You don’t have to panic when you’re writing your resume because it’s easy to find a 100% free resume builder online. However, to maximize the benefits of these resume wizards, you still have to know which resume format that can showcase your strengths and understate your weaknesses as much as possible. Remember, all resumes basically contain the same data, but the arrangement of this information matters when you’re being evaluated by an employer. As much as possible, you’d want to present your best assets first, and push your weaknesses at the back of the resume if you must present them at all.
Chronological resume
When you’re looking for a free resume builder, you need to make sure that it’s essentially formatting your resume in the structure that brings out the best of your assets. If your strength as a professional lies in your strong and consistent career background, then you should definitely write your resume in the chronological format.
This resume format starts off as a reverse chronological list of the applicant’s work details. It also includes the applicant’s skills and accomplishments, but these assets are presented last. Someone who has significant employment gaps in his/her record would not benefit much from this resume format. S/he should think about using a functional or a combination format resume instead.
Between the functional and the combination format resumes
If you have your skills as your primary assets, and you’re trying to hide a noticeable gap in your employment history, the best resume formats to use are the functional and the combination resumes. The functional resume presents your skills and accomplishments without including your work history. This is a very convenient resume format to use if you’re just starting out as a professional and you have little or no work experience. However, the functional resume does put a lot of employers uncomfortable. As much as possible, they would still like to see the applicant’s work background.
The combination format resume is probably the better choice for you if you want to gain the trust of your prospective employer. The combination resume also highlights your skills at the beginning of the resume. It does, however, include a chronological list of your employment background at the end of the document.
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