| There are three basic
types of résumés--reverse chronological, functional, and a combination of the
two.
A reverse-chronological résumé
arranges your experience and education in chronological order with the most
recent dates first. One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a résumé
writer is, "Do I have to list all of my jobs? It makes me look so
old!" My answer is always, "No, you don't have to list every single
position you have ever held. The trick is to pick and choose the ones that are
relevant to your objective." You can also eliminate low-level positions and
positions that duplicate later experience. Relevant is the keyword here!
More than half of the résumés
on this site are reverse-chronological, but that doesn't mean a different type
of résumé might not fit your needs better. This section will show you what is
possible with a functional résumé in case that style better fits your needs.
A functional résumé
organizes your work experience by the functions you performed regardless of
date. The functional résumé highlights your skills and potential instead of
your work history. It allows you to play down gaps in your experience and is
especially good for those people entering the job market for the first time. If
you are reentering the job market, for example, after raising children, this
type of résumé also allows you to list volunteer experience and community or
school activities.
List your functional
paragraphs in their order of importance, with the items listed first that will
help you get the particular job you are targeting. Refer to the 12 step résumé
writing process for ideas on how to rearrange your résumé sentences to better
capture your reader's attention.
You should know that there
are very rare times when I would recommend a purely functional résumé,
however. In the 1980s, true functional résumés developed a bad reputation
because applicants were not listing where they gained their experience. It made
recruiters suspicious that the applicant was trying to hide something, and they
normally were. A combination functional/chronological résumé will avoid this
problem. Always list a brief synopsis of your actual work experience at the
bottom of your functional résumé with your title, employer, and the dates
worked.
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