Types of Resumes

A resume is a marketing brochure for yourself and an impression you leave behind!

Listed below are three types of resumes:

1. Chronological

• Focuses attention on work experience
• Highlights
  • Employer
  • Job Responsibilities
  • Job Title
  • Contributions

Advantageous When:

• Your career history shows growth and development
• Your job objective is similar to your recent experience
• Your previous employers have been prestigious
• You are applying for a position in a highly traditional career

Less Advantageous When:

• Your work history is spotty
• Your objective is different from your experience
• You have changed jobs frequently
• You have had periods when you were absent from the job market

Sample

2. Functional

• Emphasizes strengths
• Focuses attention on technical and functional skills
• De-emphasizes employment history
• Lists areas of expertise, highlighting accomplishments

Advantageous When:

• Your objective is different from your experience
• You want to emphasize skills/abilities not used in recent work experience
• You are entering after an absence in the job market

Less Advantageous When:

• Your previous employers have been prestigious
• You need to focus on the pattern of your career growth
• You are applying for a position in a highly traditional career

Sample

3. Combination

• Combines elements of the Chronological and Functional resumes
• Communicates and highlights your qualifications and transferable skills

Advantageous When:

• You want to reposition your career
• You need to focus on transferable and preferred skills
• You want to explore new career options
• You want to create a resume to use in information/networking interviews

Less Advantageous When:

• The profession requires a specific resume format

Sample