Job Seekers: Which Resume is Right for You? ~ By Christina

Did you know there are three common resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. There are also target and mini resumes for specific uses. Read on to find out which is best for you!

Chronological

A chronological resume generally opens by listing your work experience. Start with your most recent role first and work backward from there. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it's easy to see what jobs you've held and when you have held them – and remember the whole point in writing a resume is to get yourself in front of employers, so what they think definitely matters. It's by far the most common type.

When to use chronological: You have a strong, solid work history and want to highlight it.

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Functional

A functional resume focuses on your skills, experience, and abilities. Rather than focusing on your work history, it focuses on what you can do and how you might contribute to an organization. They often start with accomplishments or a skills section that lists the various attributes you have developed over the years. Truly functional resumes do not include employment history at all, but some include a concise list of work history at the bottom.

When to use functional: You are changing careers, you're just starting out, or you have gaps in your employment history. Basically, anytime you would rather emphasize your qualifications over your job history.

Combination

The combination resume is a mix between chronological and functional. It's an opportunity to highlight your work experience as well as your skills. Often at the top of the resume is a list of your qualifications and abilities. Below, you would include a chronological work history. What makes this a combination resume is the fact that your work history is not the focus of the resume and typically doesn't take up a lot of space.

When to use combination: You want to highlight why you're qualified, and provide the employer with what they are looking for which is where you’ve worked and when.

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Target

A targeted resume is a resume that is specifically customized to highlight experience skills and qualifications you have that are relevant to a specific job you're applying for. Targeted resumes take significantly more time, however, the effort will not go unnoticed. Employers can easily see when you submit a generic resume rather than why you are qualified for that specific job .

When to use target: You are the perfect match for a specific role.

Mini

A mini resume contains a very brief summary of your career highlights and accomplishments and qualifications. It only contains information related to a specific position or industry that you were hoping to work in.

When to use mini: You are attending a job fair or career networking event, or you are passing along your resume to a contact in order for them to pass it on to a hiring manager or a recruiter. It's helpful when you want to leave something more than just a business card.

Regardless of which format you choose for your resume, the most important area of focus is on ensuring it reflects you and the job you want.  

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