A functional résumé highlights relevant skills and
experiences. Learn how to write a functional résumé and how it differs from a
traditional, reverse-chronological résumé.
What Exactly Is a Functional Résumé?
A functional résumé, also known as a skills-based résumé, organizes
a job seeker's experience based on skills rather than previous job titles.
Applicants who want to highlight their technical skills, for example, could
include a technology section on their functional résumé with bullet points
highlighting relevant experience. This type of résumé is an excellent way to
highlight key skills, particularly for job candidates with gaps in their
employment history or who lack traditional work experience.
Functional vs. Chronological Résumé
Both functional and chronological résumés (typically,
reverse-chronological résumés) highlight work experience, but the formatting
differs.
Each skill or category of skills is a heading in the
functional résumé format, with bullet points of examples and experience beneath
each skill. Employment history is listed in reverse-chronological order on a
chronological résumé, along with employment dates and company names. The most
recent job title should be at the top of the list. Each job title is
accompanied by a list of soft skills, hard skills, and work experiences.
A combination résumé, also known as a hybrid résumé,
combines elements of a skills-based and chronological résumé. In this format,
applicants list their skills first, followed by an experience section that
includes their work history in chronological order.
When Should You Use a Functional Résumé?
There are several situations where a functional resume is
preferable to a traditional résumé. If your work history includes the
following, consider using a functional résumé:
A change in career path: If you want to change careers, a
functional résumé may be useful. This type of résumé can focus on your
transferable skills rather than listing previous job titles that may or may not
be relevant to your new job search.
Work experience gaps: If you have a long period of
unemployment, a functional résumé is an excellent way to showcase your skills
to recruiters and hiring managers without drawing attention to employment gaps.
Nontraditional experience: If you lack traditional
professional experience but possess the skills listed in the job description, a
functional résumé may be more relevant. This résumé format may be useful for
recent graduates who lack work experience.
Template for a Functional Résumé
A functional résumé should typically include the following
sections in the following order:
Heading: Your résumé's heading should include your name and
contact information, such as your phone number and email address.
Resume Summary: You can include a résumé summary with a few sentences about
yourself and your interest in the position in your objective statement.
Skills summary: Select categories of skills that are
pertinent to the position for your resume's skills section. Customer service,
technology, problem-solving, or communication skills might be covered in this
section. Describe your experience or skill set in bullet points under each
category of pertinent skills. A functional resume for customer service, for
instance, might include a bullet point about having experience with CRM
databases.
Experience: If you have relevant professional work
experience, include a section on your work history.
Education: Your education experience, training, and
credentials should be listed in the education section of a functional resume.
