Whip Your Résumé Into Shape

What Type of Résumé Do You Need?

If you’re looking for a job or thinking about changing careers, you need a résumé. The question is, do you know what type you need? Certain types of résumés will help you stand out better than others depending on your background. Do you have a work gap? Are you entry-level? Does your work experience make you overqualified or underqualified for the job? What is your educational background? How you answer these questions will determine whether or not you need a chronological, functional, or combination résumé. So, what’s the difference between these?

Chronological Résumé
A chronological résumé is the most popular format that lists your work experiences in order of when they occurred, usually from the most current to the least current. This type is great if you have a strong background in a certain field, because it showcases your skills and accomplishments. It’s also good to use if you have a solid work history, but would not be the best choice for someone looking for an entry-level job or who has several gaps in their work history.

What’s included in a chronological résumé?

• Career objective at the top of the page, stating what skills you can bring to a company
• Names of the companies where you’ve worked
• Job titles
• Dates of employment – beginning and ending
• Brief outline of your job duties at each position.

See a sample of a chronological résumé.

Functional Résumé
A functional résumé, also known as a skills-based résumé, focuses on the skills you know how to do, rather than when you have worked. This is a great option for those who don’t have much previous work experience or have work gaps, because it takes the focus off of previous jobs and dates associated with them. Instead, it focuses mostly on your skill sets. Be sure to detail all your achievements as well. Include whether you’re bi-lingual, an award winner, and so on. When applying for jobs, this format can easily showcase how your skills match those listed in a job description.

What’s included in a functional résumé?

• Career objective
• A summary of three to five strong skills you have
• An outline of your skills proficiencies
• Measurable accomplishments within your skills sets
• Major career-related learning opportunities during your education
• List out work experience – place at the bottom and only include company names and titles

See an example of a functional résumé.

Combination Résumé
A combination résumé got its name because it combines the chronological résumé with the functional résumé. For this, you might highlight all your skills and accomplishments in a brief summary at the top of the résumé – similar to a functional résumé. Next, you would outline your previous jobs in reverse chronological order and get more specific about what skills you used in each job and what your accomplishments were – similar to a chronological résumé. This is a good choice for those wanting to switch careers because it allows you to be more specific about what skills you have, while highlighting relevant work history to back you up.

What’s included in a combination résumé?

• Career objective
• Summary of three to five strong skills
• Outline of your skills proficiencies
• Measurable accomplishments
• Names of companies where you’ve worked
• Job titles
• Dates of employment

See an example of a combination résumé.

So, which résumé will work best for you? Chronological, functional, or a combination? Having a good résumé helps set you apart from other job applicants and showcases your skills and abilities. Typically you have about 30 seconds to grab an employer’s attention with your résumé. Be sure you’re using the best format to showcase your skills and abilities. If you don’t know what type of résumé you need, take this quiz to find out!

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A combination résumé got its name because it combines the chronological résumé with the functional résumé. For this, you might highlight all your skills and accomplishments in a brief summary at the top of the résumé – similar to a functional résumé. Next, you would outline your previous jobs in reverse chronological order and get more specific about what skills you used in each job and what your accomplishments were – similar to a chronological résumé. This is a good choice for those wanting to switch careers because it allows you to be more specific about what skills you have, while highlighting relevant work history to back you up.