Typically, resumes are chronological. They list all the jobs one has done, from most recent to oldest. For each job, the list of duties and achievements is summarized.
A functional resume takes a different approach. The resume focuses on grouping all like activities or achievements together into categories, such as Sales, Project Management, or Team Leading. The Employment section is simply a list of job titles with dates and employers.
Here are some of the reasons you may want consider a functional resume:
- You have had multiple jobs with similar job duties. A chronological resume would be repetitive.
- You want to emphasize specific skill sets. This is especially useful when applying to positions that select candidates on strict criteria such as many government agencies.
- You have one employer for many, many years. Progress and growth in individual skills, or key achievements can be showcased.
- You want to move from one industry to another. Creating categories with terms used by the new industry will help employers see you are a fit, such as using “Training” instead of “Teaching”, or “Results Oriented” instead of “Project Driven”.
- You want a shorter resume. At best, a resume should be two pages. One page is often more effective for certain industry. In either case, a functional a resume is focused and direct, listing key categories of duties and achievements.
Creating a resume is a skill. If you want to put your energies into the things you do best, consider hiring a career coach to help you refine your resume, whether chronological or functional, for your next job search. Contact CareerFirsts for a free appointment.