Create a job winning resume that produces job interviews

Resume Formats

There are 3 traditional resume formats; the chronological, functional or combined. Depending on your situation, you may decide to use one over another...

In a perfect world, the chronological resume is the preferred format choice of most people.

However, the are many folks for which this format is not appropriate and can actually hurt their chances of getting an interview.

If you have gaps in your employment history or if you are changing careers, the functional resume format may be the one to use.

"For most people whose career has progressed in a linear, progressive manner, the Chronological resume format is best. However, if there are gaps in your employment history, you'll need to shift the focus by using a Functional format."

Resume format outlines

Here is a brief outline of each format. As you can see, some sections are ranked higher in certain formats than others. Basically the idea is to match your strengths to the format that best highlights them. On the other hand, if you have certain weaknesses (for example gaps in employment), you would choose a format that does not stress that area as much.

Chronological resume outline

Employment Objective
Summary Profile
Employment History
Education
References

Functional resume outline

Employment Objective
Accomplishments
Capabilities
Employment History
Education
References

Combined resume outline

Employment Objective
Summary Profile
Accomplishments
Employment History
Education
References

The 3 main resume formats

To learn more about the various resume formats, use the following links for an in-depth study of each.

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