When you’re at a loss as to how to begin writing your resume, you can go online and look for free resume formats. Most likely, you’ll be given the basics: chronological, functional, and combination. While all resume formats are accepted by employers and recruiters, not all of them are suitable for your strengths and weaknesses. As much as possible, you’d want your prospective employer and/or recruiter to see your best assets first before they move on to your flaws as a professional, if they need to see these flaws at all.
Chronological
Although the chronological resume format is the most trusted format by recruiters and prospective employers, very few people actually look good in it. Unless you have a perfect and steady employment history, you probably shouldn’t use this resume format because it can make you look bad. Basically, the chronological resume format starts off as a detailed listing of the applicant’s work background in reverse-chronological order. It also includes the skills and accomplishments of the applicant, but this is listed at the back of the document. If the recruiter is not impressed with your work history, there’s always the danger that s/he will not go on to read the rest of your resume.
Functional
The functional resume format is the other extreme of resume types. While it boosts the applicant’s image with a listing of his/her skills and accomplishments, it lacks one thing which most employers look for: the applicant’s work background. This resume format is suitable for college graduates who are applying for entry-level positions. Of course, this format will only work to the applicant’s advantage if the recruiter holds low premium on work experience.
Combination
If you have gaps in your employment, but you do have some significant work experience to show, you should probably use the combination resume format. Just like the functional resume, this resume format allows you to highlight your skills and accomplishments over your employment history. However, the good thing about this format is that it doesn’t ditch the details of your work history altogether. This is still listed in chronological order at the back of your document, and its absence won’t make your employers uncomfortable.
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