be relevant for your new career path.

I’ve added a free Functional Resume Template in the resources section of this site.

Your Resume

When I was first laid off, I knew my goal was to spend the next two years finishing my degree. That meant I was going to have a two year gap in my resume and lead me to believe that a functional resume would be the better choice for me.

Once I started writing out the actual functions for my accomplishment statements I realized that they were all nearly identical. Not only that but by sticking to a strictly functional resume format I glossed over a major resume asset. My previous employment was with Motorola, a fortune 50 company.

Similarly, sticking with a chronological resume wasn’t the perfect fit for me either. When talking with my career trainer we were able to create more of a hybrid resume that addressed the gap in my employment and allowed me to highlight my skills and accomplishments.

The resume that you create should address any potential issues that an employer may have by presenting your situation in the best possible light. Do you have a gap in employment? Make sure you resume highlights your skills instead. Are you changing career paths and lack an extensive background in your new field? Emphasize any recent education you’ve completed along with all the relevant skills and accomplishments pertaining to your new career.

Every job posting that you reply to will give you a blueprint of exactly what that employer is looking for. What you need to do is craft your resume so that you call attention to the fact that you have the skills and background to not only fill that job but excel at it.