You’ve probably heard this advice a thousand times: your job experience should always be listed on your resume in reverse chronological order. But actually, this isn’t always the case.
While many people submit a chronological resume where past job experience takes center stage, job seekers can also opt to create a functional resume, designed to highlight skills and knowledge over specific roles. But how do you know if a functional resume is right for your situation? Here’s a breakdown of what a functional resume is and when to use one during a job hunt.
What Is a Functional Resume?
A functional resume primarily highlights your skills, as opposed to a list of your past jobs. It showcases exactly what you bring to the table instead of simply summarizing your work history.
Like a chronological resume, it will start with your contact information. However, that’s where the similarities end. Next, your functional resume will feature your most important skills, broken down into different categories. For example, categories could be named “Technical Skills,” “Creative Skills,” “Leadership Skills,” “Administrative Skills” and more. These categories could include skills ranging from coding to Photoshop to problem-solving to data entry. What’s most important is that you are naming a variety of talents needed in your target role.
From there, you can list your education and some work experiences, although some people opt to omit previous job titles entirely.
What Is the Difference Between a Functional Resume and a Chronological Resume?
A functional resume is different from a standard resume because it places the focus on what you can do, not where you’ve worked in the past. Most people use a resume to list their job history. In contrast, the functional resume prioritizes your most important skills. It’s usually used by people who are new to the workforce, are switching career fields or have significant employment gaps.
When Should You Use a Functional Resume?
There are some circumstances where it may make more sense to use a functional resume than a traditional one, including:
- You’re searching for your first job or have a short work history. Everyone needs to start somewhere! It’s impossible to build a chronological resume when you don’t have much — or any — job experience to list. In this case, listing the skills you have earned, whether they’re through schooling, hobbies, internships, extracurriculars or online studies, makes more sense and shows what you can bring to the table.
- You’re trying to switch career fields. Most employers scan your resume to see if you have work experience that’s relevant to the role. That becomes a problem if you’re trying to transition your career to a completely different field. Even if you’ve done a master’s program or completed side projects that make you a qualified candidate, these experiences might get buried on a traditional resume that highlights job experience first. On the other hand, a functional resume emphasizes the standout skills you have, helping recruiters visualize how you could make the switch.
- You have a significant employment gap. There are many reasons why someone may temporarily leave the workforce, whether it’s because of a life-altering illness, family issues, parental leave or even a layoff. To avoid having a lengthy employment gap on a resume, you can opt to use a functional resume layout instead. That way, you can explain the employment gap in person once you land the interview.
- You’re applying for a freelance or contract position. For some roles, your job history simply isn’t as helpful as a list of what you can do. For many freelancers applying for gigs or short-term contracts, it makes a lot more sense to break down your skills instead of listing all your past jobs.
When Shouldn’t You Use a Functional Resume?
There’s a reason the traditional resume is so popular and widely recommended! While there are certainly occasions to use a functional resume, it often makes more sense to use a chronological one. Here’s when you shouldn’t use a functional resume:
- You have standard work experience that aligns with the role. Most recruiters prefer the standard resume format, finding it more informative and easier to read. If one of your past job titles is similar to the one you are aiming for, it’s worth highlighting! Overall, if your job history is straightforward and aligns with the role, stick to the traditional format.
- You don’t have the right skills for the job. It doesn’t make sense to highlight your skills if they aren’t a strong fit for the role anyway. If the job posting calls for someone with knowledge of coding languages or management experience, you don’t want to submit a skills-focused resume that leaves those qualifications out.
- It’s not favored by the industry or business you’re applying to. Most industries don’t want functional resumes. This is especially true for companies that use applicant tracking programs to sift through resumes, since the computer may not be able to read a non-traditional format as well. If you’re applying for a role in a big organization, a functional resume may not be your best bet.
- The job posting directly calls for your work history. Plenty of businesses will directly ask for a list of your past jobs in the posting. If that’s the case, you’ll have to provide it anyway, and a functional resume will hinder instead of help you!
The Bottom Line
Functional resumes do have their place during a job hunt, especially for those who are making a career switch, dealing with an employment gap, searching for freelance gigs or simply trying to showcase their skills despite a short job history. Functional resumes prioritize skills over experience and are structured to show what you bring to the table on day one, as opposed to what you have accomplished in the past. While it usually makes more sense to use a traditional, chronological resume during your search, since it is preferred by almost all recruiters, it’s up to you to decide what resume format best aligns with your unique situation. Happy job hunting!
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