Right Type of Resume for You

You have only one chance to make a first impression. Choosing the style of resume that perfectly suits your situation, background and intentions is the only way to capitalize on your strengths and divert attention away from your weak links if any. The accurate resume format serves to focus on your trump cards and convey the message that you would be the ideal candidate for the post.

How to find out which is the right format for you?

In order to answer, you would need to know the three types of resume formats commonly used, how to choose between them and the pros and cons of each.

The Chronological resume: The highlight of this format is the work experience that is listed in reverse order which means that it begins with the latest job and then goes behind to the previous employment history following the same pattern. The next section furnishes details about the educational qualifications along with the grade earned.

When should you choose the chronological resume?

If you have been consistently working for a long duration and have accumulated a solid employment history, then this is the format to pick. Your strong work experience would be concrete evidence of your competence and your steady progress making you a worthy candidate for any organization. The chronological resume would also suit your purpose if the new position that you seek is related to your previous work history as it provides ample proof of your valuable experience.

The drawbacks of this format are that there is no scope to showcase your skills and accomplishments that you may have gathered over the years of professional service. It limits itself only to work experience and educational qualifications.

The Functional resume: This kind of resume accentuates your skills and abilities by grouping them according to the heading, eg Communication skills, Marketing skills, Administrative abilities, Accounting skills etc. Each heading is supported by the associated work experience that serves to highlight the quality specified in the heading. The skill sets listed would be in tune with the position sought. This would be followed by the education section and finally there is just a section about work experience where previous employment history is listed in brief without providing the dates and duration.

When should you choose the Functional resume?

A functional resume works well for someone who has planned a career change or for people with long and unexplained gaps in their careers or even for those who have hardly any work experience. As this resume emphasizes on the skills, it becomes a convenient tool to conceal the lack of experience. In case of a planned career change, the skills section can be used to stress upon the relevant abilities and it also allows the flexibility of including the transferable skills acquired through other unrelated work paid or voluntary. A functional resume also succeeds in not giving your age away and could be used by candidates who do not have age on their side.

The flip side of functional resumes is that they are top heavy as they elaborate on skills without providing corroborative evidence about work experience. That is the reason why most employers do not trust this kind of format and prefer the traditional types where they can judge the caliber of the candidate by his/her employment history.

The Combination Resume: Also known as the hybrid resume, this format that has become increasingly popular nowadays as it offers the best of both worlds. This type of resume blends the advantages of the chronological and functional resumes and minimizes the drawbacks. The combination resume begins with an objective and a summary which sums up the credentials and aspirations of the candidate vis-a-vis the position sought. This is followed by a section about skill sets and then the work history is listed along with all the dates and the responsibilities held.

When should you choose the combination resume?

Job seekers with previous experience that is unconnected to the position sought and those planning on a career change would do well to use this format. It would work just as well for those with a consistent career record.

How to decide the one that would be the most effective for you?

There are a few other factors that you should consider apart from the ones discussed above. The company/industry where you seek employment would also determine the type of format you would opt for. Creative fields like artists, dramatists, designers can be well expressed through functional or hybrid formats whereas those in the public and corporate lines would surely require a chronological or at most a combination type of resume. You should also look into the visual appeal and select a format that can best accentuate your unique credentials and project you in the best light. You could draft your resume in multiple formats and get an idea of what the final document looks like. This would also help you to judge the one that is most appealing and convincing to your recruiters.

Choosing the correct resume format is as important as wearing an outfit that has been tailor made to fit you perfectly. So weigh all the odds, the pros and the cons and select the type that brings out the best in you and makes you a winner all the way.