ResumÉ Styles

There are essentially 3 specific and unique resumé styles candidates can choose from at their disposal. When deciding on an appropriate format to use, minor consideration of past work experience and educational background should be factored into your decision, as one style may be slightly more applicable than the other. To help you decide on which style is best suited to you, please refer to the following.

Chronological Resumé

This is undoubtedly the most popular and preferred format to use. Due to its sequential nature it is very easy for the hiring manager to scan and interpret. It should provide your education, formal designations (if any), a current to past listing of your positions held, including company name and dates, and under each, a summary detail of your responsibilities and accomplishments. You may also choose to add sections of interests, volunteer experience and highlights of qualifications, as this may further assist you in receiving an interview. Make sure you have consistent spacing, font style and sizing and most importantly that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. It is advisable to accompany your resumé with a cover letter that further details why the potential employer should interview you. Chronological resumés are ideal when the applicant wants to highlight primarily work experience and/or education because they are well qualified in those regards.

Functional Resumé

This style is often utilized to highlight accomplishments and transferable skills, perhaps because you don't have much relevant work experience or formal education to support you. The layout for a functional resumé organizes the transferable skills under pertinent headings and/or categories so they stand out. Then, in a separate area on the resumé a very simple listing of your employment history is stated with just dates, company name, and position. A functional resumé can be very useful when you are looking for a career change in a different field or just starting out in the work force and feel you have the practical skills required for the position just not much relevant work experience to boast about. When utilizing this particular style it is important to ensure that your accomplishments are both quantitative and qualitative, demonstrating the outcomes of your efforts.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Although at times CV is used as a synonym for resumé, it actually refers to an extended and more descriptive version of a traditional resumé. A CV typically will go much deeper into explaining your education, published documents and social/corporate affiliations. Not so widely used by the average applicant, this type of resumé is habitually used in the scientific, academic, research, and consulting industries.