Form and Function for Your Resume

​When you think of a resume, you probably think of the traditional type. That is, the type that lists your work history in chronological order. But what if you don’t have much work history? What if you have so much that it would take three pages to complete your resume?

Most resumes should only be 1-2 pages. How can you express the best parts of yourself in such little space?

Functional resumes are the answer!

A functional resume focuses on your skills. For example, if you were a stay-at-home dad, you demonstrated many skills. After all, you needed them to run your household and keep your children on track for all of their activities. When you are ready to work again, you can list the functions that you served while managing your family.

This format also works well for first-time jobs. Many youth today take part in extracurricular activities. They may also hold family or neighborhood responsibilities. Use the functional format to share these skills and impress potential employers.

Functional resumes can also help seasoned workers. If you have several different positions in the same or similar industry, this format may fit you. List the functions you served. For each function, add an example of how you solved problems for a previous employer.

Functions and skills are the biggest parts of a functional resume. You can include some work history with dates. However, it should be a small portion of your resume, near the bottom. Training and volunteer work may also play an important role in a functional resume. If you would like to see an example, check out this link from Optimal Resume.