Which Resume Format Will You Choose?

These days there are many articles on how to make your resume stand out from the hundreds of thousands that are flooding the job market. And while many of us have religiously updated our standard, chronological resumes, the times have changed and that format may no longer work. Personally, I had two resumes. One I kept updated for my career in learning and development and the other was for teaching school. I smugly thought I was forward-thinking to have two resumes and I swore that either one was good enough to get me into the door of the next phase of my career. Unfortunately, when I had to use my learning and development resume, I found that it was way too long and that in a round-about way, it showed my age. In addition, there was too much competition out there and many of the other applicant’s were a lot younger than me. I couldn’t have that so I changed my format.
When the economy isn’t as volatile and the unemployment rate isn’t reaching towards 10% it may be okay not to put so much effort into choosing a resume format. But when things are tough in the job market, it is critical to craft your resume to ensure you stand out in a positive way.
There are many wonderful sites to assist you select your resume format. There are also sites that will give you examples of the wording you can use for various positions. That’s fine I suppose and is a good way to get started if you get stuck on the wording but not if you want your resume to stand out. Let’s review a quick primer of the types of resume formats.

 Chronological: A Chronological resume documents work history in reverse chronological order. This format, generally liked by human resources departments and employers for its familiarity is generally used by people staying in the same field.

 Functional: The Functional resume focuses on skills and experience rather than chronological work history. This format is generally used by people with many years in the work place, those who are changing careers or those returning to work after an absence. Here, a functional job statement or summary of qualifications is provided up front and then supporting paragraphs detailing job accomplishments follow. For example, in my own resume for Learning & Development, I have a paragraph for explaining my job accomplishments in Needs Assessment, Training Design, Facilitation Skills, E-Learning and Measurement. The job history and education, are listed at the bottom of the resume.

 Combination: This format focuses on skills and experience first and then lists the employment chronological work history. This format allows you to state your most relevant qualifications up front like a Functional resume, while providing the employment history seen in the chronological format. The Combination resume is good for recent graduates or students, older workers, and also people returning to work after an absence.

 Targeted: This resume is customized to fit the job for which you are applying. It highlights your skills and experience relevant to a particular job. The Targeted resume will summarize your qualifications with the wording listed from the job description. While time consuming, the Targeted resume is very practical in today’s job market.

Whatever format you choose, it is important to evaluate your skills, knowledge and experience and hold those up against the job description. (See previous blog on Job Competencies, Transferable Job Skills and Other Tips) Is there a match? Do you feel that your skill-set matches the needs of this job posting? If you can answer yes to these questions, then go for it. And good luck!