If you’re having a hard time writing your resume, you can always look for free resume templates online. Most word processing softwares also have this resume building feature, and if you’re smart, you’ll use these guides to build the draft of your resumes. However, depending too much on free resume templates won’t get you anywhere unless you know the basic resume formats and their limitations. As much as possible, you’d want to use the resume format that would showcase your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Chronological resume format
The chronological resume format should only be used if you have a stable and long employment history to boast about. Most recruiters and/or prospective employers trust this resume format the most, though, because it’s very straightforward and transparent to say the least. However, if you’ve been unemployed for a number of years, this format can work against your favor since it begins with a reverse-chronological listing of the applicant’s work background. Skills and accomplishments are also included in this resume format, but it’s pushed at the back of the document.
Functional and Combination resume formats
If you’re investing more on your skills rather than your flawed employment history, you should definitely use either the functional resume format, or the combination resume format. Both of these formats showcase the applicant’s skills instead of his/her employment history. However, between the two formats, the combination resume is more popular because it’s more trusted by recruiters. While the functional resume totally dismisses the work history of the applicant, the combination resume still includes this in the document. However, it’s listed in chronological order at the tail end of the resume.
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Resumes