The Functional Resume Format - Is a Skills Resume a Better Choice?
A functional resume format is often a better choice when you don't have the experience to back up your career choice. Use a skills resume to show off what you know and can do!
This resume format is also known as a skills-based resume because it is a summary of your qualifications organized by education, experience, achievements, and skills, rather than by job. In fact, there is very little emphasis on employer history.
When It Works Best
Many employers and recruiters may prefer the chronological resume format because it is so easy to read at a glance. But it won't serve you well in some situations. Here are some cases where a functional resume format is best:
When you're new to the workforce or coming back after a long absence
When you have large, or many, gaps in your work history
When you've worked for only 1 or 2 companies over many years
When you want to make a career change
When you've been in the workforce for many years, and you want to de-emphasize your age
You've worked at a number of different, unrelated jobs.
Highlight your most relevant assets for each job you're seeking up front in the resume, in their general order of importance. If you don't have much formal work experience, then list any skills or experience that can translate into such, including volunteer work and internships.
Be honest though; don't make stuff up. If you have large gaps in employment, you may want to just list your past employers, but leave out the dates. You can deal with any questions during the interview, or even in the cover letter.
When It Doesn't Work Well
If you know that in your career track, the chronological resume format is strongly preferred, you may have to go with the flow.
Or, you may decide to take a combination approach instead, which can combine the strengths of both the chronological and functional resume format styles.
