Writing a functional resume

Tips and advice from the Career and Transfer Center at Schoolcraft College on how to write a functional resume….

The Purpose of Your Resume

The Purpose of your resume

You should only build a resume for one purpose – to get an interview.
Keep this purpose in mind as you read the article below:

Why did I say ‘build’ a resume and not ‘write’ a resume?

A resume is not a story, it is not written with stream of consciousness like a novel. Resumes are built in a purposeful, strategic way to sell your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. The best resumes turn your Tasks and Responsibilities into Accomplishments and Results

A resume should not be purely chronological – that is a big mistake. I don’t know anyone who has had a consistent rise in significant accomplishment over a long career. Most people, including you, have nuggets of brilliance – accomplished at many different times throughout your life.

Your resume should be a highlight reel not an autobiography. The strategy is to match significant keywords, (Knowledge Skills and Abilities), to your accomplishments. You can’t do this with a chronological resume,

The only purpose a chronology has in today’s job market is to help the reader understand when you moved from job to job and which job you had first, second, and third. The chronology doesn’t explain a thing about who you are and what you accomplished. Neither does your longevity. Some people accomplish more in six months than others do in five years.

Never confuse a job title with an accomplishment.

Resumes must be functional to attract attention. Many say it’s the first third of the page that sells – if you can’t grab the reader at the top, the list of facts at the bottom will never be read. That is why it is critical to sell your key accomplishments and KSA,s up front.

Use the following checklist to help you think outside the margins of your resume:

1. Prepare a profile that matches your background to the job description.
2. Prioritize your tasks and responsibilities to match the job description.
3. Only list tasks that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
4. Select tasks that you can back up – preferably with a strong accomplishment.
5. Use a qualifying line to describe how you were selected for the job.

Example:
ABC tech Firm – 2006-2007
Technical Writer
Hired by the V.P of Documentation to improve RFP efficiency and develop a document reuse policy.

This line adds a little zing because it gives the reader some insight into your story. Be prepared to add more details at an interview. This short descriptor can help you build interest in your story. First, you name drop a little. In other words, you tell the reader who hired you and the title they command.

Second, the reader/interviewer may want to know how you increased efficiency and how you developed that reuse policy. The strategy is to place ideas and questions in the readers head. Just make sure you have the answers.
Your resume must be constructed – ‘built’ in such a way that it structures the conversation before you get to the interview.

The Interview process is like dating. You wouldn’t sit down on a first date and say – “let me tell you what my worst qualities are”. Yet, people do this all the time on their resumes.

Now, let’s continue with the checklist:
6. List all tasks in the active voice. For example Developed, Initiated, Directed, Organized
7. Never say ‘responsible for’ just use the action word.
8. List your accomplishments before you build your resume. I guarantee that this is the most difficult part of the process.
9. Select the strongest accomplishment and place it after your keyword table- (more on this in my next article), and before your chronological list.

Wait a minute – I thought you said chronology doesn’t’ matter. I didn’t say that. What I meant was it is the least important part – but an essential price of admission.

10. Identify your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s), by using the Occupational ONET Online database. This is an excellent repository developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and contains occupational information that can be an invaluable resource for education and research.

When you are ready, please visit http://www.ONETOnline.org
Now, lets continue.

11. Smooth out small gaps in employment by using annual dates i.e., (2006-2007) instead of the month and date.
12. List awards and citations/achievements only if they compliment the job you are seeking.
13. A note on Education. Include all completed degrees, regardless of subject matter. All employers value education. One caveat: Don’t include Certifications that do not apply to the industry in question.

Example: I am a professional writer and in addition to my B.S. and M.A. I am a certified professional Coder (CPC). This is a health care certification. The only time I include it on my resume is when I am approached about a writing opportunity that requires some understanding of health care issues.

Finally, remember that building a resume is one of the most difficult jobs you will do – if its done right. Its not easy to capture the essence of a persons talents and abilities in one or two pages, especially if you are a mid-career professional. There is no recipe. The checklist I provided is only a guide. Always practice good judgment and use what works for you.

Information about the Author:

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Functional vs chronological resumes

Your choice of resume formats is critical to your job search. In most cases, your work history will determine if you should emphasize your job history or transferrable skills. Janis Smith of RDE Specialists has some key points to help you decide. … Resumes Jobs “Functional Resumes” “Chronological Resumes”…

Writing a Killer Resume to Attract Prospective Employers

Resume is a document containing a summary highlighting the experiences and credentials and education usually written for the purpose of gaining an interview while seeking an employment. Since resume is the first thing that a potential employer encounters regarding the applicant, it carries a great significance.

A resume may be limited to one or two pages and can be organized in several ways.
A chronological resume highlights a candidate’s job experience in reverse chronological order, that is, the main body of the document shows the professional experience beginning from the most recent experience going chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience. The main aim of a chronological resume is to give an impact of credibility through experience gained. This type of resume is the most common resume in use.

A functional resume highlights work experience and skills classified by skill area or job function. The objective of a functional resume is to focus on the skills particular to the kind of position being sought which directly gives weightage to professional capabilities and experiences as a backup. In contrast to chronological resume, functional resume will highlight these competencies and is most suited for jobs that require a particular skill or clearly defined personality traits.

A combination resume balances both the chronological and functional resumes, which typically leads with a functional list of job skills and then the chronological list of employers.

A resume is quite short and therefore contains experience directly relevant to the position and many resumes use precise keywords and action words that the employer is seeking for. Increasing number of job seekers and employers are using Internet based jobs and therefore an ideal resume should be long enough to provide a concise, adequate and accurate description of an applicant’s employment history and capabilities. Job seekers are now able to reach the employers through direct e-mail contact and resume blasting which is the mass distribution of resumes to increase personal visibility within the job market. The simplicity and complexity of the resume formats produce results varying from person to person, industry and occupation.

Since many employers find candidates through search engines, it is important to use appropriate keywords while writing a resume. And they must choose a file format to maintain their resume. Unlike regular two page resumes, which highlight only the recent work experience and education, Internet resumes highlight the candidate’s skill development over his or her career.

While writing a resume, emphasis should be placed on accomplishments, effective organization and more importantly the appearance of the resume. To achieve this, proper care should be taken to see to it that the font is plain and easy to read written on a resume quality paper, formatting the resume with simple bullets, highlighting the accomplishments and not taking away the attention.

While organizing a resume it is very important to start with an active descriptive action word, include numbers and percentages and restrict the resume to one page. The resume is nothing but an advertisement with the main purpose of winning an interview and to be an effective resume, it should stand out from the crowd.

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When to use the ‘functional format’ for your resume?

The Functional format Resume lists your employment history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment. In this video, Steven Chong, Trainer, shares when you should consider using the Functional format for your Resume. Looking for more career advice tips and articles? Click here – … jobsdb.com jobdb “jobsdb singapore” “resume tips” cv “functional resume” “car…

What is a functional resume?

Learn what a functional resume is and when you should consider using this format….

When to craft a functional resume

…

Career counseling for the right job

Getting a job is always a difficult task. Take it is a mission you wish you succeed as swiftly as possible in order to ensure that you have money for all your financial needs to have a secured life.

Changing jobs has to be one of the more difficult decisions any of us can make; staying in the work environment we are used to can often be easier than having to embrace insecurity and having to prove the professional qualifications and credibility in a new workplace. The decision for change becomes difficult if the new job you need means switching the career. While you will face a challenge in trying to get the job that meets the new career objectives, crafting the resume should not be one of them. On the web alone, there are numerous resources for career changers. From helping you decide which career path you feel suited for to providing helpful advice on how to find success in the new job, you will find an overwhelming amount of resources to help you in the new journey. While most of the resources you find will be helpful are careful about the sources you utilize in order to put together the most winning resume for the new career choice.

There are mainly two elements to successfully creating a resume for a career change: research and willingness to take on new skills. Most guys put a lot of thought into switching careers. They consider their families, their living and financial situations, their competitive advantage in the new field, etc. After you convince yourself that switching careers is the right thing to do, you will want to convince the potential employers that you are qualified for you the job you are seeking. To do so, you want to do the research. Demonstrate to the employer that you have an extensive knowledge of the industry, even if you don’t have the accompanying experience. Before you start the new career, make sure that you understand what professional paths are ready and willing for your skills and spunk, and determine what the ultimate goal is. This will help you form the career objective for the resume. Additionally, make sure to do the research on the company you are interested in, as well as their the competitors; if invited for an interview, you will need to appear very interested and knowledgeable and willing to learn more – not only about their company, but about the industry as a whole. You will want to convince the potential employer that you are the very the best person for the job, better than the candidates with experience and to do that, you want to showcase not only the enthusiasm for the opportunity, but the eagerness to learn and the knowledge about the field.

Make a list of all the professional experiences and the qualifications necessary for the job. Use a functional resume to assure most of the qualifications necessary for the new job are met in the resume.

In addition to the resume, use the cover letter or email to let the potential employer know why you are switching careers and that the new interest is not a passing one. Make sure that the resume reflects the new found interest in a genuine and professional manner, and you are sure to have a successful career change.

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Get maximum efficiency with online job posting.

When it comes to recruiting new employees, there are several methods that meet the purpose. Whether it’s posting a newspaper advertisement or browsing through previous applications, all methods have their advantages and disadvantages. However, no method is as efficient or as popular as online job posting. These days, all companies choose to post online ads, rather than traditional newspaper ads. The internet offers and endless pool of candidates and more control over the people who you would or wouldn’t like to be interviewing further on. Smashfly Technologies provides innovative ideas to help you make the most out of your online recruitment advertising campaign.

A functional society is one where everybody has a fair chance of choosing a place of employment and advancing up the corporate ladder according to their abilities. Job postings are at the very foundation of the workforce marketing, supporting the dynamics of the employees and the needs of the employers. Whenever a company is in need of a new employee, the first step it takes is organizing a recruitment advertising campaign. Traditionally, companies would place an ad in a local newspaper and organize interviews with the suitable applicants. Needless to say, this task was highly time consuming and the results were often unsatisfactory. These days however, with online recruiting, companies have endless options. The candidate pool is no longer limited to a certain area and the odds of finding the best person to take the job are considerably higher.

Recruiting new employees is an elaborate process which begins with advertising the job opening. The immediate result of an online recruitment advertising campaign is receiving a certain number of applications from those interested in occupying the position. Sorting out the applications can be a time consuming task but with specialized job marketing software it can be done rapidly and effortlessly. The next step is setting up interview with the suitable candidates. Nowadays, interviews can even be conducted online to save parties a lot of time. Once the interviews are over, it’s up to the management team to choose their favorites. Online job posting expands the range of searching for candidates to virtually everywhere, enabling companies to make the best employment choices.

Online job posting isn’t only advantageous for employers but for those in search of an employment opportunity as well. Finding a job online is just a few clicks away, no matter where you’re located. For those who are looking for a job in their own country, the opportunities are also numerous – they’ll find an extensive database of jobs across the region. Many websites also allow candidates to narrow down the search by job category or position level. Other advantages include searching by date, company, viewing job profiles, resume posting, salary calculators, career resource links and so on.

We live in a world of endless opportunities – and what better place to observe this than the internet? The World Wide Web is an unlimited resource of pretty much anything you can think of. Employers and employees alike have had much to gain from the online job posting system. Smashfly Technologies offer the latest in online recruitment advertising support.

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Should i use a functional resume format?

Hear why a functional resume format is a good options for some job seekers….

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