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Functional Resume Format

In this article we will try to highlight the basic structuring of a functional resume. As an example we can take a professional who is well versed in customer service, administrative support and management.

A functional resume should start of by giving a summary of the qualifications while putting the emphasis on skills. In the case mentioned above the skills that should be paid attention to are that of customer service, computers, word processing, data archiving, accounting, telephone reception and office problem solving.

The key to making a great functional resume is to list the job responsibilities undertaken during your work history instead of putting in specific details. In this case it will be done under the three main headings of the areas in which the professional has worked before.

Again the point is not just to list the responsibilities that you held rather what is important is how you managed to achieve those responsibilities. Following the functional areas one should list the work history with the other aspects like education, training, and skills etc coming in succession.

Generally you will find most resumes having the candidate’s achievements listed out in chronological order. There are some cases in which it would be much more impactful to emphasize more on your skills and accomplishments and list them accordingly. This means that your achievements will not be displayed in the order that they occurred rather according to the value that they have. This is the way it is done in a functional resume.

You must however determine whether a functional resume will work for the position that you are applying for based on your achievements. A functional resume is one where the chronology is neglected and in its place skills and abilities are emphasized. This is a huge shift in focus and may turn out to be very fruitful in some cases.

In cases where you need to focus on skills that were not relevant to your previous line of work because you are looking to change careers then you might want to use a functional format for your resume. These will help you take the detour that you desire by making mention of skills and experiences outside of your working perimeters.

Neglecting the chronology and shifting to the functional format can work wonders in some cases but you have to brain storm in order to work it out. You will be required to write down all your skills and achievements whether relevant or irrelevant because they can be short listed later. Jot down everything from volunteer experience to experiences in foreign lands and industries, education, training, skills, clubs, community affiliation, hobbies, crafts etc.

The next step is to organize all your skills in the order of your mastery over them and their relevancy to the job that you are applying for. Is it some skill that you are exceptionally good at or do you have an impressive educational qualification? You will want to put your strongest asset on the top of the list. Subdividing the experience is also a good idea especially in cases where there is a lot to mention.

Next up you should arrange the resume by category making sections based on skills. Basically you should have sections according to the skills that you have to offer.