How to Write a Functional Resume

There are different resume types for different job positions you are applying to. You must have heard about resume formats like the functional resume, chronological resume and combination resume among others. It is important to tailor the job resume to a specific employer's requirements to enhance your chances of landing jobs. If you are seeking a career change or have one or more gaps in your work history, you need to write a functional resume. A functional resume is different from a traditional resume in the way that it emphasizes skills and achievements in order of importance.

 

Functional Resume vs. Chronological Resume
As mentioned above, there are different formats for writing a resume. The functional resume is also created in a different way, as compared to a traditional chronological resume. It lists the jobseeker's areas of expertise and skill sets up front instead of mentioning the past job history. Since you are either a career changer or have gap in work history, it would be wise to market your talents and skills to the employer. Therefore, there is no chronological history of your previous jobs in a functional resume. The point is to attract the employer's attention by marketing your skill sets to them rather than presenting a work history which has lengthy gaps.

 

A functional resume is the right format to be used by candidates who are seeking a career change. That's why this resume type also highlights transferable skills, which are not specific to a specific job position.

 

Given below are some important tips on how to write a functional resume.

 

Step #1. First and foremost, you need to make sure whether a functional resume is the right type to be used in your case. The resume format will fit in with your requirements if you are changing careers or have interruptions in your work. This resume type will emphasize your skills and deemphasize your chronological history of work.

 

Step #2. The second important step is to brainstorm putting together all your skills, achievements and abilities. While at this stage of writing the resume, list all the skills and accomplishment that you can think of. You can include volunteering experience, on the job training, academic qualification, computer skills, language skills etc.

 

Step #3. Once you have accumulated all the information to include in the qualifications summary section, it is time to organize and edit it. Which of your talents make you most saleable to the employer? Is it your impressive academic qualification or computer skills? Do you have several years of experience of doing something associated with your job? Organize the information in order of importance rather than in order of occurrence.

 

Step #4. The next important step is to arrange the different sections of your resume. Since you are writing a functional resume, you need to arrange it by category and not by time. You can have sections like ‘Computer Skills', ‘Education', ‘Experience' etc. For each skill and talent, you can create a section on the resume. Just remember to list them in order of importance. Jobseekers are also advised to start each line of each section with an active verb to add punch to your writing and create a consistent tone.

 

Don't forget to list some of your most important achievements. Did you achieve something which is larger than your job description? Did you help someone get rid of a specific problem associated with your work? List all these accomplishments to make your functional resume perfectly written.

 

Step #5. A brief summary would go at the beginning of the functional resume. It should be a condensed version rather than being a well worn objective. It should actually give the hiring manager the idea whether your resume is actually worth reading.

 

Step #6. A brief chronology of your past work history should be included at the end of the functional resume. This will be written in the form of one-line descriptions where dates are optional. Jobseekers can only include the job title, company name and the work location.