RESUME FORMAT

A resume format is a sketch of how your resume should be. It contains different sections in certain organized manner. Different resume formats are designed keeping in view the needs and requirements of people applying for the job. Have you ever heard of terminologies such as chronological, functional and mixed or hybrid? Well these are some of the common types of formats for resume that are used when making a resume. You probably have 15-20 seconds to impress your potential employer and if you opt for a right professional resume format and organize your content the way it should be then you probably have done the trick.

• Do you know that your experience and history determines the kind of format that you will need for making a resume?
• Do you know that if you present your resume in the format as desired by the recruiter then your chances of receiving an interview call increases as compared to others?
• Do you know that the employer gives a lot of importance to the way your resume is organized?
• Do you know that the right resume format can help you cover up for your weaknesses and focus on your strengths?

A resume format is a guide that helps you make a good resume. A good professional resumes format indicates what kind of person is applying for the job for example a person with less experience will opt for a different resume format as compared to a person who is highly experienced. It tells the recruiter about the employees current work status just by looking at the kind of format that he has used in making his resume. Different formats have their advantages and disadvantages depending upon the way they are used. A professional format can help you write a great resume by highlighting your strengths and covering up for what you don't possess also what you can bring in to the organization.

HOW TO WRITE RESUME FORMAT - TYPES OF RESUME FORMATS:

The most common types of resume formats are chronological format, functional format and combination format. The major difference in all resume formats is how you place your education, work experience and skills within the content of your resume. Here we shall explain all these sample resumes formats in detail:

CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT:

This format is also called reverse chronological format because it lists your job history in reverse order starting with the most recent one. The main focus in this type of resume format is on work experience. In this the candidate is required to present his work exposure by mentioning the position held, work tenure and job requirements. In this way, it helps the recruiter to clearly have an idea about the employee's past working record and pinpoint the gaps that exist within the working period. It clearly explains how an employee reached a post starting with the entry level. Most of the employers prefer this kind of resume format because it is simple and based on stats i.e. what the person has accomplished so far. Therefore it helps the recruiter to easily analyze the logical flow of the resume and to understand if the person meets the job criteria.

Here are few tips to create an effective chronological resume:

• State your past positions in bold so that they are clearly visible to the recruiter and mention if possible your exact work tenure.
• If at the same work place you have held different positions then clearly state those as well order in reverse chronological order i.e. starting from recent and moving backwards.
• Under each position, clearly summarize in few sentences the work that you were required to do. Here prioritize the points that are related to the job you are applying for.
• After giving a brief summary now state in bullets your key accomplishments. For example: “reduced the inventory turn over rate from 10 to 5 days hence saving 40% of the original inventory cost per month that resulted in profit increase by 15%.”

Remember in chronological resume format, work experience section is the most important. When thinking of a job resume format, this is the best standard resume format that can describe your true working potential and abilities or in short it is the standard job resume format.

Chronological format of resume works best if:

• Your work history has no gaps that you need to explain.
• You have been consistently performing at your job giving you enough work exposure to state that accordingly in your work history.
• You have been at a job/ profession for a longer period of time showing your straight career path.

CHECK OUT STANDARD CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME FORMAT SAMPLE

 

FUNCTIONAL FORMAT:

This format is also called skills format. A functional format for resume focuses on your accomplishments, skills and qualifications. These things are stated at the top of your resume rather than your work history. In such type of resume less attention is given to work experience. You focus on your strengths i.e. your skills that set you apart from others. In this resume format, your work experience is way down the order and is used as a listing.

This format of a resume is not the most popular one amongst the employers as they are more interested in what you have done in the past rather than your stated skills. For an employer what matters more is that you have been in the industry previously and have done the required task with zeal. Functional resume just shows that you can do this task but there is a lack of work exposure which can't back your claim. As it is said "action speaks louder than words."

Here are few tips to create an effective functional resume format:

• State those skills that are relevant to the job requirement so that an employer can know that you do meet their desired criteria.
• Try to explain in few words how exactly have you utilized these skills in the past to your advantage i.e. add a bit of reality touch to an otherwise hypothetical resume that is full of claims.
• Place any real life projects that you have done in the past that are directly related to the post you are applying for. For example: projects that you worked on in your student life, any volunteer work or charity raiser, organized events or some other work where your stated skills were fully utilized.
• If your educational record is good then try to place that on top. If your record proves that you are an outstanding student then do put your GPA or percentage on top to prove to your recruiter that you have worked really hard to fully grasp academic concepts and are now equally prepared to put that to test in your practical life.

Functional format of resume works best if:

• You are a recent school or college graduate with little or no experience.
• You are a student who is entering job market for the very first time.
• You are about to change your career.
• You have been in the industry for long but have switched jobs quite often.
• You have employment gaps in your career.
• You have not been employed for some time now for some reason.

CHECK OUT FREE STANDARD FUNCTIONAL SAMPLE RESUME FORMAT

COMBINATION FORMAT:

As the name suggests, combination resumes format is the one that combines both chronological resume format and functional resume format at one place. It combines both your experience and skills in a way that you can use it to your advantage. Here you have the chance to prove to your employer your worth by focusing on your skills and then backing your claim with a solid experience. This format of resume is best when you need to tell your employer that you possess the exact skills as needed by you. Such type of resume is helpful for those employees who have had experience in unrelated fields or they do not want to mention some portion of their work record in their resume. By using such a format they shift the attention towards their abilities. Also this format is utilized by those that have been in the same designation for a long time but have switched jobs very often therefore they cannot repeat the same job description and job skills every time in their job history.

Combination format of resume works best if:

• You have experience in unrelated fields then via this format you can easily focus on the skills that you learned by that work exposure.
• You are a fresh graduate who wants to focus on achievements, skills and abilities rather than work experience.
• You have switched jobs frequently in the same field so you don't want to repeat the same qualities again and again.
• You are changing your career so you focus on the skills and achievements of previous work experience which would be equally valuable in your opted field.

CHECK OUT FREE STANDARD COMBINATION RESUME FORMAT SAMPLE

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