Page 80 - Complete Idiot's Guide to The Perfect Resume

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Part 1 ➤ Plan to Succeed

Likely Candidates

In short, use the functional format if you meet one of the following
criteria:

➤ You are changing careers.
➤ You are reentering the job market.
Career Casualty
➤ You need to emphasize skills or experience from an early part
A lot of job seekers think the of your work history.
functional format is the resume ➤ Your volunteer experience is relevant and needs to be high-
of the new millennium. Not so!
lighted.
Most employers still prefer the
➤ Your most recent position is not impressive.
chronological resume. However,
if the chronological format ➤ You have one or more awkward gaps in your employment
doesn’t work for your situation, history.
the functional resume can be a
very effective alternative. Take a look at the following sample resumes from real job seekers to
see how the functional format worked with their experience. Maybe
you’ll find that you have similar reasons for using a functional resume.

The Career Changer’s Dream

Thomas Horton wanted to change careers from law to nonprofit management, so he used
the functional format for his resume (following). This format emphasized his transferable
skills (management, development, and motivation) in the body of his resume so that the
employer would see him as a manager with a legal background rather than a lawyer trying
to get into management.

Bonus Check

The functional resume can be an effective tool for career planning. Try to envision what
your functional resume will look like five years from now, ten years from now. What skill
sections would you like to see on those resumes? What steps will you take now to
develop those skills in order to advance your career?

If you’re a career changer with a work history that may lead a potential employer to
pigeonhole you into your previous line of work, use the functional format. The functional
resume allows you to define yourself according to your skills instead of your former job
titles.

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