The Functional Resume Format
Similar to the chronological resume format, the functional resume format is one of the three main types of resume formats widely used today. Differentiating these two formats can sometimes be difficult at first but if you look closely, the distinction in between them is really simple.
A functional resume focuses on the candidate’s qualifications and skills being presented to its reader in a reasonable fashion. Also, a functional resume presents no specific time frame or log of the candidate’s work history. It simply emphasizes on what you had accomplished, what you know and what you can do.
Ideally, a functional resume has many advantages. It allows the applicant to somewhat “hide” certain aspects of his or her career which enables them to bypass critical factors that a potential employer may be avoiding in a candidate.
Fresh graduates who have no idea on how to start their careers or people who have employment gaps under their belts can effectively use a functional resume to its full potential. This format allows them to keep the spotlight focused on their skills and capabilities since there will be no visible tracks of whom or where they had previously worked for. With this being said, a functional resume can also help you hide what may appear or seem to be like activities of career hopping to the eyes of your prospective employer.
Like all resume formats, start out with a header that includes your full name and contact information. This should include your street address, telephone number and email address.
Next, make space for your educational background. This is important because certain companies or employers require specific courses when selecting their applicants for interviews.
Follow it up by listing down any educational honors, professional licenses, and certifications that you may have or hold. Be sure to present these information in bulleted form so that your reader can easily scan all the information that they are looking for.
Your personal skills and knowledge without a doubt, should be the main highlight of your document. It is important that you spend a considerable amount of time particularly for this section in order for your resume to be effective. The information confined within this section on your document should be completely relevant or at least, close to the position that you are looking forward to. For example, if you are aiming for a sales position, emphasize on skills such as product management, sales training, or profit and loss responsibilities. It is also a big plus on your part if you would include a bulleted list of your top and most significant career accomplishments.
If you feel uneasy about using the functional format prior to current situation, bear in mind that there are two more viable resume formats that you can use to your advantage. Before sending out your resume, be sure that you do some proof reading first to make sure that your document is free from flaws especially both on the spelling and grammar departments. Once done, it is now time for you to send out copies of your resume to your own personal list of prospective employers. Soon, those interviews will all be coming in without you even noticing.
