How to Write a Functional Resume

Consider whether a functional resume will improve your chances of getting an interview, and thereby a job., Brainstorm., Organize., Arrange the resume by category, not by time., Add a summary at the beginning., Add a brief chronology of your work...

8 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Consider whether a functional resume will improve your chances of getting an interview

    A functional resume is any that emphasizes skills and abilities and de-emphasizes the chronology.

    This shift in focus may be helpful in the following situations:
    You are changing careers or focus and you wish to feature skills and accomplishments that weren't central to recent jobs, such as older experience, volunteer experience, or skills developed outside of work.

    You have an interruption in your work or your career has recently taken a detour You can better customize your resume to the job you are seeking by de-emphasizing the chronology. , Write down skills and accomplishments.

    Don't worry at this stage which ones are relevant.

    You can sort and edit later.

    Don't forget anything that might help, including:
    Volunteer experience.

    Experience working in another country, industry, or job function.

    Education, academic background, and on-the-job training.

    Skills, especially computers and language skills.

    Clubs and community affiliations.

    Hobby, craft, and do-it-yourself know-how. , What is the very best, most relevant selling point on your resume? Are you a computer whiz? Do you have an impressive degree? Do you have years of experience doing something related to the jobs you want? Give your strongest asset top billing.

    You might also subdivide your experience into groups; for instance general people skills and more concrete accomplishments. , Rather than a section for each job, have a section for each sort of experience or skill you can offer.

    Computer skills, education, and experience are the obvious divisions.

    When listing experience, begin each line with an active verb.

    It adds punch to the writing and gives the list a consistent tone and structure.

    If you can, focus on problems you've solved and specific results you've achieved.

    Did you save somebody money? Did you accomplish something more than your job description? The usual rules of resume writing still apply, only the result is shaped differently. , This is not the well-worn "Objective" bit about obtaining a full-time job.

    Instead, it is the best condensed version of your offerings you can write.

    Ideally, a busy recruiter or hiring manager should be able to tell whether it's worth reading more of your resume within about 20-40 seconds. , They can be one-line descriptions, including simply the company, your title, and the year in which you worked there.
  2. Step 2: and thereby a job.

  3. Step 3: Brainstorm.

  4. Step 4: Organize.

  5. Step 5: Arrange the resume by category

  6. Step 6: not by time.

  7. Step 7: Add a summary at the beginning.

  8. Step 8: Add a brief chronology of your work history at the end.

Detailed Guide

A functional resume is any that emphasizes skills and abilities and de-emphasizes the chronology.

This shift in focus may be helpful in the following situations:
You are changing careers or focus and you wish to feature skills and accomplishments that weren't central to recent jobs, such as older experience, volunteer experience, or skills developed outside of work.

You have an interruption in your work or your career has recently taken a detour You can better customize your resume to the job you are seeking by de-emphasizing the chronology. , Write down skills and accomplishments.

Don't worry at this stage which ones are relevant.

You can sort and edit later.

Don't forget anything that might help, including:
Volunteer experience.

Experience working in another country, industry, or job function.

Education, academic background, and on-the-job training.

Skills, especially computers and language skills.

Clubs and community affiliations.

Hobby, craft, and do-it-yourself know-how. , What is the very best, most relevant selling point on your resume? Are you a computer whiz? Do you have an impressive degree? Do you have years of experience doing something related to the jobs you want? Give your strongest asset top billing.

You might also subdivide your experience into groups; for instance general people skills and more concrete accomplishments. , Rather than a section for each job, have a section for each sort of experience or skill you can offer.

Computer skills, education, and experience are the obvious divisions.

When listing experience, begin each line with an active verb.

It adds punch to the writing and gives the list a consistent tone and structure.

If you can, focus on problems you've solved and specific results you've achieved.

Did you save somebody money? Did you accomplish something more than your job description? The usual rules of resume writing still apply, only the result is shaped differently. , This is not the well-worn "Objective" bit about obtaining a full-time job.

Instead, it is the best condensed version of your offerings you can write.

Ideally, a busy recruiter or hiring manager should be able to tell whether it's worth reading more of your resume within about 20-40 seconds. , They can be one-line descriptions, including simply the company, your title, and the year in which you worked there.

About the Author

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Virginia Mitchell

Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.

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