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What is a Functional Resume and When Should I Use It?

Jun 22, 2021 8:02:00 AM

A functional resume can also be referred to as a skills-based resume. Either way, what this actually means is that the focus of this style of resume is on your specific skills - particularly doubling down on the skills that are transferable to the role you are seeking. This is different from a chronological resume which emphasizes your work history (commonly in reverse order). If you want to get noticed it's the best resume format - particularly in the 'hidden job market'.

By shining a light on skills rather than focusing on your previous roles and titles, you can provide a more comprehensive view of why you are effective and your value to an employer.

Why Do I Like it?

Apart from anything else it’s more flexible – meaning that it is more useful if your work history isn’t an exact match for the job you’re pursuing, there are gaps in your resume, or you have a less traditional background (say you’ve worked across many industries etc.)

So, the obvious benefit of a functional resume is that it showcases your most relevant experience as it relates to the role that you’re seeking. The goal is to make it clear to the hiring manager how your unique set of skills aligns with their needs and that you are the best fit for the company and the job at hand.

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How is a Functional Resume Constructed?

Instead of simply listing your roles and responsibilities in reverse chronological order as you would on a more traditional chronological resume, you select only the most relevant achievements from each of your past roles and combine them to paint a more comprehensive picture of what you can achieve at any one of your target companies.

What Are the Differences and Similarities Between a Functional and Chronological Resume?

The key difference is that the main body of the functional resume highlights your most important achievements – quantified where possible - and skills and how they have been applied in various roles. It prevents too much early attention on irrelevant job titles, eclectic work history or gaps on your resume, for whatever reason.

A functional resume can include your work history as a simple list below your achievements and skills section, where you’d only include job title, name of employer, the location or city where you worked and dates of employment stating years, not months.

With the layout now putting primary focus on your relevant achievements and skills, functional resumes are much more flexible, allowing you to better tailor the content for a specific role you have in your sights.

Chronological resumes are the more traditional format, listing your work history in reverse chronological order. Chronological resumes do have their place, but they’re not suitable for everyone and in many circumstances this format is unlikely to open doors if you’re attempting to tap into the unadvertised job market.

When Should I Use a Functional Resume?

It depends on who your audience is and that’s largely dependent on your job search strategy. For example, recruiters often see functional resumes as a red flag and might assume that the applicant behind the resume is trying to hide something. It may not be fair, but many recruiters work on the basis of presenting a low-risk shortlist, which is most often calibrated by – you guessed it – relevant job titles, and similar roles in similar companies.

Recruiters are famously short on time, often reviewing hundreds of resumes a day. They don’t want to be forced to scour your resume for relevant details—your resume should, ideally, be very easy to scan. And because functional resumes aren’t terribly common, a recruiter might have a harder time making sense of an alternative format. In this case, it could be useful to try combining a functional and chronological format.

When is a Functional Resume the Best Option?

There are times when a functional resume could be your best option. For sure if you’re making a major career pivot. Any senior executive will have collected a huge array of transferable skills throughout their career but may not have used them in the context of a single role. A functional or skills-based resume might allow you to demonstrate how your unique blend of abilities will translate into the challenges a potential employer has right now.

It may be that your work history is all over the place. If you’ve held a string of short-term positions or worked in a variety of roles - for any number of very good reasons- using a functional resume is a great way to organize your experience into a more cohesive story.

You may not have recent experience. If it’s been some time since you last worked in a traditional job, you may not want your work history to be the first thing a hiring manager notices when they pull up your resume. Leading with your skills could be a good way to get their attention before they have a chance to review your dates of employment.

What’s a Good Example of a Functional Resume?

Head over to get some Resume Tips from an Expert including a downloadable template for you to edit, and a list of the things you should include – and things you should not!

 

Brian Kabell

Written by Brian Kabell

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